Steak in MSP

[dmcjc2007]

My husband and I will be in MSP this weekend for his 30th birthday and I am looking for a great steak place. Price is not a concern and we would enjoy a place that is nice, but not too stuffy. He really likes Gibson's in Chicago as a point of reference. We are staying at the Westin in downtown Minneapolis, but are willing to travel by cab. I appreciate any help you can give me!

[kevin47]

If you like Gibson's, Manny's is really your only choice. Prior to moving to the W, it even had the same symbiotic relationship with the Oceanaire that Gibson's does with the Frog Bar.

In Minneapolis, you'll know a stuffy restaurant by the sign on the door that says "for lease". Just don't wear a baseball cap, and you'll be fine.

[jfood]

jfood was speaking to a colleague yesterday about his next trip to MSP and the traditional steak dinner. The spot will be Murray's if that is any consideration.

Jfood also loves the Strip Club (just don;t order the sauces) and as an aside (giggles withheld for the name) it is more like a Speakeasy from the 1920's than a "you know what" bar.

[zfwp]

steaks are great but the room is important too. i think that manny's new location in the foshay "tower" has tipped the scales and made them the best steakhouse in town.

[b ster]

Agree 100%, when the food is comparable the space makes all the difference in the world....and in that case Manny's has a major advantage.

[jfood]

It was Manny's inthe W not Murrays...you guys gotta get easier names for tourists

[MSPD]

jfood -- I'm usually 100% with you in avoiding sauces on steaks. On a whim, I ordered the whipped horseradish/beet "sauce" (not really a sauce, per se) with my ribeye at Strip Club recently, albeit on the side. It was outstanding, and a perfect complement to the steak. It was a good reminder to me to keep an open mind.

[soupkitten]

i like the mushroom and red wine sauce at strip club (on the side). dh orders his steak w/o sauce. all of the sauces i've tried were well-made and extremely good, though.

[jfood]

hey...that's why Izzy's has so many flavors. Jfood, as much as he tries, has a hard time with sauces and really good meat. It is a cross he bears. Now dipping french fries in sauces is another story.

More important is you enjoyed it.

[MSPD]

Like I said, I share your disdain for sauces with good meat. This was certainly an exception, based on which I'll gently disagree with your comment to globally "just don;t order the sauces".

I would say absolutely DO try their sauces, just have them put it on the side. I actually now wish I had done that with my previous steaks at TSC. Being able to take bites of just the delicious beef, then have some with the subtle flavor of the sauce, then go back and forth was perfect.

And soupkitten, several in my party tried the crimini/red wine sauce and loved it as well. I didn't get to try it, but will.

[jfood]

you know jfood usually agrees with SK as well, but you have a vote for and a vote against the mushroom. just a head's up and it will be interesting to see how you liked it. Next trip to TSC jfood will try the horseradish/beet in your honor. Never would have thought of that one but hey, never know 'til you try.

thanks for the tip.

BTW - going to a Michael Mina steakhouse tonight in Motor City. Let's see how he stacks up to your steaks.

[MSPD]

Hope you enjoyed it! I've had to scale back my participation on here in the last few months, so I probably haven't articulated it, but I continue to appreciate what you bring to the table for us here (as well as everyone else, really).

[ne_cyclone]

As someone who used the MSP CH'ers for recs before - the Strip Club in St. Paul comes to mind. Its different and steaks are grass fed.

The other recs would be easier to get to, I would imagine.

[The Dairy Queen]

Yeah, the Strip Club (don't let the overly punny name throw you, it's a respectable restaurant) would be even a bit for to recommend to someone staying in downtown St. Paul, let alone downtown Minneapolis.

But, it is anything but stuffy!

~TDQ

[Foureyes137]

In Minneapolis, Red Stag also serves grass-fed only (Thousand Hills) and grass-fed, corn finished (a flavor I prefer personally) from Dakota Farms...if grass-fed is your thing.

However, as mitch pointed-out (after putting with the dean's daughter), if Gibson's is your reference point, the Strip Club and Red Stag are probably not what you are looking for in terms of beef. I could be wrong.

[karykat]

Excuse this temporary diversion, but does anyone know if any grocers or meat markets carry the grass fed, corn finished meat from Dakota Farms? I'd be interested in that (in addition to a trip to Manny's soon.)

[JimGrinsfelder]

Red Stag steak disappointed me. I feel I can do better at home with meat from Whole Foods.

Manny's. It's near their hotel and it's what they're seeking.

[soupkitten]

i agree with Foureyes recs of these classic steakhouses-- unless you folks preferred grass-fed steaks. if you are interested in grass fed steak, there are many other routes to go.

[Foureyes137]

Manny's or Murray's. Both are within walking distance (2 blocks) of the Westin.

http://www.mannyssteakhouse.com/

http://murraysrestaurant.com/

There are other places for steak (Capital, Ruth's Chris, Se7ev, Fogo, M&S), but truly, you can't do better than these two. We prefer Manny's.

[b ster]

Another vote for Manny's....far prefer the ambiance there than at Murray's. Steaks are always excellent, not to say they aren't at Murray's. The Living Room and/or Prohibition are nice spots to grab a cocktail prior to or after dinner as well....all 3 are located within the W.

[padrepaul77]

Just wanted to put in my vote for Murray's. I think Manny's is vastly overrated. They make a fine steak, but the bread is nowhere near as good. Manny's is very loud, and more cramped. Murray's is so much better inside as it's a little darker, more roomy. I walk into Manny's and it's like they thought about building a nightclub but then changed their minds. I have some giant bull looking at me with a detailed part of it's anatomy, and some abstract naked woman painting on the bar - I don't need this at a steakhouse. Manny's is my least favorite in town in terms of steakhouses.