Steak Houses

Beaver Street, New York, seems an unlikely place for the birth of steak houses as we know them, yet it was here in the 1860's that a sea captain by the name of Giovanni Delmonico founded the first eatery with “restaurant” in its title. Delmonico's restaurant is one of the first and last of the old breed, the favorite haunt of characters such as Charles Dickens and William Makepeace, as well as New York's gold boom aristocracy. The steak house is emblematic of American food culture, starting life in the humble, working class South as a beer-n'-knees up establishment, catering for the huge appetites and shallow pockets of farming workers and miners. Outdoor barbecues were the norm and meat limited to beef – well cattle ranching was the primary livelihood of many. Its thanks to the old sea captain and entrepreneurs like him that the steakhouse evolved into the fine dining establishment of today. Prime cuts of beef such as sirloin and rump were in high demand among city dwellers, paving the way for eateries catering to this niche of the market. Chain steakhouses such as Longhorn, Logans and Outback combined the Western ranch theme with public demand for micro-beers and affordable menus. As such, you can now get a fully loaded steakhouse “grill” (with fries, peas, mushrooms and onion rings) for as little as five dollars. Upscale restaurants like Craftsteak on Las Vegas Boulevard cater to those seeking the gourmet style of fusion, where premier Dry Aged Wagyu beef and New York Hangar are the order of the day!