Great Steak(House) in Detroit Metro?

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For a my ol' lady's birthday, I want to take her out for her favorite food, a great slab o' meat. What do you think are the best places for steak in the area? Even if it's not a steakhouse, does a certain restaurant's ribeye/filet/ny strip blow your mind? I'm considering (in order) Cameron's, Big Rock, Fleming's. We've been to the Capital Grille, Rugby Grille, a few others. Obviously, Ponderosa and the like are far from consideration. What do you think?

[xman887]

last saturday, my wife and i made a late call to go out for a steak. as i expected it was tough getting a table since it was so late in the day - nothing before 8:30 at capital, cameron's, rochester chop, or mortons. not a fan of ruth's, shula's, or big rock and i plain forgot about flemming's. so i called larco's (big beaver between rochester & livernois) and they got us in at 7:00.

we got there at 6:55 and the room was full. we sat at the bar for 15 minutes. atwater block amber ale on tap - very nice. moved to a booth in the middle of the room. service was right on queue. we stated with a seafood appetizer - flash fried calamari, seared scallops, and shrimp larco (garlic lemon chablis sauce). it was $20 but it could have easily been a good app for four people to share. very good. my wife had an heirloom tomato caprese salad and i had a nice bowl of shrimp bisque. next was the pasta course which was a small but good sized plate of spaghetti with a very good bolognese sauce. steaks followed: 8 oz filet for my wife and a 14 oz veal chop for me. both we cooked perfectly. mine came with a spinach and pearl onion saute (different but good) and my wife had a potatoe side that was just ok. for desert we split a chocolate cake layered with chocolate mouse and encased in a chocolate ganache - very good. total bill was $240 including wine ($90), tax, and tip.

i like the rochester chop and cameron's a little better, but i would surely consider going to larco's again.

[cherie]

Thanks for that report, xman887. It's been probably 5 years since I've been to Larco's. I will have to go back soon!

[cherie]

I'd go with Camerons. I love their filet, and there ny strip is outstanding. For dessert, the carrot cake is unbelievable.

[Docsknotinn]

My favorite by a wide margin is Shulas in the Troy Marriot on 16 mile. Only about a mile or two East of The Capital Grill. Ruths chris is right down the street from that as is Mortons.

[Jim M]

If you're out Ann Arbor way, try Knight's on Dexter--a steakhouse straight out of the 1950s, and really good steak.

[Summerfield]

Jim M,
Is Knight's typical of these others mentioned in OP: Cameron's, Big Rock, Fleming's? I recently went and had a good (allbeit too thick IMHO) NY strip steak. But I was surprised that there was no...sauce. I realize that they are not pan-frying steaks there (open flame, I'm sure) but I would have at least expected some herbed butter. In short, do any other of these places mentioned pan-fry and provide sauces or herbed butter (excluding The Chop House which is incredibly expensive)?

[charlesbois]

LOL, Knights is the exact opposite of places like Big Rock, etc. They might have herbed butter on one steak, but probably not.

Knights is old school, and a place for the senior crowd to hang out. Smoky bar, pleather booths. But their meat is FABULOUS and extremely high quality.

[Jim M]

Yeah--simple all the way. One thing you can do is buy the same meat at their market on Miller at Chapin--indicated only by chess knight heads.

[charlesbois]

Knights market is one of A2's best-kept (sort of) secrets. Their porterhouses are sooo divine, but cost a king's ransom. Living in that neighborhood for a couple of years got me some choice cuts of meat that hadn't made it out to the display case yet. Yay for knowing your local suppliers.

[Summerfield]

Yes, my 84-year-old mother-in-law loves it. I've shopped Knight's Market before and I agree that their meat is of an "extremely high quality". Perhaps I'll just buy steaks there and prepare myself.