Ray's the Steaks and Retro Ray's (Next Door) - Michael Landrum's Steakhouses in Courthouse - Closed

[hillvalley]

Me too.

As for topping your steak-I am not really sure why you would want to. I like to get blue cheese and garlic on the side, but I think you are doing yourself a disservice by not allowing your tastebuds to focus on the flavor of the meat. Get the hanger, order a sauce on the side if you must, but enjoy the succulent taste of a great steak.

Also, the onion soup. I love the crab bisque, I really love the crab bisque, but the onion soup is overlooked too often. On a rainy Monday night like this I wish Michael didn't need his sanity and would be open 7 days a week. It would be the perfect dinner tonight.

[CrescentFresh]

Aside from that, anyone have any recommendations for what my next step should be?

Get one of each. That way you'll be further ahead for your 5th visit. And just think of all the spinach and taters you'll be taking home.

[slarochelle]

.....After all, it's your steak, and we are here for you. We are happy to accommodate that and any request, as long as our cooking equipment and product allow it.

I've only been to Ray's once so far (still waiting for Silver Spring to open......), and it was probably two years ago. On that trip, a friend ordered the NY Strip "Pittsburgh style". Word came back from the kitchen that they would not prepare it that way. He ended up with it rare-diablo and loved it.

I was never able to get an explanation of what exactly Pittsburgh style was, or why Michael would not prepare it that way. He was in the kitchen that Saturday night, as he came around to ask that we were all happy with our meals, in particular "Mr. Pitsburgh-Diabolo".

So, can someone explain Pittsburgh style, and possibly why Michael would not prepare it in that fashion?

[Al Dente]

So, can someone explain Pittsburgh style, and possibly why Michael would not prepare it in that fashion?

Black and Blue-- extremely rare.

[DanielK]

On that trip, a friend ordered the NY Strip "Pittsburgh style". Word came back from the kitchen that they would not prepare it that way. He ended up with it rare-diablo and loved it.

I was never able to get an explanation of what exactly Pittsburgh style was, or why Michael would not prepare it that way. He was in the kitchen that Saturday night, as he came around to ask that we were all happy with our meals, in particular "Mr. Pitsburgh-Diabolo".

So, can someone explain Pittsburgh style, and possibly why Michael would not prepare it in that fashion?

It's also called black-and-blue. Very rare in the center, but well charred on the outside. It could be my faulty memory, but I'm pretty sure I've ordered the Strip that way at Ray's at least once.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

Black and Blue-- extremely rare.

I think Michal has a prepation that he calls "extra char, extra rare." I'd be interested to know the difference between that preparation and "Pittsburgh Style."

[DanCole42]

Fourth time at Ray's tonight*. What's to say that hasn't been said a million times already?

I had the bisque and my fiancee had the onion soup. I know what you're thinking - hot soup? In June? In DC? What kind of magic anti-perspirant do you use? Well, Ray's was quite cool on the inside**. The bisque was decadent and creamy without being heavy or filling. It was our first time trying the onion soup - my fiancee is now begging me to try and duplicate it. The massive slices of garlic were nice surprises.

Our "amuse buche" consisted of the scallops (a little firmer/drier than I remembered, but still #1) and the shrimp (loved the BBQ sauce - it was spicy and snappy and not sweet).

She got the hangar steak, which was a new experience for both of us. I've never tasted a steak quite like it before. It's certainly a very flavorful cut, but the flavor itslef was different. It almost seemed to have a more earthy sense to it than other beef.

I was all set to get the diablo, but then I saw the blue devil and I just CAN'T say no to bleu cheese on anything, and this way I still got to try the oft-raved about diablo. I now understand the raves. The whole thing just LOOKS delicious sitting there on the plate. I'm trying to speed up time to when I can have my leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

The fiancee got her favorite of the three mouses (white chocolate), and I tried the key lime pie for the first time. As I said, I'm not a huge fan of citrus-based desserts, but this pie was fantastic. My fiancee said the filling reminded her of gelato. The citrus bite that usually puts me off wasn't there at all - all that remained was the lime flavor. And it was goooooo-oood.

I also MET Michael for the first time. I was rather nervous, and I forgot to introduce my fiancee, but I think it went well. In any case, green gym shorts and a dirty t-shirt will soon be replacing the usual chef's whites in restaurant kitchens all over the country.

Michael, again, thank you soooooo much.

*Rather, my fourth time at Ray's - period. I didn't eat there four times in one night, although that would be an astounding experience.

**I don't know HOW Michael keeps the temperature so low with that massive grill sitting in the back.

[Billy DeLion]

Once again, I've done it.....

Raving about Ray's can be a casual pasttime for me and now it's landed me in a precarious position. I now have a party of six which has entreated me to take them to Ray's on a Saturday night. "Billy you silly boy" you say "surely this is not a precarious position but a triumph !"

AHHHHH so right you are ! However............(note lower case)ahhhhhhhhhh.....

One couple has to bring their 1 1/2 year old. I'm not sure how leery I should be about getting into this predicament, I've never seen the child cry (honestly) and I have seen him be entertaining to all at a party at my house. He's actually the happiest child I know. I'm guess I'm just looking for some positive reinforcement from folks who might have experienced this particular situation before.

How early will I need to arrive to get in 6 + the child before it gets too late for him and I perhaps impinge on the childless who might not expect to find him there ?

They really really want to go to Ray's (and so do I !) Does a line form before opening ? I usually go later.

TIA,

BD

[Jacques Gastreaux]

People bring kids to Ray's all the time. Don't worry about it. Just ask DC Foodie.

[treznor]

However, to get a table for 6 without too much of a wait on Saturday night... I'd get there early, the earlier the better. I'm a glutton for punishment so the two times I've eaten there I showed up around 630 or 700 on a Saturday night... I've never gotten there at the opening time so don't know what the wait would be like around the but I have to expect that it's the only time you'd have a reasonable chance of getting in with a smallish wait.

[DanCole42]

However, to get a table for 6 without too much of a wait on Saturday night... I'd get there early, the earlier the better. I'm a glutton for punishment so the two times I've eaten there I showed up around 630 or 700 on a Saturday night... I've never gotten there at the opening time so don't know what the wait would be like around the but I have to expect that it's the only time you'd have a reasonable chance of getting in with a smallish wait.

I got there about five minutes before six last night. There wasn't even a line. And even by the time we had FINISHED our meals (a beautifully efficient forty-five minutes in) there was at least one empty table for four.

Saturday might be a different story, however.

[Waitman]

Once again, I've done it.....

Raving about Ray's can be a casual pasttime for me and now it's landed me in a precarious position. I now have a party of six which has entreated me to take them to Ray's on a Saturday night. "Billy you silly boy" you say "surely this is not a precarious position but a triumph !"

AHHHHH so right you are ! However............(note lower case)ahhhhhhhhhh.....

One couple has to bring their 1 1/2 year old. I'm not sure how leery I should be about getting into this predicament, I've never seen the child cry (honestly) and I have seen him be entertaining to all at a party at my house. He's actually the happiest child I know. I'm guess I'm just looking for some positive reinforcement from folks who might have experienced this particular situation before.

How early will I need to arrive to get in 6 + the child before it gets too late for him and I perhaps impinge on the childless who might not expect to find him there ?

They really really want to go to Ray's (and so do I !) Does a line form before opening ? I usually go later.

TIA,

BD

Taking a 1-1/2 year old to any restaurant is a crapshoot. However, as you know, Ray's does get a bit loud, so normal fussing will likely pass unnoticed. Plus, there's the famed speed with which diners can move in and out of Ray's operating in your favor. Surely your friend is cool enough to drag the kid into the parking lot if he get a true crank on; hanging with well-mannered people is a great source of calm. And what better to keep the kid happy than a pile of mashed potatoes (wear something grungy)?

Normally I would recommend discreet breast feeding as a great calming influence, but the kid may be too old, and besides, I'd never suggest any breast-oriented activity around Landrum. It hurts his concentration.

[Buckinghamilton]

Is Ray's open on Sundays? Thinking of going there for our first anniversary...

[DanCole42]

Is Ray's open on Sundays? Thinking of going there for our first anniversary...

Ray's is open starting at 6PM Tues-Sat. It's closed all day Sunday and Monday.

But trust me - Ray's is worth observing your anniversary a day early.

[Barbara]

Thank you for this tutorial. I found it just fascinating and it went a long way to explain why so many people mess up steaks so badly and so often.

However, "What Did I Do (To Be So Black and Blue)?" was written by Fats Waller. Armstrong recorded it.

[The Hersch]

This might be considered off-topic, but Mrs Oscar Hammerstein once replied to someone who credited Jerome Kern with having written "Ol' Man River" that Jerome Kern wrote da da da da; Oscar Hammerstein wrote "Ol' Man River". Similarly, Fats Waller (and Harry Brooks) wrote da da da doo-oo/da da da doo-oo-oo; Andy Razaf wrote "(What Did I Do to Be So) Black and Blue". Pops, on the other hand, made it famous. And for all I know, he loved a good steak (there! on-topic!).

[Michael Landrum]

New information on the Ray's The Steaks answering machine, (703) 841-RAYS, regarding (ugh) accommodations. Guests may come by any time after 4:30 to put their name on the list--don't ask, don't you dare ask--for any time later that evening, but only for that same day. Complete parties only, up to six only. [Any one who is too stupid, Frank Bruni included, actually, especially Frank Bruni--the dining public has a legitimate reason for not getting it, him, it's his fucking job!--to get why a restaurant can not seat an incomplete party: IT'S UNFAIR TO OTHER GUESTS WAITING!!! And also, in lower case, it is unfair to the other seated guests whose service and experience are diminished while the waiter runs around trying to take care of your party piecemeal, with additional and redundant and out of order demands and steps of service. The reason that Willy Wonka should never have been re-made is that no one today gets what is wrong with Veruca Salt. Or Gordon Gecko. Or Bill Murray in Scrooged. Hell, they're our national heros today, the Ur-UberAmericonners (cross-lingual, orthographical/lexical pun, degree of difficulty, 1.8)]. Then you can go about your business, go see your movie, go have a drink, go post what an asshole I am on washingtonpost.com, whatever, and come back and have your place in line held for you at that time for when your party arrives complete. It does not mean that you are guaranteed a table exactly at that time, but that your place is held in line for the first available table at that time or shortly thereafter.

I think that this offers a good amount of convenience and assurance to those planning to dine with us, but still stays true to the principles of fairness, mutual respect and equality (which so many people find unfair, disrespectful and offensive, I know. I know.) that form the basis of Ray's.

Tom, if you are reading this, I know I promised you that I would keep you up to date, but please, please don't post this on your chat. I'll make it up to you, I promise.

[Barbara]

Andy Razaf wrote "(What Did I Do to Be So) Black and Blue". Pops, on the other hand, made it famous. And for all I know, he loved a good steak (there! on-topic!).

Black and Blue (the song, not the steak)

[treznor]

New information on the Ray's The Steaks answering machine, (703) 841-RAYS, regarding (ugh) accommodations.

Am I the only one that called the new number just to listen to the message, even though Michael had already told us the info? I guess that makes me a groupie or something :-)

[ahr]

I live in NYC--and my favorite steak in the world is a dry-aged Lobel's rib, which I pan-sear and -roast, Ducasse-style, basting constantly with herb-enhanced butter to aid in caramelization--but I visit this site every so often, just to read Landrum.

[Michael Landrum]

I live in NYC--and my favorite steak in the world is a dry-aged Lobel's rib, which I pan-sear and -roast, Ducasse-style, basting constantly with herb-enhanced butter to aid in caramelization--but I visit this site every so often, just to read Landrum.

Wow. Now you've got me craving steak. When can I come get some? I'll bring wine

Here's another exceptional voice for your reading pleasure, from washingtonpost.com:

Terrible

Posted by qwerty11 on Jun 23, 2006

I don't know what type of establishment Owner Michael Landrum thinks he is running. The neighborhood McDonalds has better service ... and better food. Thanks Landrum. Thanks.

What strikes me most here is the raw, urgent ache--the unbridled courage, depthless honesty and obsessive quest for truth at the heart of any great writing.

[mame11]

Wow. Now you've got me craving steak. When can I come get some? I'll bring wine

Here's another exceptional voice for your reading pleasure, from washingtonpost.com:

Terrible

Posted by qwerty11 on Jun 23, 2006

I don't know what type of establishment Owner Michael Landrum thinks he is running. The neighborhood McDonalds has better service ... and better food. Thanks Landrum. Thanks.

What strikes me most here is the raw, urgent ache--the unbridled courage, depthless honesty and obsessive quest for truth at the heart of any great writing.

Wow. Let me give a flip side to that comment... last night we had great service with a fairly unique situation (baby turining to toddler). It was amazing to watch the restaurant in action from where I was sitting. And how patient everybody (including the table sitting next to us) was with the baby. We have learned after last night that nights out like that will require a babysitter. Of course the positive side of that is we don't have to meet so early...

The food was fabulous as always.

[Escoffier]

Wow. Let me give a flip side to that comment... last night we had great service with a fairly unique situation (baby turining to toddler). It was amazing to watch the restaurant in action from where I was sitting. And how patient everybody (including the table sitting next to us) was with the baby. We have learned after last night that nights out like that will require a babysitter. Of course the positive side of that is we don't have to meet so early...

The food was fabulous as always.

So that was you with the screamer... We were about 4 tables away. I'm not sure we were that patient but you handled the situation well so we had no complaints. Babies can be fun in restaurants, can't they? (I did this with two so I understand).

The food as usual was excellent. Michael and Kristie made sure our guest had the dinner of a lifetime.

[Barbara]

Wow. Now you've got me craving steak. When can I come get some? I'll bring wine

Here's another exceptional voice for your reading pleasure, from washingtonpost.com:

Terrible

Posted by qwerty11 on Jun 23, 2006

I don't know what type of establishment Owner Michael Landrum thinks he is running. The neighborhood McDonalds has better service ... and better food. Thanks Landrum. Thanks.

What strikes me most here is the raw, urgent ache--the unbridled courage, depthless honesty and obsessive quest for truth at the heart of any great writing.

Well, you tempted me and I bit. I just had to go the WaPo site and read the comments. The one just before this latest one made me snicker. gopgov writes that he/she would rather go to Ruth's!!! Hey, don't let the door hit you in the behind on your way out!

Michael: have you and your staff been deliberately mistreating the ignorati so they'll go away?

[CrescentFresh]

Wow. Now you've got me craving steak. When can I come get some? I'll bring wine

Here's another exceptional voice for your reading pleasure, from washingtonpost.com:

Terrible

Posted by qwerty11 on Jun 23, 2006

I don't know what type of establishment Owner Michael Landrum thinks he is running. The neighborhood McDonalds has better service ... and better food. Thanks Landrum. Thanks.

What strikes me most here is the raw, urgent ache--the unbridled courage, depthless honesty and obsessive quest for truth at the heart of any great writing.

qwertyy, it seems that your meal(s) at Ray's are significantly different than what the majority of us on dr.com find. I'm sure the Washpost reader review section must limit the amount of information you can give. There is plenty of room here to tell us what happened to you. While whatever problems you had with the food and service may not be excuseable, perhaps there's a legitimate reason for what happened on the occasion(s) you were there.

So what was it? What did you order? Presuming it was steak, which cut did you get? There's big differences between the sizes and flavors and perhaps what you were expecting it to be wasn't what you got. If the food wasn't good overall, did you talk about it with them? Since your washpost.com listing was yesterday, I presume you ate there recently. Which date was it? Knowing the popularity of Ray's, it's likely there were other dr.com members there at the same time. Perhaps they, too, noticed something amiss. If the issue was your server, did you talk about it with Michael? I presume you did since you've thanked him (with obvious sarcasm) by name. What did he say or do to warrant slamming him like that?

Clearly you've been on dr.com long enough and posted here often enough to realize that while everyone has different opinions about places, one thing that's pretty despised universally is a drive-by shooting. Without any detail, that washpost comment is exactly that. Can you please elaborate for us with some specifics what happened to you there?

[Escoffier]

qwertyy, it seems that your meal(s) at Ray's are significantly different than what the majority of us on dr.com find.

Clearly you've been on dr.com long enough and posted here often enough to realize that while everyone has different opinions about places, one thing that's pretty despised universally is a drive-by shooting. Without any detail, that washpost comment is exactly that. Can you please elaborate for us with some specifics what happened to you there?

I don't think the person who posted on the WAPO blog is the same as qwertyy who is a DR denizen. The qwerty11 makes me think it's someone who can't be bothered to actually pick a nom de plume with any significance.

[Waitman]

After reading quertyy11's comments I'm a little disappointed: the food at my neighborhood McDonald's is probably better than Ray's -- I mean, that "Special Sauce" really is special -- and the lines are shorter, but the service isn't quite as good. Plus, this Landrum guy is far from corporate enough for my taste. Sure his shirts are made from fibers not found in nature, but they have palm trees on them and not brand logos. How unsettling is that? Who knows how long that meat has been sitting in the back? I hope quertyy will let us know the location of his McDonalds, as my wife and I are always eager to try new experiences.

[Michael Landrum]

Well, you tempted me and I bit. I just had to go the WaPo site and read the comments. The one just before this latest one made me snicker. gopgov writes that he/she would rather go to Ruth's!!! Hey, don't let the door hit you in the behind on your way out!

Michael: have you and your staff been deliberately mistreating the ignorati so they'll go away?

Interestingly enough, we serve a higher quality, more costly, more carefully sourced for wholesomeness, and more generous product than other, big name steakhouses. The difference, which is reality to some, is that we do not deceive or mislead guests and the public with false claims of "Prime", short-cutted, incomplete dry-aging, or smaller-than-claimed, undercut portions. We also allow the guest to decide for himself what qualities in a steak, and a restaurant, he values.

As to the other question--to some, fair, prompt and mutually respectful treatment, without the option of special privilege at the expense of others (especially at the expense of others, even sweeter if it is at the expense of others), is offensive in and of itself; these people are of no concern to me.

Sadly, though, there is a class of ignorati--such as DCVist Adam and the above-quoted, brave-in-hiding, anonymous washingtonpost.com poster--who can not go away because they have never been here in the first place, never met the person they semi-slander, and who revel in their ignorance as a source, among other unimaginable, unguessed-at horrors, of their unhealthy obsession.

[Escoffier]

Well, you tempted me and I bit. I just had to go the WaPo site and read the comments. The one just before this latest one made me snicker. gopgov writes that he/she would rather go to Ruth's!!! Hey, don't let the door hit you in the behind on your way out!

Michael: have you and your staff been deliberately mistreating the ignorati so they'll go away?

I've been all over the WAPO site and haven't been able to find this enlightened post anywhere. Where is this epistle of consumerism hiding out?

[mizburd]

Here is an excerpt from Todd Kliman's chat on washingtonian.com regarding a chatter's complaint about another restaurant (frankly, I don't remember the name of the restaurant, but I don't think that matters anway):

"Thanks for writing in. It's always worth getting feedback.

"But take a place off the list because of your one, bad experience? Which didn't mirror my own? And who's to say you might not have a vendetta against the restaurant?"

Well chosen words, Mr. Kliman, and we'd all do well to heed them when we read a customer complaint about any restaurant. And as Tom Sietsema and others have said many times, if you don't call the problem to management's attention, they can't be expected to do anything about it.

[Barbara]

I've been all over the WAPO site and haven't been able to find this enlightened post anywhere. Where is this epistle of consumerism hiding out?

You have to jump through a bunch of hoops to get to here:

ScotteeM has shown up to save the day

[Escoffier]

You have to jump through a bunch of hoops to get to here:

ScotteeM has shown up to save the day

Thank you Barbara, Dean and ScotteeM for the assist. Don't know why I didn't go to the restaurant reviews first.

ETA: stupid typos...

[ScotteeM]

Thank you Barbara, Dean and ScotteeM for the assist. Don't know why I didn't got to the restaurant reviews first.

No worries, Escoffier! It is not easy to find!

I looked it all over and reasoned that another review would bump that one down. Since I was very remiss in not writing a review on that site when I dined at RTS, I decided to write one now. One bump down. One more and it's out of sight.

It's easy to forget about reviews on the WaPo site, but those are very visible. My apologies, Michael, for not thinking about writing one sooner.

Thank you again for the second-class service we enjoyed at your establishment.

[DanCole42]

I looked it all over and reasoned that another review would bump that one down. Since I was very remiss in not writing a review on that site when I dined at RTS, I decided to write one now. One bump down. One more and it's out of sight.

It would appear we're about to witness a flood of WaPo reviews for RTS (my, but we DCers love our acronyms, don't we?). This should be fun.

[ScotteeM]

It would appear we're about to witness a flood of WaPo reviews for RTS (my, but we DCers love our acronyms, don't we?). This should be fun.

Excellent work, Dan, et al.!

[Escoffier]

Excellent work, Dan, et al.!

You realize of course that the "review" was probably written tongue in cheek by someone just to stir up ka-ka (no relation to the soccer player) ...

[DonRocks]

[it's no secret how much I love Ray's The Steaks. That having been said, I think VAFoodNut is simply saying what lots of people have been thinking: This thread needs a rest. A long rest. If someone wants to report on a meal at RTS, then great, but it really is past time to nix the chatty stuff on this thread.

Cheers,

Rocks.]

[Michael Landrum]

Between the sycophant’s that kneel at the alter of Michael and Michael himself DR is turning into the RTS support network. Do we really need the same people, day in and out proclaiming it? You all need to get out a bit more, maybe travel to NY and Chicago to expand you basis of comparison. I often wonder how you would feel if the man was not glad-handing each and every one of you.

[Don gave me permission]

A primary mission of Ray's The Steaks is and always has been active, involved engagement in community. This was true even in the two years before Ray's was reviewed on eGullet. My involvement in this community (eG and dr.com) has allowed that mission to succeed in ways beyond my wildest dreams. Which in turn has allowed my engagement in other communities to be more meaningful and driven (partly inspired by examples others here have set, Cathal, cjsadler, hillvalley, etc. etc.), some of which is shared or known on this board, most of which is not. I believe that this harmonious resonance is the core of the community that Don set out to establish, inspire and feed, and the reason so many here participate and gain sustenance.

People here do get out--to Lankford Farms, to cjsadler's Leukemia/Lymphoma dinner at L'Academie, to the farmer's markets, to the taco trucks and mom and pops, to blow-out dinners and to spring picnicchalias, all as an expression of, and made possible by, this community--and get out plenty. The expanding culinary and community horizons enjoyed (and worked for) by the members of this board (diners, restaurateurs and restaurant workers alike) are given color, hue, focus and vision by what they give and what they share and the intense personal dialogue that ensues, not by the meals they are served. I rarely encounter a theme of narrow, diminished or prejudiced culinary or cultural horizons on this board.

A personal mission of mine is and always has been to return the honor and deep appreciation that I feel with each and every guest's visit by heartfelt gestures of thanks and generosity whenever possible. I do give with a glad hand and I am proud of it. I will continue to do so whenever and for whatever reason I see fit to do so, and it is never for the reason that any of you think or even have any idea of. No offense, but the DonRockwell community accounts for a very, very small amount of the product I give away free, and as important as you all are to me on a personal level, this community represents an economically insignificant sub-group of my overall dining community.

The unusual intensity of my mission, goals and beliefs, as well as the sometimes non-traditional and unwelcome way Ray's operates in the service of these goals and values, often lead to: disagreements; misunderstandings; frustrated expectations; philosophical and moral objections; and personal affronts felt by some who read my writing. This engenders passionate dialogue, intense debate and an incessant parsing of nuances; the more complicated the subject, the more involved and complex the discussion. Better this than PR-tested, press-invested, pre-digested, blandly palatable pulp. However unwelcome and ridiculous at times, as Don rightly points out, and however unnecessary to eating, dialogue and debate are the irreducible pre-cursors to community. Let it be. Let it be--which sometimes means leave it alone.

Membership in any community (as well as readership of specific threads, as well as patronage of specific restaurants) is elective, acceptance of others in that community is not.

I will say, however, that any one who insults my guests; badgers, bullies or belittles my co-workers; or questions my integrity without direct cause, direct knowledge or first-hand experience is not welcome in my house, and will be answered.

[bookluvingbabe]

Inspired by the way my darling husband's eyes lit up when I mentioned heading over to the DR flea market, we coaxed two friends into losing their Ray's virginity on Saturday night.

Alas, it was a total success and two more people are in the cult. The raves for the scallops were so strong that one of them had them as their entree which totally flumoxed Michael. I have to say these were scallops on steroids they were so big but incredibly sweet and delicious. They also split a green salad which looked nice--I'm not a salad person. Mr. BLB ordered the NY strip with blue cheese and some other stuff and enjoyed it completely but muttered on his way home about it not being the same as the hanger. He always misses the hanger but who am I to argue if he wants to experiment???

The dark chocolate mousse was a hit but I continue my adaptation of mixing half milk and half dark to get my own personal perfection.

We were too sated and had too many leftovers to go out afterword--ended up home in a food coma.

Jennifer

[DanCole42]

Mr. BLB ordered the NY strip with blue cheese and some other stuff

Mmmmmmmmmmm... other stuff.

Does anyone (namely Michael) know what kind of blue cheese he uses on the steaks?

I ask because my fiancee HATES blue cheese with a passion, except in a few very rare cases. RTS is one of those cases.

I love blue cheese and would like to be buried with several pounds of St Pete's or Maytag. "Hey Phil, how come this one rotting corpse smells so much worse than all the other rotting corpses?"

[Michael Landrum]

Striking a blow for liberty.

For the entire months of July and August, we will be taking 10% off the price of every bottle of wine, every day, all the time. This is not a summer sale or limited promotion, but rather a means to bring the pricing structure of Ray's The Steaks more in line with the pricing structure of Ray's The Classics, which will be truly revolutionary.

In the meantime, I don't have time to revamp the entire program at Ray's The Steaks (there will be further reductions across the board in September), and also I want to highlight the impact of this restructuring--for example, I already lowered the prices of the wines by the glass (which consequently are not including in this discounting)--as well as a good portion of our bottle selections--about a month ago and not one guest noticed.

But most importantly, I want to throw out a tease about just how nonsensically value-driven the list in SS will be.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

Striking a blow for liberty.

For the entire months of July and August, we will be taking 10% off the price of every bottle of wine, every day, all the time. This is not a summer sale or limited promotion, but rather a means to bring the pricing structure of Ray's The Steaks more in line with the pricing structure of Ray's The Classics, which will be truly revolutionary.

In the meantime, I don't have time to revamp the entire program at Ray's The Steaks (there will be further reductions across the board in September), and also I want to highlight the impact of this restructuring--for example, I already lowered the prices of the wines by the glass (which consequently are not including in this discounting)--as well as a good portion of our bottle selections--about a month ago and not one guest noticed.

But most importantly, I want to throw out a tease about just how nonsensically value-driven the list in SS will be.

This is evidence that all other restaurants are in a different sort of business than the one Landrum is into; his is sui generis.

[Barbara]

This is evidence that all other restaurants are in a different sort of business than the one Landrum is into; his is sui generis.

Yeah, he "manipulates" the DR.com community by LOWERING HIS PRICES!

[Mark Slater]

This is evidence that all other restaurants are in a different sort of business than the one Landrum is into; his is sui generis.

Sui generis or so generous?

[Escoffier]

Yeah, he "manipulates" the DR.com community by LOWERING HIS PRICES!

What a sneaky, devious person Landrum is...what are we thinking of?

[Baccala]

Had dinner the other night at Ray’s with the wife and friends and felt that the dinner was off. This was not the first time, however this time I thought it was worth a note. I had the shrimp, which was stringy and overdone and do not really get the oversized onion piece in the middle of it. It did not work for me. I departed with the usual Rib eye and went for the NY strip, which is something I do on occasion. Generally I will only eat the strip at Ray’s. I found the steak to be lacking of flavor, almost like it was recently taken out of the refrigerator type of taste, not like it was rested. It was not very steakey (if that is a word). My wife and guest had the filet with blue cheese and there were no raves, just that it was ok.

I frequent Ray's, up to 5-6 times a month, usually on the early side and will continue to eat there. J

[Jacques Gastreaux]

I found the steak to be lacking of flavor, almost like it was recently taken out of the refrigerator type of taste, not like it was rested.

Just out of curiosity, what sort of flavors do refrigerators impart to a raw steak that go away once it has "rested." I know for a fact that Landrum cuts the steaks fresh each afternoon. I'll go out on a limb here and speculate that the health department would not look kindly on Michael if he left the raw steaks sitting out all evening in order to avoid this "refrigerator" flavor. I've been in his kitchen before and did not see them sitting out. I think he keeps them in a refrigerator drawer near his grill.

Did you register any of your complaints with the impropriator before you posted this?

[waiting for criticism for criticizing a critical comment about a sacred cow]

[DanCole42]

Just out of curiosity, what sort of flavors do refrigerators impart to a raw steak that go away once it has "rested."

I always take steaks out of the fridge before grilling them to allow them to come to room temperature. My understanding has always been that this is to help the steak cook more evenly, rather than to adjust the flavor.

Although I suppose if a steak is too cold, you'd end up with an overcooked outside and an undercooked inside, which would defintely affect the flavor/texture.

Another factor might be that water is at its most dense at around 40 degrees, so a steak put on the grill at or near this temperature might get this higher density "cooked in" which would limit the distribution of flavors in the steak (think fifty people trying to move through a tiny room versus fifty people trying to move through a ballroom).

Although I'm likely overexagerrating the effect of a few degrees difference.

[Baccala]

Just out of curiosity, what sort of flavors do refrigerators impart to a raw steak that go away once it has "rested." I know for a fact that Landrum cuts the steaks fresh each afternoon. I'll go out on a limb here and speculate that the health department would not look kindly on Michael if he left the raw steaks sitting out all evening in order to avoid this "refrigerator" flavor. I've been in his kitchen before and did not see them sitting out. I think he keeps them in a refrigerator drawer near his grill.

Did you register any of your complaints with the impropriator before you posted this?

[waiting for criticism for criticizing a critical comment about a sacred cow]

My comments had nothing to do with freshness or quality and I did not think my post had any suggesting of a lack of quality, just taste. There is no question that his steaks are fresh and of the highest quality. I eat steak a few times a week and grill often and can clearly tell the difference when they are cooked straight from a cold refrigerator, there is clearly a difference in taste. Leaving the steak out allows the intracellular fat to soften and makes for a better cooked steak. The resting time is not overnight, but 5-10 minutes before cooking. Furthermore are you suggesting that chefs/cooks do not skirt the law for the perfect product? Sous Vide is illegal in most states, but it is practiced by the best of them.

No I did not register my complaints, should that make a difference? I commented on my meal and was not looking for anything in return. These are my opinions and I wanted to share. Does that change the comments in the post if I had?

[Principia]

Just got back from sharing another superb Ray's experience with my +1, my mother, and her best pal, D. happy tummy

My mom and D didn't understand why I'd wanted to stick my head in early to put our names on the list. Then they saw the line just to get in the door at 5.30.

Having been admonished previously for failing to introduce myself, I made sure to give Chef Landrum the secret handshake this time around. In the interest of full disclosure, we were treated to demitasses of the heavenly crab bisque, and a healthy portion of blackened scallops and shrimp diablo. Mom's eyes bugged out of her head and she asked if Michael was going to be the best man at our wedding.

For dinner, collectively we had the petite filet with brandy mushroom sauce, the petite filet au poivre, the salmon diablo, and a dinner order of the blackened scallops. The +1 also ordered (and managed to almost entirely down on his own) the broccoli crown, and then there were of course the ever-delicious customary sides. I have to confess I was rather famished, so I actually managed to finish all of my dinner (as opposed to my box-wielding companions). The +1 and I then split a dark chocolate mousse... and I was set to promptly melt into a puddle on the floor.

The service, as has been my experience previously, reflected a staff who likes where they work, and who know how to be attentive without hovering or becoming obsequious. But everyone knows from my previous posts that the +1 and I love RTS - even though it's an occasional treat, due to the distance - so I figure I'll share my mother's and D's impressions.

They were absolutely blown away by the quality, and D in particular, as she's a fairly regular patron of Morton's and swears she's never had anything there to even touch what she had tonight. Additionally, they were truly impressed by the value of the meal - by comparison we'd had dinner last night at one of their favorite restaurants in Leesburg, and the bill had been at least half again as much, and that with the two of them only having appetizers. Both enjoyed the neighborhood atmosphere immensely, and their only regret was that they were so full that they didn't have room for dessert.

T minus 7 and counting to the Ray's The Classics dinner - I can't wait to see y'all there!