Tuesday, August 30, 2011.
Charlie's Steak House.
Last week I highlighted Charlie's Steak House in my Coolinary of the Day feature in the Menu Daily, and the act made me want to go there. I'd not been to Charlie's in over a year. I asked the Marys whether they'd be interested. I didn't think they would. Their diets are allegedly of paramount importance. And if there's a stronger anti-diet menu than Charlie's, I don't know what it would be.
But they went for the idea. Mary Leigh suggested that we go to Charlie's for our first daddy-daughter dinner of the new school year. Mary Ann decided she must join us.
The Coolinary menu at Charlie's was a great deal. You got the onion rings, salad, small T-bone (which is a very large steak) or small filet, plus potatoes for $35. Instead of that, I asked for the large porterhouse ("The Charlie," as it would be listed on the menu if Charlie's had a menu). Medium, I specified, to create the illusion for the girls that it was actually cooked that much. Charlie's has always undercooked its steaks by about ten degrees, which would take it down to about medium rare. The Marys could use the hot plates to remove the redness. ("How easy to fool girls are!" the fool thought, while the girls schemed to relieve him of his money.)
The girls were there well before I was, and I'm glad they were. The dining room was full, and they were sending people upstairs. The girls also had ordered and received the knoll of fried onion rings. Last time I was here, the bottom layer was a bit oily. No such problem today: they were exactly as I remember from Charlie's golden days, when the grease arcs climbed eight feet up the cheaply paneled walls.
Although it still looks more or less the same as it did then, Charlie's renovated heavily after the storm, and none of the filthy greasiness of the old days is in evidence. Rather nice inside, at that.
Mary Leigh and I semi-split the wedge salad. The steak was a monster, cooked exactly as I had in mind. Nice and tender. I cut off the filet and sent it to the girls, along with a piece of the good end (the part in the corner of the T-bone) of the sirloin strip for Mary Leigh, who is turning around to becoming the strip connoisseur I have always dreamed my kids would be someday.
A lot of people I knew were in here. Bonnie Warren, fellow freelance journalist and p.r. lady for Brennan's. Gary Vincent, frequent Eat Clubber. A couple who had been on a few cruises with us. Other people I didn't know came by to say that they had heard about this deal from me, and that it was as good as I made it sound.
All this was flattering, but it brought up a problem. Three people converged on my table while the Marys were moving stuff from one car to another. Distracted, I allowed what was left of the steak (which was plenty) to be taken away by the waiter. Mary Ann had told me that the good part was for a couple of her Sacred Leftovers meals later in the week, and the bone was for the dog Susie (who ranks at Number Four in esteem in our family, right ahead of me).
MA expressed horror at the loss of so luscious a leaving. The waiter saved the next two bones for Susie, but the beefy part was lost for good.
The steak, by the way, is $41 for a two-pounder. I've heard some people accuse Charlie's of being a ripoff, which is absurd--unless they're stuck with the memory of the old, grubby, long-since-paid-for old place, where the steaks were insanely cheap. This is the problem with having a long memory. If what you remember is changeable--like prices, spouses, styles of fashion--you will someday be disappointed.
The radio show was a wild party today. Mary Ann--who booked the exceptionally good lineup of guests--says it was the best of our Tuesday round-table shows so far, and perhaps the best in the history of the Food Show. But how could it not be with these guests?
Greg Reggio, one of the three chefs who own Zea. A funny, glib guy, and the recently-honored Restaurateur of the Year for the Louisiana Restaurant Association.
Jerry Strahan, the long-time general manager of Lucky Dogs, and author of Managing Ignatius, a book about the iconic French Quarter hot dog stands. Can you imagine the stories about the guys who sell Lucky Dogs?
Bob Girardot with Community Coffee, which is supplying offbeat brews for WYES-TV's Seasons of Good Taste wine dinners.
Glen Hogh, the owner of Vega Tapas Café and a good talker.
We were kicking up enough noise that I was wondering whether we might be disturbing the radio show next door.
Charlie's Steak House. Uptown: 4510 Dryades. 504-895-9705.
