Ako "A futile maneuver" E.'s Profile

During the honeymoon phase of our relationship, the bf and I frequented this place at least once a week. Yeah, this place isn't all fancy and high falutin' but the steaks are pretty spectacular.

We dined at ToT on Sunday evening. We were seated immediately, which was a nice surprise. I didn't like the first table we were led to and they graciously sat us in the wine room. From past experience I have learned Taste's version of rare is too rare for me so I ordered my filet mignon medium rare with a side of the sauteed mushrooms. The server asked if I wanted lemon-pepper or garlic butter, perhaps wrapped in bacon? Nope, I like mine plain jane please.

The salad bar is nicely set up and I find their cilantro dressing addicting. It has a kick to it so if you do not like spicy, stay away. They also have 2 monolith blocks of cheese where you can shave off the amount you desire. You can also build your own bread basket, your choice being mini-loafs, cheesebread and jalapeno cornbread.

The steak was perfect and the flavor of the meat was outstanding. To me the steaks at ToT do not need any seasoning, that is how insanely tasty their beef is. The sauteed mushrooms were the perfect compliment to the steak. I am thinking they add red wine while sauteing the mushrooms. Geez, I've missed this place!

Perry's gets the 5th star because of the over the top customer service provided by the events coordinator Sara and the server Adrian.

Every year I am stuck with the task of planning our company holiday dinner. While our group is small, it can get difficult finding a place that everyone can agree upon. So usually we end up at a steak house or Italian restaurant. When the big guy (ie: boss) suggested Perry's, I hightailed it to their website and contacted their event planner via email. Heather replied to my initial inquiry (within 2 minutes, I kid you not) and after a few questions I received an email from Sara who assisted me through the rest of the planning. After 5 emails between us, the contract was signed (we reserved a private room) and the only thing left to do was eagerly wait for December 4th.

Yay, the day is here but wait, what is that white stuff falling out of the sky? Snow? What the f.....? After a brief discussion with the big guy, I called Sara to ask if we could reschedule. Thinking we would be charged a room fee or have difficulty moving our reservation, I was very pleased on how helpful Sara was and how pleasant she was throughout the conversation. The dinner reservation was moved to another night with no charge for the last minute change.

The restaurant is beautiful and was decorated to the gills for the holidays. Our private room was perfect for our small group and we even had a Christmas tree in one corner. The table set up insured we all could see each other and converse easily. Our server for the evening was Adrian who proved to be professional and unobtrusive. He was friendly, attentive and patient with our persnickety group. The meal included appetizer platters: stuffed mushrooms, Polish sausage, cherry peppery calamari and fried asparagus. All were delicious, especially the calamari. Following the appetizers was a choice of salad. I went with the Caesar which had a delightfully tangy dressing and was adorned with toasted pine nuts. For the main course we were given a choice of 8 oz. filet mignon, Perry's famous pork chop, sauteed salmon or chicken Oscar. This came with family style veggies which were chosen beforehand, the group chose whipped potatoes and haricot verts (mashed potatoes and green beans). The dessert was a trio sampling: praline cheesecake, white & dark chocolate mousse and vanilla bean creme brulee.

While I usually shy away from anything labeled "famous" I ordered the pork chop and was not disappointed. The serving was massive and surpassed the famous label. Served with a side of apple sauce, the pork was tender, juicy and packed with flavor. Not the usual pork "chop" it is actually 3 separate servings of pork (small serving of ribs with loin and something else) that is cured, roasted, slow smoked and caramelized. "Screw the sides", I thought as I dug into the meat, shared and had plenty to take home. Thank goodness I left room in my stomach for the dessert trio. The cheesecake was sumptuous with the pralines giving it a nice crunch, the mousse was ok, served in a edible chocolate cup but the standout of the bunch was the creme brulee. Creamy, crusty and packed with vanilla, how can something so simple be so heavenly?

The whole evening was a huge success and everyone agreed it was the most enjoyable (and delicious) company dinner we've had. The planning, service and food far exceeded my expectations.