If you’re ordering the steak at Rge Rd, you have to be open to the idea that what’s served to you will be what Chef Blair Lebsack and his staff feel are the best cuts. The cut and the farm from which the steak hails may change, but that doesn’t mean the steak is any less delicious.
All of the restaurant’s beef is sourced from farms and small-scale producers across Western Canada and I was served a six-oz. rib-eye sourced from Lakeside Dairy Farms in Bon Accord. My server told me it’s best served rare, and I bowed to his wisdom. When the dish arrived, it was a juicy, perfect rare, crisp on the exterior and succulent on the inside. There’s no over seasoning here, either, which lets the Alberta beef flavour shine through.
And, to top it off, you get even more beef when you pile on the accompanying beef and mushroom ragout, a healthy heap of stew draped over the carrots, and mashed potatoes adorning the plate. It’s meat heaven. –Cory Haller
10643 123 St., 780-447-4577, rgerd.ca
If you’re looking for the best tenderloin in town, you won’t have to look any further than Solstice Seasonal Cuisine. The cut is thick, drizzled in a dark and delicious demi-glace. The deep flavour of the demi-glace pairs well with the medium-rare cut, and equally well with the barnaise croquette, which garnishes the top of the steak.
And this is a layered dish. The steak sits atop a bed of creamy savoy cabbage which brings a refreshing bit of green to the palette; to get the full and perfect bite, a little exploration of the entire plate is recommended. Pair each bite with the accompanying crispy elephant garlic chips, which are set ornately in three dollops of mashed potatoes. The mixture of crunch, cream, sauce and juicy, tender steak will not disappoint. –Cory Haller
10723 124 St., 780-488-4567, solsticefood.com
The Alberta Angus Beef Tenderloin is a baseball-sized serving, with a gravy that combines oh so well with the creamy barnaise aioli. I ordered mine medium-rare and, underneath the salty outer layer, the meat was pink and tender. The dish is served with bone marrow that comes with the crunch of a grainy crust. Served with a layer of what the restaurant calls “beef-stew” potatoes – a layer of sliced spuds soaked in beef jus – this meaty meal is everything a classic should be. –Steven Sandor
9698 Jasper Ave., 780-423-0969, hardwaregrill.com
