Meat Your Maker
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Silver Fox Steakhouse
• USDA Prime
• Wet-aged for 30 days
• Broiled at 1,800 degrees
The ghosts of ranch hands will not appear in the sprawling space once occupied by Star Canyon. Silver Fox made the Oak Lawn—Uptown spread its own upon moving in this summer. Bathed in a flattering light, the new digs epitomize a modern attitude. A big stone fireplace offers warmth, while a curvy glass-fronted wine cellar and an inviting bar provide a cool balance. There’s no scenester appeal as yet, thankfully, meaning you can enjoy good food and smart service with no distractions. Start with the New York strip, a dreamy cut with fabulous body and a pure flavor that needs not a drop of any of the sauces that you can have alongside. An au poivre treatment makes the filet mignon divine. The hillock of crisp sugar snap peas offers a sweet interlude, but the broccoli au gratin—blanketed in cheeses—is the side you’ll remember. A happy ending awaits in the dessert of cinnamony sautéed bananas snugged into a sugar-cookie bowl. 3102 Oak Lawn Ave., 214-559-2442 or silverfoxsteakhouse.com. Dinner Mon—Thur 4—10, Fri & Sat 4—11. Closed Sun. Also located in Fort Worth, Frisco, Grapevine, and Richardson.
Billy Crews, El Paso
• USDA Top Choice
• Dry-aged for 21 days
• Cooked on a gas grill
Located just across the New Mexico state line and set amid sand and cacti, Billy Crews combines a feeling of the Old West with the air of a civilized men’s club. Its accoutrements may not equal those of lavish big-city steakhouses, but cherrywood wine lockers, white tablecloths, and substantial oak chairs offer the right setting for sipping a fine vintage and discussing the stock market. To start, extra-manly customers should try the appetizer of crispy, bite-size Rocky Mountain oysters. The ritual begins when you visit the meat bar to select your cut. If you demur, career waiters in white shirts and black pants bring the uncooked steaks tableside for your approval. Soon the selected meat returns sizzling—no sauces necessary. Do try the ten-ounce filet, which has more flavor and a silkier texture than the smaller versions. No mention of this middle-of-nowhere spot would be complete, however, without a reverential nod to its nationally renowned 1,500-label wine cellar (the list, sometimes not totally current, is a whopping 112 pages long). Betcha can’t stop at just one 1949 Lafite Roths-child. 1200 Country Club Rd., 505-589-2071 or billycrews.com. Open Mon 11:30—10, Tue—Fri 11:30—11, Sat 5:30—11, Sun 5:30—10.
Great American Land and Cattle Company, El Paso
• USDA Choice
• Wet-aged for 4 to 6 weeks
• Cooked on a gas grill
Perched on the side of the Franklin Mountains, this steakhouse has three hallmarks, namely cowboy kitsch and a 180-degree view, plus the heaping dishes of whole roasted Hatch chiles that most folks order with their steaks. In the lobby you’ll find side tables with boots for legs, while Western murals lead upstairs to the main dining room. Steaks come in one-pound sizes, with T-bones and sirloins also available as two-pounders. The cowboy in the kitchen will grill them rare or medium-rare, but he’ll think you’re a sissy if you request yours well-done (although he’ll do it). Many customers’ favorite is the big T-bone, which will feed a family of four and have the dog up to his ears in table scraps. But you’re not with the program unless you have a roasted green chile with your steak. Something about the spicy, smoky flavor matches the beef like nothing else. 7600 Alabama, 915-751-5300 or grtamerican.com. Lunch Mon—Fri 11—2. Dinner Mon—Thur 5—10, Fri & Sat 4:30—10, Sun 4—9.
Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House, Fort Worth
• USDA Prime
• Wet-aged
• Broiled at 900 to 1,200 degrees
It’s hard to remember when Del Frisco’s wasn’t the kingpin of Cowtown’s dining scene, although it’s been open only eleven years. Tucked into the corner of a historic downtown building, the steak destination is broken into smallish rooms on three floors. The divisions provide a sense of intimacy—no small miracle in a place that’s almost frantic with activity. Regulars snuggle up to one of two bars to flirt with bartenders, watch ESPN, and nibble snacks, while business types and local celebs like TCU football coach Gary Patterson hold court at tables. The aroma of butter floats upward from the exquisite filet, redolent of the kitchen’s spicy salt-and-pepper blend. Even more luxe, the New York strip induces a serious swoon with its juicy interior. Few things—save perhaps the giant golden bangles of fried onion— can beat the signature crab cake appetizer, ready to be swabbed with sumptuous Cajun lobster sauce. Staffers remain sweet and unruffled, no matter how busy they are or how long you lollygag at your table. 812 Main, 817-877-3999 or delfriscos.com. Dinner Mon—Thur 5—10, Fri & Sat 5—11, Sun 5—9. Also located in Dallas and Houston (as of November 19).
Duce, Fort Worth
• USDA Prime
• Wet-aged for 21 days, then dry-aged in-house for 3 to 7 days
• Seared over flames and finished in oven
Tim Love, the owner of locally famous Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, has finally found the right identity for Duce, his erstwhile Euro-bistro. Now a self-proclaimed “modern steakhouse,” the nearly-two-year-old place has become a destination for a bubbly bar crowd that often sticks around for a spot of supper. Ensconced in an airy room with frosted glass and blond woods, you can be torn between simply listening to the twice-weekly live jazz or giving yourself over to the contemporary menu. Do both, as the music provides a tony backdrop for enjoying whimsies like the taradito sampler. This brilliant Peruvian rendition of sashimi presents combinations like wild salmon with chile paste and tropical fruit and hamachi with minced pear, serrano, and fried garlic. The steaks are lovely, if lonely, on their stark plates. The best cut is the notably tender hanger steak, served sliced on the bias. And, hands down, the best side dish is the pancetta-wrapped asparagus topped with a pearly quail egg, sunny-side up. 6333 Camp Bowie Blvd., 817-377-4400 or eatdrinkliveduce.com. Lunch Tue—Sat 11:30—2:30. Dinner Tue—Sat 5—midnight. Closed Sun & Mon.
Steakhouse at the San Luis, Galveston
• USDA Prime
• Dry-aged for 45 days
• Broiled
When Galveston-born chain-restaurant mogul Tilman Fertitta tackles a one-off, he pulls out all the stops. With its mahogany-toned paneling, brass-studded brown leather banquettes, and heraldic lithographs, the curving room off the San Luis Resort lobby feels like one of those private clubs that only recently began admitting women. Among the beef-eaters’ selections, a sixteen-ounce ribeye won the day: Despite being ordered medium, it was juicy and packed with meaty flavor. The twelve-ounce filet mignon suffered the common flaw of that cut; though perfectly medium-rare and fork tender, it lacked deep beefy taste. At $59—the market price that night—the buttery, tender Wagyu steak was a pricey adventure. It had been cut surprisingly thin, but overtones of grain and corn added complexity to the flavor. The sides came skillfully prepared and were more than ample: The crunchy chopped salad could have fed three, the green beans with shallots four, and the one-pound baked potato an army. Happily, the chocolate-amaretto soufflé was perfect for one, with a couple of spoonfuls to share. 5222 Seawall Blvd., in the San Luis Resort; 409-744-1500 or sanluisresort.com. Dinner Tue—Thur 6—10, Fri & Sat 6—11. Closed Sun & Mon.
Wildcatter Steakhouse, Graham
• USDA top Choice
• Wet-aged for 21 days or more
• Grilled over mesquite
Quick—grab your official state highway map, locate the north-central Texas town of Graham (it’s in grid H-15), and run your finger just southeast of town on Texas Highway 16. That’s where your next road trip should take you. The Wildcatter, which opened in December 2004, is a restaurant, resort, spa, and working ranch. It’s located on 1,500 acres atop a ridge that provides a spectacular view of the rolling hills. Start with the smoked cream-cheese-stuffed jalapeños, which come wrapped in bacon and served with homemade ranch dressing. Then cool down with a crisp salad. The one-inch ribeye is grilled to a luscious rosy pink, with juices so abundant they can swamp the plump, slightly charred asparagus. The filet shines as well, a generous medallion of beef that yields to the barest pressure of a knife. If there is a danger here, it’s that the house blend of salt, pepper, beef base, and “secret” ingredients is too strong. Less, frankly, would be more. But with a final glass of wine chosen from a list that earned Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence in 2006 and 2007 and a slice of homemade chocolate cake layered with heavenly “pudding” (think icing), you’ll be happy just to linger and take in the view. 6062 Texas Hwy. 16, about seven miles southeast of Graham; 888-462-9277 or wildcattersteakhouse.com. Open Wed & Thur 5—9, Fri & Sat 5—10, Sun 11—2. Closed Mon & Tue.
