Steak Sandwich at Riverside Bistro

The Riverside Bistro at the downtown Courtyard Marriott hotel has become my go-to place for supper before events at the Shaw Conference Centre. Last week, I was excited to attend the Chris De Burgh concert and had a steak sandwich before the show. The presentation of the meal was wonderful, with a balance between the fries and generous portion of onion straws. A few mushrooms graced the area around the steak, which I ordered well-done. And well-done it was - the charred crust was a bit over-done, but the meat inside was flavourful and not tough. I will be more explicit in my cooking instructions next time.

Pub Grub at Hilltop Pub

I went to the Hilltop Pub (8220 106 Avenue) for the first time this week for supper, and got started with fried pickles - also a first for me. The batter was crunchy and not greasy, and complimented the slightly sour pickles inside. I always thought a hot pickle would be gross, but it really worked, especially with the ranch dipping sauce.

I was told the steak sandwich at Hilltop is excellent, and the well-done steak I had proved this to be true. It was large, juicy, tender, and flavourful. Really good value as well. I just wish the fries were better - they were very plain and home-cut ones would have just elevated the dish even further.

Steak Sandwich at Hudsons

I ended up at the Whyte Avenue location of Hudsons Tap House by accident, after visiting about five brunch locations and finding all of them full with line ups. The steak sandwich is on special every day between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., so that is what I had, paired with the soup of the day, which was beef vegetable.

My steak was cooked to perfection: well done, but still juicy. The soup was rather bland, with lots of potato and hardly any meat, and a few raw green onions on top to garnish which did nothing except dominate the flavour in those spoonfuls. Good value though, and at least there was somewhere to sit down.

Above Average Pub Grub: Gallagher's

Steak Sandwich, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I have passed by Gallagher's Pub (8937 82 Avenue) countless times when on the east side of Whyte Avenue, but never bothered to step in. The place seemed like a dive. I went there for supper yesterday evening. I was right, but it wasn't a dive in a bad way.

I was impressed with the menu and ordered a steak sandwich with fries. Although my steak was not done perfectly to my order (there was some pink and I had asked for well done), the cut was excellent - soft, with little waste. The fries were hand cut and excellent. I did not need the gravy I ordered on the side, but it was quite thick and beefy tasting. I tried a few onion rings from my dining companion's plate and they were crispy and thick.

Gallagher's certainly does not win points on atmosphere, but the drink and food prices are excellent and the culinary offerings here are way above expectations.

Steak Sandwich at Rosie's

Steak sandwich at Rosie's #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Rosie's (10475 80 Avenue) is a Whyte Avenue dive. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It's as close as you are going to come to find greasy spoon diner food near the main drag of Whyte. Prices are also very reasonable.

I had the steak sandwich, which at $12 was one of the most expensive items on the menu. It was cooked almost perfectly to order and was served alongside very crispy fries, a couple of onion rings, and a vegetable medley (frozen veggies, but at least not overcooked). Just plain, basic food, adequate service, and no frills ambiance.

Steak Sandwich at Tavern on Whyte

Steak sandwich #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

When the music from Blues on Whyte and Black Dog stopped ringing in my ears, I needed to go somewhere a little more quiet and enjoy a meal. I tried Tavern on Whyte (10507-82 Avenue) for the first time. The food was a little on the expensive side but the menu had a good variety.

My steak sandwich (around $15) was thick and cooked to perfection. I should not have shelled out the extra $1.50 on sauteed mushrooms and onions as the amount was really little more than a garnish and they did not really add much to the meal. The hand cut fries were indeed home made, but I kept tasting sugar amidst the light salt seasoning.

So overall the meal was not great but decent. I would possibly come here again to try something a little less expensive.

Steak Sandwich at Next Act

Steak Sandwich, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

This was my last beefy adventure until I decided to go off beef during the current e coli debacle. The steak sandwich at Next Act is lean and tender. Being a skirt steak, it is very heavily marinated to make it so tender. I love the huge amount of sauteed onions and mushrooms, and the fries are crispy and seasoned well.

Post-Distribution Meal: Steak Sandwich at Ricky's

Steak Sandwich, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

After spending a long day Friday distributing community newspapers throughout the inner city, a hearty meal was in order. My distribution partner and very special friend chose Ricky's All Day Grill as his restaurant of choice.

I had a Certified Angus Beef Steak Sandwich. Topped with barbecue sauce and fried onion, it was done to my specifications and tasted great. I mean, it's a steak sandwich - it's hard to go wrong.

Instead of the sweet potato fries listed on the menu (I like sweet potatoes, but not as fries for some reason), I opted for the bottleneck fries. They were crispy and plentiful, but could have done with some seasoning.

Steak Sandwich at Chili's

Steak Sandwich, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I owed someone a birthday supper, and Chili's was his restaurant of choice.

At the Westgate location, I had a steak sandwich. The weight was not listed on the menu, but I am guessing it was six ounces, and cut very thick. I ordered mine well done, and while I disagree with the restaurant's menu explanation that well done still has some pink inside, I was happy with how my steak was done. It was quite flavourful from the grill. The dollop of garlic butter ("steak butter" I was told) was quickly put to the side after receiving my meal. Dousing a steak in butter is simply foreign to me.

The onion straws atop the garlic toast made for a nice bed for the meat. As for the fries, they were seasoned nicely but nothing special.

I would have this again, but maybe with another side.

Steak Sandwich at Tony Roma's

Steak Sandwich, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I really enjoy the value lunch menu at Tony Roma's for two reasons:

1) The prices are right.
2) It changes regularly.

At the Westmount location earlier this week, I went for a steak sandwich. At 6 ounces, it was the perfect size for lunch, also done to perfection. It had a better flavour than a steak I recently had at a steakhouse. The crispy fries, creamy coleslaw, and garlic focaccia rounded the meal out nicely.

It may be a chain, but Tony Roma's is great food and great value.

A Mixed Lunch: Steak Sandwich at Early Bird

Steak Sandwich, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

The steak sandwich on the menu of the Early Bird Cafe (102 Avenue and 97 Street) was listed as one of the diner's (it really was more of a diner than a cafe, with an open kitchen) signature dishes. I went for it, and was impressed with the portion size. The sauteed vegetabled in particular stood out - they were freshly prepared. The fries were crispy and nicely seasoned, and the three large onion rings atop the steak were a hearty garnish.

The steak itself was average. It was a seven ounce piece of broiled meat which could have done with a bit more seasoning to bring out the flavour. I also asked for well done, and it was closer to medium well in some spots. I am also not sure how fresh the bread was which was used for the garlic toast.

The menu variety and reasonable prices would bring me to Early Bird again, but Ia m not sure I would order this. I would try to come extra early to have a breakfast item, which is what I understand the place really shines at.

Taste of Edmonton 2011 #2 - Mini Steak Sandwiches

Taste of Edmonton 2011, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

On The Rocks created my personal favourite entree for the Taste of Edmonton Festival. These little steak sandwiches were cooked to perfection - tender and juicy. The corn salsa added the right touch of spice. The only problem was that On The Rocks had no forks at their stand. I was told they were meant to be eaten in one or two bites - maybe for someone with a really big mouth (no jokes, please!). It was impossible to pick up all of the delicious salsa otherwise, even using the crisp cheese croutons. Delicious food, beautiful presentation - but this is definitely not finger food.