From A Past Issue Of The New Orleans Menu Daily Originally published January 31, 2008 Ten Best New Orleans Steakhouses For the sake of the ten-best list below, please allow me to define a steakhouse. It's a restaurant where steak is the major attraction on the menu, even if the menu goes on to include other kinds of dishes. And where there's a variety of steak cuts, not just two or three methods of serving filets. No regard is given to price in the ranking below. Note the ones designated as serving all prime beef. In the others, off-prime may also be served, especially when it comes to the filets. 1. Mr. John’s Ristorante. 2111 St. Charles Ave. 679-7697. Mr. John passed away last year, but the new owner is an alumnus of both Ruth's Chris and Emeril's, and the standards have remained high. Everything here is prime, served with New Orleans-style sizzling butter. The rest of the menu is Italian--a good matchup. 2. Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. 3633 Veterans Blvd., 888-3600. The steaks that made New Orleans famous for steak, now the largest steakhouse chain in the country. A bit diluted by corporate fiat, but still exciting. 3. Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse. 716 Iberville, 522-2467. All prime. A classy, masculine restaurant with a wide-ranging menu beyond steaks. 4. Keith Young's Steak House. Madisonville: 165 LA. 21, 985-845-9940. Spinning off from his family's Slidell restaurant, Keith himself tends the grill, and buys well-selected beef.  A handsome restaurant with big crowds and great service. 5. Crescent City Steak House. 1001 N. Broad, 821-3271. All prime, dry-aged in house. The original New Orleans premium steakhouse, and the creator of the sizzling-in-butter presentation. After seventy-three years, almost unchanged in its quiet style. Terrible sides. 6. Morton's of Chicago. 365 Canal (Canal Place Mall), 566-0221. A beautiful, seductive restaurant serving prime beef (mostly) and other luxury meats and seafoods at luxurious prices, but with presentations the are simple to the point of boredom. Fortunately, they now make some good sauces. 7. La Boca. 857 Fulton, 525-8205. Chef Adolfo Garcia's recreation of the Argentina-style steakhouse, with the city's widest variety of cuts (including some really offbeat ones). Straightforward grilling, but amazing goodness. Superb sides and unusual appetizers. 8. Young's Steak House. Slidell: 850 Robert Blvd., 985-643-9331. Always crowded, with a very straightforward menu and cooking style, Young's puts out steaks of consistent goodness and is priced below comparable restaurants. At last, there's a sign on the building. 9. Beef Connection. Gretna: 501 Gretna Blvd., 366-3275. The legacy of Ruth's Chris (which once had a branch on this spot) lives on, with prime beef, sizzling, and good sides. 10. Shula's Steakhouse. J.W. Marriott Hotel, 614 Canal. 586-7211. The steaks are Certified Angus Beef, which in my opinion is not as good as USDA Prime. And the service has never been up to the prices the place charges. But the steaks are good, and so are the side dishes. The Besh Steak House probably ought to be mentioned, since John Besh not only buys prime and ages it in house, but also features Kobe beef. But it's in the casino, and. . . well. . . © 2007 Tom Fitzmorris. All rights reserved. news@nomenu.com