It seems like there is at least one in every big city in America. A popular steakhouse where the locals go for an excellent cut of beef and service that rivals the finest establishments in New York. Operating a successful steakhouse is an art and the ones who do it well can make an excellent living. While the steak is the main attraction there are other things that diners expect from the finest steakhouses in America. The dining room will be very elegant with beautiful wood trim and dark paneling. Tables are decorated with fine linens and exquisite silver. You will typically find fresh flowers and impeccable service. When people decide to splurge, they expect to get their moneys worth.

The menu at the finer steakhouses in America is usually pretty simple and straight forward. The items are sold ala carte which means that each selection is sold separately. You will have appetizers like a shrimp cocktail or crab cakes. Salad choices are usually limited to a lettuce or spinach salad plus a salad made of large tomato and onion slices. The sides include baked potato, steak fries and macaroni and cheese. A vegetable of the day is usually offered and the sides are usually enough for two people.
When it comes to ordering steaks, the cuts of beef are pretty standard from restaurant to restaurant. Filet Mignon is considered the most tender type of beef and is usually the most expensive. A New York Strip Steak is also tender cut which comes from the loin of a cow, it can be served with the bone in or without a bone. A rib-eye steak is a less expensive piece of meat that is juicy and tender. Most beef lovers will tell you it is best served on the rare side which keeps the meat from getting dried out from being over cooked. Your server will ask you how you want your steak prepared. Rare means that the beef will have a cool red center. Medium Rare is where the center is hot but still red. A medium steak has a pink center while a medium well steak has only a hint of pink inside. Well Done is where the steak is brown throughout.

Chardonnay is a great way to make sure your wine is a great compliment to your dish. Chardonnay is best with a seafood that uses a creamy sauce. This may turn out to not be a great choice if your using multiple seafood items for your meal.

German Riesling wine is a great overall wine to add to a seafood meal, because it is extremely mild in taste compared to most and it will bring out the flavors of the seafood. German Riesling has been known to have lingering taste which helps greatly with oysters and shrimp.

If you are looking for a wine to win over any seafood meal, sparkling wine is the way to go. It will compliment most meals, no matter how complex the dish is. Any fried seafood or any caviar will taste delicious with this wine. Sparkling wine, no matter where it comes from, also will be a favorite among guests who are not normal wine drinkers. It has been matched with all seafood from simple cooked oysters to very elaborate meals with almost a zero failure rate, which is something rarely found among wines.

Some seafood recipes will include a list of good wines with them; these typically are a proven wine that goes well so it is a good idea not to linger too far from the given wine. You don’t need to be wine expert to pick a good wine, but common sense will go along way when deciding on a wine to compliment your seafood.