Friday Night Steak-Out: Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Boston

Last night, I had dinner at the new Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Boston.

Apparently, this place is known throughout the country for its beefy treats and strange name. Located in the former city hall building on School Street, the actual building is chock full of interesting historical tidbits.

When we arrived for our reservation at 9:15 we were told our table was not ready. A hostess decked out in crazy pantyhose better suited for a shift at Scores, or any other high class nudie bar, informed us that we could wait at the bar. We waited for about ten minutes before being seated. Instead of being seated in one of the regular dining rooms, we were placed in a small room that had previously served as a vault, complete with huge locking metal doors and a passing feel of being trapped in a basement. With only two other tables, both with couples, we felt a little strange as a group of four female friends.

One thing we noticed was the incredible amount of staff on hand. There seemed to be a separate person for pretty much every part of the dining experience. David showed us to our table. Bob served us our choice of water- we went with tap because we like to keep it real. Dirk was our chief waiter- insert any and all Dirk Digler references here, I know we did. Mo came by to bring us a loaf of bread- actually we went through two but it was damn good. I'm sure I am forgetting a few of these individuals but it was just too hard to keep track. Needless to say, we wanted for little with that kind of service. My dining companions went with both red and white wine. I rarely drink wine so I can't really comment on the details of the wine; however they seemed to be pleased with the selections. I can say that my Grey Goose vodka tonic was quite good. Not strong enough to put hair on my chest, but not weak enough to taste like water with a splash of lime.

We started our feast with a large chopped salad. Filled to the brim with onions, both fried and au natural, we all commented on how great it was that we were out with friends and could gorge ourselves on onions with no fear of any awkward end of the evening make out sessions.

For the main event, everyone went with the steak. It seemed almost criminal to go with the stuffed chicken in a steak house, through it sounded delicious. Now, here is the best part- the steaks arrived sizzling in a bed of butter on a plate heated to 500 degrees. Dirk and the gang provided us with multiple warnings on the dangers of coming into contact with the plates. In addition, we shared mashed potatoes, asparagus with hollandaise sauce, and au gratin potatoes. No complaints here, the asparagus was crisp and the carbs were plentiful.

Really, the only issue with the meal was the presence of a young couple on a date sitting behind us. The gentleman, and I use that term loosely, was rude, loud, and the reason women prefer to stay home in their jammies rather than endure an evening with someone like this character. We considered starting a pool to give his date cab fare just so her suffering would at least have some sense of limitation. When he whined loudly enough to get a huge amount taken off his check, someone suggested that the only way for him to exit the restaurant should be on a plate heated to 500 + degrees. During breaks from mimicking this putz and making generalizations about his political affiliations, we decided that somehow we could probably squeeze in a dessert... or two. For our guest of honor, the birthday girl, fresh berries in sweet cream. For the rest of us, a chocolate cheesecake mouse concoction that I went to bed dreaming about. Seriously, it was that good.

After saying good night to Dirk and company, we rolled ourselves outside in search of a cab. All in all, two thumbs up for Ruth's Chris. Bring your friends, bring your high rolling dream dates, just make sure to bring your appetite ...and your wallet.