Bay Area | Steak and Lobster Dinner At Ruth's Chris Steakhouse

Saturday, January 13, 2018










Every year on his birthday, I take Mr Sweetie to a steakhouse for his birthday dinner. His birthday is the day after Christmas. He told me that as a child, he felt that he got the short end of the stick. While he watched his siblings get elaborate birthday parties, he got a 2 for 1.  His birthday was often celebrated on Christmas Day which meant just one party and one set of presents instead of a separate celebration. Poor thing! Of course, it was not intentional. His parents did not know that this was how he felt over the years. On my end, I try to make him feel extra special on his birthdays with a very nice steak dinner (his favorite food group) and a nice present given separately from his Christmas presents.

I often take him to a new steakhouse that he has never been to before on his birthday. This year, he picked Ruth's Chris himself.  We have been to Ruth's Chris in San Francisco on many special occasions such as Valentines and birthdays over the years. Honestly, the consistently subpar service we experienced at Ruth's Chris in San Francisco made us decide to try the Ruth's Chris in Walnut Creek, CA

It was a great choice. The restaurant was more spacious and the service was much nicer. This year I invited his parents to join us to thank them for bringing this good man into this world and into my life. And we had quite a feast!

His mom and I shared a bottle of  Conundrum Chardonnay.  While waiting for our orders, loaves after loaves of piping hot sourdough bread freshly out of the oven were being placed non-stop at our table. 

We started off with a bunch of sides and appetizers:

  • Fried calamari: Lightly fried and tossed with a sweet and spicy Asian chili sauce         $18.00
  • Stuffed mushrooms with crab meat: Broiled mushroom caps with jumbo lump crab stuffing sprinkled with Romano cheese     $16.00
  • Creamed spinach: Chopped spinach in a New Orleans style cream sauce     $10.50
  • Mashed potatoes:  Creamy mashed potatoes with a hint of roasted garlic    $11
  • Lobster mac and cheese: Generous portion of tender lobster combined with  three-cheese macaroni      $19.50

For our main orders:

  • 2 orders of Surf and Turf:  2 lobster tails with 6 oz or 8 oz filet       $49.95 and $56.95 -- The smaller one was for me while Mr Sweetie's mom ordered the bigger steak.
  • New York strip $54  for Mr Sweetie's dad
  • Surf and Turf with 16 oz Ribeye $67.95 for the Birthday Boy

Our Verdict:

The birthday boy was happy and fully-satisfied with his dinner. We were all about to burst at the seams. The men (Mr Sweetie and his dad) finished their steaks and lobsters. After filling up on the melt-in-your-mouth hot bread and butter (so worth all the carbs!) I only managed to  eat one lobster while Mr Sweetie's mom ate both of her lobsters.  Everything else was divine! The sides were pretty much all gone. I was not a fan of the sweet and sour calamari so it will not be a repeat for me. I am not a fan of fried calamari in general.  The lobster mac was the pièce de résistance! Fresh lobster meat in gooey macaroni and cheese which is a must-have every time we dine at Ruth's Chris.

To top off the evening, we got a chocolate Lava Cake for Mr Sweetie which looking now at the receipt has been comped. A nice gesture!

It was a memorable dinner that makes my mouth water just thinking about this evening. I had  plenty of leftovers that I took  home including a lobster tail and 4 oz steak that I had for lunch the next day. I gave the untouched 6oz filet (Mr Sweetie's mom's steak) to my co-worker who said that he felt like he won the lotto that day.  The steaks were still very juicy, tender and moist. 

In the end the final check was $500  including an extra glass of wine $12, a bottle of wine $60, 2 Arnold Palmer $9 and Diet Coke $3.50, 8.5% tax and 20% tip.

It was all worth it to celebrate my man who has been bringing love and happiness to my life all these years.

(In the tradition of my food blogs past and present, I always include the final tab for reference and record-keeping whether the cost was $10 or an arm and a leg. I go back to my posts to compare values and give an accurate information to my friends who often ask me for dining recommendations.)

December 26, 2017

Ruth's Chris Steakhouse  

YUM FACTOR:         ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
 
WALLET FRIENDLY:   
★ ★ ★ 

STAFF FRIENDLINESS: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

VALUE:  About $125 per person for including drinks, sides and appetizers