Recently, the North Sac News editorial staff has been getting on me about my grammar (or lack there of). They have become very nit-picky about silly little things like comma use, Capitalization and speling. I do not have a degree in journalism. I know, most people can’t believe it.. Sure, I may end the occasional sentence with a preposition or have misspelled words that that my 9-year-old spells correctly on her tests at school, but so what! Can the heart and character of a man be judged by whether or not he knows that i comes before e except when following a c? The answer, of course, is a resounding NO! Obviously the character of a man can only rightly be judged by how well he eats. Based on that righteous criteria, I stand shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Winston Churchill, Dr. Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln (he was a President you know) and of course The Galloping Gourmet. Each one a man of greatness; and each one had impeccable culinary taste. A coincidence? I think not.
So based on my indisputable rant - I mean logic - about what true character really is, I will now help you with what I will title my “Character Building Issue”.
Earlier this week I had a fantastic dinner at Ruth's Chris Steak House in Roseville with my humble, down-to-earth-yet-5-star-dining wife, Carrie. If you have ever dined at Ruth's Chris then you know that this is one of America’s finest steakhouses, and is well worth what can be termed as "a bit pricey". The quality of food, service and atmosphere is as good as Sacramento has to offer, and is well worth the extra few dollars. Ruth's Chris serves only prime beef: the highest grade of beef, and “yes it makes a difference”.
Thanks to the Ruth's Chris Summer Special you now have the opportunity to experience this great restaurant at a significantly reduced price. They are offering a 3-course dinner for two for $89.99. I realize it is still a bit heavier on the pocketbook than picking up a bucket from the Colonel; but remember, we are trying to build character here.
The meal starts with a warm welcome by intelligent, personable servers and your choice of two different salads or seafood gumbo. Carrie chose the Ceaser salad, and for the first time in recent memory actually polished it off. I, of course (because I am just cool like that), had the gumbo. Awesome! I almost began to lick the bowl until I remembered I was with the diminutive-yet-high-kicking Carrie.
The main course consists of your choice of two sides to share and two individual entrees. The most common choice is likely the petite filet (the t is silent and the e sounds like an a). However, The Carrie and I are not common folk. I had the mixed grill that consisted of a mini filet (more petite than the petite), crab cake and stuffed chicken. It was all mouthwatering, but the chicken was particularly outstanding. Carrie had the chef's choice fresh fish of the day which was a panko-crusted halibut topped with, well all kinds of great flavors. Fortunately, because The Carrie had stuffed herself with some of the best bread you will ever eat, I got the chore of finishing her fish. The only time I have ever had better halibut was at Stars in San Francisco, but this ran a close second and that is saying a lot.
Apparently my slender-yet-man-size-appetited-wife got a second wind when the desserts came around. We had a round, chocolate cake that exploded with melted fudge and was topped with ice cream for the two of us to share. I could have sworn I heard Banjo music playing as the two of dueled with our forks trying to get at every last crumb.
This was truly a great dining experience. If you have always wanted to try Ruth's Chris but felt you could not afford it, this may be your time. This special will run well past summer.
I also had the pleasure of having a great lunch locally at a Taste of Brazil. A Taste of Brazil offers a tasty buffet of salads and sides and even main dishes that makes for a fantastic lunch or dinner. However, for a few bucks more you can have endless supplies of meat brought to your table. Yes! You heard me right, “Endless meat”.
The server comes back to your table over and over and over and even over to slice a variety of sizzling hot meats right on to your plate. Varieties of steak, pork, chicken and ribs are available. My personal favorite was the bacon wrapped filet that, as I aforementioned, came in endless amounts. If you try a meat you do not like, you still have a good eight more or so to choose from.
This style of dining was a first for me, and I loved it. I would really like to get your opinion after you try A Taste of Brazil and see if you concur. Send me an email and let me know what you think.
There. I am sure you feel like a better person just having read about these wonderful restaurants. Remember the words of the late great somebody-or-other; "A man's character is not to be judged simply by who he is, but also by what he eats." Or something like that.
And hey, I really am trying to improve on the grammar thing. As I have said before, I am not getting older, I’m getting gooder.