Sunday, March 18, 2007

 

Sam & Harry's

You know you have had a great dinner when you leave the restaurant wondering when you can plan to come back for another meal. That is how FWJoey and I felt when we left Sam & Harry's steakhouse. Located in the Renaissance Worthington Hotel (in the space formerly occupied by the Chisolm Club), the interior is more chic and contemporary than many of the steakhouses in town. To be honest, my expectations were not too high going into dinner because I had heard mixed reviews from friends about their experiences. I had heard the food did not live up to all the hype and that the prices were extravagent. I must say...I disagree with what I had heard!

On our visit, FWJoey and I were treated to dinner by our friend, ARMichael. We started with a custom created appetizer consisting of one crab cake each and one jumbo shrimp. This "customization" was suggested by our server when he realized that we were torn between which appetizer to try. The server informed us that that crabcakes come two per order and the jumbo shrimp come 5 to order - since there were three of us - he suggested that we try one of each. That is what we did and both were fabulous! The crabcakes were mostly crab, very little breading, and the jumbo shrimp lived up to its name....it was JUMBO.

For a salad, I tried the spinach salad with rasperries, sliced nuts and a spicy mustard vinigrette. I really enjoyed the salad, but I could have skipped it (unlike the III Forks salad at Silver Fox - there is no skipping that one b/c it is the BEST).

For our entrees, all three of us had a different steak dish. FWJoey had the Prime Delmonico ($38) which was a whopping 22 ounces of juicy deliciousness. It was a bone in rib eye with a tiny spec of fat on it. The color, according to FWJoey, is what was "so beautiful". ARMichael had the 10oz filet mignon ($29) and I had the beef medallions ($24). All of our steaks were nicely (yet lightly) seasoned and cooked to perfection. I expected my medallions to be thin circles, but to my surprise the two "medallions" were each the size of a small fist. Yes, fist! The portion was very generous, especially considering that they only cost $24. We ordered two side items for the table ($7 each) - the roadhouse potatoes with onions and cherry peppers and the grean bean almondine. The potatoes were good, but nothing particularly unique about them. The grean beans, on the other hand, were some of the best I have had. They were perfectly cooked in soy sauce and topped with slivered almonds, cheese and garlic. The server said the green beans were his favorite side item and we can now see why! I recommend them.

One of the things I really liked about Sam & Harry's was the broad range of prices. There were plenty of steaks that exceeded $30, but there were also a handful that were under $30 - particularly, my beef medallions. Also, the seafood items seemed reasonable. The salmon, which is always on the menu, was priced at $24. Lastly, they had a section of the menu titled "Theater Fare" with offerings such as a burger for $12 and a steak salad for $16. This range of prices is unusual for such an upscale steakhouse.

I give Sam & Harry's two big thumbs up! I am already bugging FWJoey about taking me there again.

 

Ferre

FWJoey and I were excited to try Ferre, the new restaurant that opened in the space formerly occupied by Angeluna, and fortunately, we were not disappointed. We had dinner at Ferre with three other couples so we started with a couple of appetizers - the calamari and the bruschetta. Both appetizers were above average. For an entree, I ordered the Nicchi which is a three cornered ravioli pasta that was stuffed with smoked chicken and served in a delicious gorgonzola cream sauce. The portion was smaller than most italian restaurants; however, because of the richness of the entree, the smaller size was appropriate. I did not leave feeling hungry, nor did I feel like I had too much to eat. It was perfect. Others at the table tried the pasta dish with braised short ribs. While those dishes got good reviews, the consensus at the table was that the Nicchi was the best of all the entrees tried. FWJoey opted against pasta and selected the beef tenderloin. The tenderloin was not bad, but FWJoey was not overly impressed and will likely order a pasta entree on a next visit...and there WILL be a next visit.

Ferre's atmosphere is more upscale and hip than the other Sundance italian newcomer, Taverna. If you know me, you know I love Taverna and I think there is certainly room for both restaurants to co-exist in downtown Fort Worth. If you want more casual, laid back - go to Taverna. But for a more dressed up occasion, definitely check out Ferre.

Thursday happy hour is a great time to visit Ferre for a cocktail. While there, you can enjoy some of the fabulous complimentary appetizers that are available.

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