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


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Look, I made my first post and an idle threat at the same time!!!

Actually, it is very useful feedback and a very valid point--something that lets us now that something we are already working on we need to work on a little faster.

The truth is, at the old Ray's The Steaks we would serve about 1250 guests a week, out of which 15-20 would order the portobellos. At the new location we serve about 3250 guests a week, but for some reason we were selling only 3-5 orders of portobellos a week. Crazy, huh?

If it weren't for the post, and knowing that someone felt strongly enough about being able to have Ray's rejoin his rotation that he registered on this site just to say so, I wouldn't know we had a problem to address.

It really does the forum, it's members (new and old), and the participating or frequently mentioned restaurants a great disservice to not have criticism and complaints be more welcome and forth-coming.

So, thanks Shannon. Honestly, this is the first I've heard about someone missing the vegetarian dish. We'll be doing something soon to let you come back.

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Actually, it is very useful feedback and a very valid point--something that lets us now that something we are already working on we need to work on a little faster.

The truth is, at the old Ray's The Steaks we would serve about 1250 guests a week, out of which 15-20 would order the portobellos. At the new location we serve about 3250 guests a week, but for some reason we were selling only 3-5 orders of portobellos a week. Crazy, huh?

If it weren't for the post, and knowing that someone felt strongly enough about being able to have Ray's rejoin his rotation that he registered on this site just to say so, I wouldn't know we had a problem to address.

It really does the forum, it's members (new and old), and the participating or frequently mentioned restaurants a great disservice to not have criticism and complaints be more welcome and forth-coming.

So, thanks Shannon. Honestly, this is the first I've heard about someone missing the vegetarian dish. We'll be doing something soon to let you come back.

Well played. Very classy response. My boss is a vegetarian and we sometimes socialize outside of the office. I kept forgetting there was a vegetarian option and this reminded me there was, and may soon be again. Since we are both in Arlington, I will be keeping track of this as it would be great for us to have Ray's as an option. I have been a fan of this place for a long time.

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That is awesome - and I really appreciate the response. I have no idea why the consumption went down since I tell pretty much everyone I know how great it is. I realize that I'm going to the wrong place for a vegetarian, but all I could remember is that I had read an article (maybe in the Washingtonian?) that you actually cared about having something non-meat on the menu! It was surprising and good to hear.

Anyways, I did manage to replace the normal meal by drinking an entire bottle of wine by myself, so I guess there's always that for now.

And I wasn't trying to make an idle threat - I was honestly trying to think to myself how to break it to my Dad that we were going to find a new place to go for his birthday -- my parents adore Ray's and are anxiously awaiting the seafood version...

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"This is the end of civilization as we know it."

My young dining companion and I were 2/3 of the way through an exceptionally good dinner at Ray's The Steaks a couple nights ago, and Michael appeared at our table, in exercise clothes, having just walked into the restaurant. He was holding out two paper bags while he made his comment.

"What is it?"

"These are our frozen french fries."

He had received notice that we were at the restaurant, and walked over from Hell-Burger to let us sample the objects of his shame.

For the previous hour, we had been plowing through our steaks, determined not to take home any leftovers. Matt got the Flat Iron Steak ($19.99) with a Bourbon-molasses glaze and grilled onions. This was the first time I've tried this sauce, which was moderately sweet and primally delicious, hitting the occasional grain of salt which provided a chocolate-covered-pretzel-like satisfaction. I love flat iron steak, and this was a fun way to serve it.

Also for the first time, I ordered the Steak "Bertolucci" ($28.99), sliced New York strip with roasted bone marrow, served "a la 'Maria Schneider,'" accompanied with roasted garlic and persillade. As much as I liked the flat iron, this was better still - a sensational dish, visually beautiful, and hitting all the right notes on my palate (we were both really craving steak, so this whole meal was exactly what we wanted).

Unfortunately for civilization as we know it, I now understand the Maria Schneider reference. Bertolucci, of course, was the director of Last Tango In Paris. This dish was served with brown butter. I'll leave it at that, other than to say, "Google at your own risk." (Maria Schneider butter should be sufficient.)

As for the fries, which we shamelessly took home (*), Matt had a free breakfast, I had the rest for lunch, and they seemed just fine to me - the sweet potato fries in particular were quite good. (*) Hey, the kid has to be at school at 7 AM, and I'll be damned if I'm frying an egg at 6:30; I tipped well.

I hadn't seen Mark Slater in months, and it was nice to see him come up with his usual by-the-glass successes - I can happily recommend both the 2004 Chateau Baulos La Vergne Bordeaux Supérieur (medium-bodied, earthy) and the 2006 Villa Medoro Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (purplish, but surprisingly genteel, tethered to minerality, and without the unwanted blast of raw fruit and oak that I feared upon seeing it).

Cheers,

Rocks.

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Also for the first time, I ordered the Steak "Bertolucci" ($28.99), sliced New York strip with roasted bone marrow, served "a la 'Maria Schneider,'" accompanied with roasted garlic and persillade.

...

Unfortunately for civilization as we know it, I now understand the Maria Schneider reference. Bertolucci, of course, was the director of Last Tango In Paris.

*snort*

When I saw this on the menu a few weeks ago, I damn near burst out laughing at Michael's chutzpah - both for naming the dish so, and for creating a situation where his staff would sometimes, perhaps frequently, have to delicately answer the question "what's that?"

But hey, even fewer people would have understood the reference if he'd named it Steak "Kappo Kawasaki".

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Odd to see Sietsema scooping Rocks...

[i've backed off on the "Breaking News" front for awhile, and am content to sit back and be an aggregator, letting other sites break the news, and then letting members link to their stories within minutes or hours (and giving them full credit). I've decided that it simply doesn't matter whether you report on a story at 11 AM, or 5 PM, and I want people to look at this website as a go-to resource for finding ALL the latest restaurant news, even though there might be a six-hour lag time. 99.9% of all restaurant news simply isn't that time-sensitive, even though the PR companies would have you believe otherwise. I got a personal tour of the Ray's: The Glass space two weeks ago from Mark himself, and respected his request not to say anything. I was told about the new Hell Burger space and also the mystery "definitive dish" at Ray's: The Steaks at East River (though I don't remember hearing anything about Ray's: The Game). I'll break an occasional story when it falls into my lap, but I'm not pursuing it with the same fervor I did a year ago. And it's MUCH more important to me that restaurants know they can trust me with their secrets, should they choose to do so (more-and-more, restaurants are asking me for my advice and opinions on potential business moves, and asking me to keep quiet about it, and I really appreciate those votes of confidence (I only wish I had gotten a phone call from The Cereal Bowl)).

And a word of caution to restaurants: Just because you give the story to the publication with the highest print distribution doesn't guarantee you a good review - look at what happened to Sou'Wester, who went out of their way to conceal the opening from me and let Tom break the news, only to get completely trashed in their review. This speaks strongly of two things: 1) Tom's unimpeachable ethics, and 2) the myth that keeping him abreast of things is somehow going to curry a restaurant special favor.

My biggest problem right now is figuring out what to do with all the Ray's restaurants, which are slightly different from each other, but I'll be damned if each one is getting its own thread. It's the largest specific instance of a general problem that I've been grappling with for quite awhile now.

Congratulations to Michael, Mark, and the rest of the Ray's chain, empire, restaurant group, whatever you want to call it.

Cheers,

Rocks.]

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Well if things keep going like this for the Landrum empire, I think Don will have to establish a separate forum just to handle its various outposts. But this is really cool news -- I'm looking forward to an elk-burger and visiting Mark's wine bar (when/if I get medical clearance). Congratulations to all!

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Yes, I got a hint of Rays The Glass a while back, but the Game place- oh la la. So glad to live nearby. Now let's hope Michael tells us when the soft opening is so we can have a taste before the hoards assault the place and the wait time is forever. Congrats. And good luck as you all are going to be very very busy.

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agm, nqd, and moi visited here Sunday night. My first time. I'm still full. Excellent meal and what a great price! Two glasses of wine, an app, and the huge meal (which ended up doubling as lunch the next day) - 41 bucks plus tip. Can't beat it.

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Beginning tonight, the grilled portobello plate is now available again (but still not on the printed menu).

Thanks for the feedback.

Oh my gosh, this is such GREAT news. I too was upset, but didn't get around to posting about here yet. Thank you, thank you!. Just in case you have any doubt about your decision, here is the note that my husband had written on Nov. 9:

I've been a big fan of Ray's the Steaks for some time, in large part due the presence on the menu of precisely one tasty entree (the grilled portobellos) for my vegetarian wife. Last evening we ventured to Ray's for a special dinner to find that the dish no longer listed. We asked our waiter who explained it had been removed due to slow sales. To his credit he offered to see what the kitchen could accommodate. Predictably it was the "vegetarian nuisance special" plus the usual Ray's spinach and potatoes.

Despite looking forward to this particular meal for about 2 months (celebrating a huge did-it-ourselves remodeling project completion)...we headed back down Wilson Blvd. to Guajillo.

Being both a confirmed omnivore and the partner of a vegetarian for the better part of 15 years I can see both sides of this issue, but the truth is that if she can't eat, then I can't eat.

It's especially unfortunate as we've really enjoyed the impact Mark Slater has had on the wine program and looked forward to experiencing some great wines. I'll really miss that hanger steak.

Hanger steak and mushrooms, here we come!

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Also for the first time, I ordered the Steak "Bertolucci" ($28.99), sliced New York strip with roasted bone marrow, served "a la 'Maria Schneider,'" accompanied with roasted garlic and persillade. As much as I liked the flat iron, this was better still - a sensational dish, visually beautiful, and hitting all the right notes on my palate (we were both really craving steak, so this whole meal was exactly what we wanted).

This has replaced the ribeye with horseradish as my favorite steak at Ray's. Good thing the picanha was sold out that night, otherwise I may have never had a chance to experience the marrowy goodness!

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Michael, what are the holiday hours this year for Ray's The Empire?

Ray's: The Steaks and Ray's: The Classics will be open normal dinner hours Thursday and Saturday, but closed Friday.

Ray's Hell-Burger will be open on Thursday from 11AM to at least 6, later if people are still coming in, but no later than 8, closed Friday, and open normal Saturday hours, 11-11. No one seemed to notice, but we have been serving beer since the snowstorm, and will begin serving wine on Monday.

Happy Holidays.

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So I went up to Garrett County for Christmas, where I am native too, and my Uncle from the area exclaimed that he wants to go to Ray's the Steaks. How in the heck he knows about this place I have no idea, unless he has been tracking me on Chow. Thought it was pretty funny as it was kind of a random exclamation.

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So I went up to Garrett County for Christmas, where I am native too, and my Uncle from the area exclaimed that he wants to go to Ray's the Steaks. How in the heck he knows about this place I have no idea, unless he has been tracking me on Chow. Thought it was pretty funny as it was kind of a random exclamation.

That's where Landrum buries his victims.

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I know this isn't Facebook, but can we have a "Like" button? That you can hit multiple times?

Damn it Mark! I was there last night, how did I miss that Vajra? Well, I guess I'll have to come back soon. Everything was great as always by the way.

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Bistro Special is offered Sun-Thurs for $24.99

Monday Blues = Soup or Salad + 10 oz. Sirloin for $15, in limited quantity, so come early.

Monday Blues: does that mean it's only available Monday, or is that just the name for it?

Wow... I think I'm getting exponentially stupider as time goes on.

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Monday Blues = Soup or Salad + 10 oz. Sirloin for $15, in limited quantity, so come early.

Wooo, competition for Ragtime's "$15 for an eleven ounce NY Strip and a beer" special on Mondays! :angry:

Actually I just thought it was funny that both places had specials for the same price on the same day. Now back to figuring out how to squeeze me, my parents, and my brother and my sister-in-law into Ray's the Steaks on Friday night...

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Ray's blew my parents away. They loved it. Mark - and really, the whole staff's - niceness and helpfulness made my parents completely spoiled tonight.

Mom had foie gras for the first time and loved it. The wine (Cuatro Primos? - they have two bottles of it now) was great. Matt and I had a glass each of the Barolo which was very delicious.

I know it might sound a bit trite, but I love it when a restaurant that my parents were so dying to try - having heard our stories about it - hits on all cylinders so well that mom and dad were just in awe, and jealous of the fact that their sons live so close to it. In fact, plans are already in place for them to bring their friends from other states by...

(I managed to eat my whole steak, the Flat Iron, tonight, and it was amazing. No beef sweats yet, as my brother likes to phrase it. Though after all that delicious wine it's time for me to switch to cheap American beer...)

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We ate at Ray's last night for the first time, and I have to say that I think it was one of the best restaurant values I have ever experienced. First off, excellent waiter (tall curly haired dude with a cow belt - didn't get his name but he was great). Great wine list at good prices. Steak was fabulous - I had the one that came with the big marrow bone - and the two people in our party who don't eat meat were happy with their scallops and crab cake. Four people, including 2 bottles of wine, for $180! We were amazed. What a great place. My husband is now salivating for Ray's the Game, so bring it on!

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We ate at Ray's last night for the first time, and I have to say that I think it was one of the best restaurant values I have ever experienced. First off, excellent waiter (tall curly haired dude with a cow belt - didn't get his name but he was great). Great wine list at good prices. Steak was fabulous - I had the one that came with the big marrow bone - and the two people in our party who don't eat meat were happy with their scallops and crab cake. Four people, including 2 bottles of wine, for $180! We were amazed. What a great place. My husband is now salivating for Ray's the Game, so bring it on!

Please say hello next time!

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Is there a bar, at Ray's the Steaks, where you can sit and have a drink and a bit of food?

I realize this is a question that I ought to be able to answer in some other way, such as by going inside and asking politely. But there is an intimidating mystique somehow, enough that I have only been able to bring myself to peer in the windows surreptitiously as I walk by. I think it looks like the answer is "no."

And if the answer is "no," how's that Rays the Glass thing going?

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Is there a bar, at Ray's the Steaks, where you can sit and have a drink and a bit of food?

I realize this is a question that I ought to be able to answer in some other way, such as by going inside and asking politely. But there is an intimidating mystique somehow, enough that I have only been able to bring myself to peer in the windows surreptitiously as I walk by. I think it looks like the answer is "no."

And if the answer is "no," how's that Rays the Glass thing going?

There is no bar at Rays. Rays the Glass is probably a ways off -- waiting on permits from the county; and Michael and Co. are concentrating first on getting their new restaurant in NE DC open. In know this because I asked about The Glass when I was at Rays tonight and this was Mark's response.

That said, dining alone at RTS is fine -- so next time just walk in ask for a table for one. Enjoy!

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Hey gang,

I know Michael put the vegetarian entree back on the menu at RTS, but can you remind me what else there is to eat for the non steakatarians? I'm trying to convince a dear friend that there will be some choices for her. There's also the crab bisque and...diablo seafood of some sort? The fried chicken never made its way over from RTC, right? I haven't been since the old location, so please refresh my memory!!

Also, as an addendum, do we know where Michael sources his meat, and if he is still hand processing it all? I can't imagine this is still true, with the breadth of his growing empire, but if it is, that would be great to know!

Finally, besides walking in, we can also call ahead for reservations now, correct?

Thanks!

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Hey gang,

I know Michael put the vegetarian entree back on the menu at RTS, but can you remind me what else there is to eat for the non steakatarians? I'm trying to convince a dear friend that there will be some choices for her. There's also the crab bisque and...diablo seafood of some sort? The fried chicken never made its way over from RTC, right? I haven't been since the old location, so please refresh my memory!!

Also, as an addendum, do we know where Michael sources his meat, and if he is still hand processing it all? I can't imagine this is still true, with the breadth of his growing empire, but if it is, that would be great to know!

Finally, besides walking in, we can also call ahead for reservations now, correct?

Thanks!

There are scallops available as well as crab royale I believe. Both tasty from what I've heard (I can't tear myself away from the steaks). Also clam chowder in addition to the bisque.

And yes, you can call ahead for reservations. I think they hold some of the seats for walk-ins, but you can definitely call ahead.

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There are scallops available as well as crab royale I believe. Both tasty from what I've heard (I can't tear myself away from the steaks). Also clam chowder in addition to the bisque.

And yes, you can call ahead for reservations. I think they hold some of the seats for walk-ins, but you can definitely call ahead.

Also salmon diablo.... that's how I get my non-beef eating wife-to-be to go.

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