On a recent evening, Collin Kelley stood before a Montague broiler blazing at 1,800 degrees and surveyed 14 freshly carved and seasoned steaks like a jeweler appraising a batch of gemstones.
“This is USDA prime beef, the very best, and all you want on it is some kosher salt and cracked black pepper,” said the 23-year-old chef. “We’ve got the heat cranking this high because we want to lock in the flavor. This is what we call ‘the blister.”‘
And with that, the rack of steaks – a mix of marbled rib-eyes, softball- sized filets mignons and a lone 24-ounce porterhouse – were launched into the broiler. Within minutes, they would be plated on bone- china dishes and served to diners waiting in the tony confines of Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House in Greenwood Village.
Denver residents may debate the merits of the city’s cowtown image, but there is no doubt they love their cattle – preferably served medium rare.
More steakhouses on menu
In the Denver area, the number of fine-dining steak restaurants is up almost 17 percent from five years ago, according to The NPD Group, a leading consumer and retail information company. Nationwide, they’re up 15 percent from the Sunbelt to the traditional bastions in New York City and the Midwest.
And companies are still adding on: Ruth’s Chris, with 106 restaurants, has opened 11 franchises since October 2006, according to , a market-research firm based in New York. Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse, with 53 restaurants, added 13 in that period.
Still, Denver, with its historical grounding in cattle, is the “poster child” for this phenomenon, said John Imbergamo, president of the Imbergamo Group, a local restaurant- consulting firm whose clients include Morton’s.
“I would say that here it’s the restaurant segment that’s most crowded at the moment, and the success just encourages more to come,” he said.
Downtown Denver offers Morton’s, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Capital Grille, Sullivan’s, Gallagher’s, The Palm, The Keg Steakhouse & Bar and Denver ChopHouse & Brewery. Prime 121 and John Elway’s score big in Cherry Creek. The Tech Center has Del Frisco’s, Brook’s Steak House & Cellar, Cool River Cafe and a Morton’s. Englewood boasts a Fleming’s; Lakewood has a Keg.
More are on the way. A second Elway’s will anchor the new Ritz-Carlton downtown. The Keg plans two other area locations in the next 18 months.
So why are steakhouses sizzling now?
In part because the industry has effectively marketed beef’s nutritional benefits, said Fred Lombardi, executive director of the Colorado Beef Council. “I think beef is viewed in a better light than it was five years ago, and folks who have shied away are coming back,” he said, noting that overall beef sales today are up 16 percent from 1998.
Considered a treat
For many people, a visit to a steakhouse is an indulgence amid day-to- day dietary restraint, especially when it comes to highly marbled top-grade USDA prime cuts, almost exclusively the province of high-end restaurants.
“We’ve always been told that beef is North American ethnic food,” said Doug Smith, operations director in the Southwest for The Keg. “About 10 or 15 years ago, there was a scare about red meat, and consumption dropped off.
“But people really like to go out for it,” he said. “It’s considered a treat. ”
At some level, it’s all about comfort – if not for the cow, at least for the customer.
Vicky Day, an agent with TravelCorp in Denver and a Capital Grille fan, has dined in dozens of countries yet embraces the glories of an old- fashioned steak, “as long as it is prime, charred to perfection on the outside, medium-rare on the inside, … preferably enjoyed with the best of friends.”
The formula for these steakhouses varies, but only in the way, say, supermodels vary. There’s a sameness to the fabulous sheen.
Side dishes a draw
Patrons can generally count on dark wood; crackerjack staffs; deep wine cellars and top-shelf liquors, with a premium on high-end, single- malt scotches; and entrees boasting enough cholesterol to make a Lipitor salesman weep with joy.
Nods are given to nonbeef dishes. Lobster tail is standard, but salmon and chicken dishes pop up too. And if you want to go whole hog, you can often find a double-cut pork chop big enough to qualify for its own stockyard.
But steak is king: rib-eye, New York strip, T-bones, tri-tip, filet mignon and porterhouses the size of hubcaps.
The a la carte side dishes aren’t codified, but count on creamed spinach, griddled asparagus and all manner of potatoes. It’s in the side dishes that steakhouses try to break away from the pack, coming up with twists that will serve as a tipping point for customers deciding where to go for their red-meat fix on Saturday night.
“Sometimes something as simple as a baked potato can be the difference in how you choose a steakhouse,” Imbergamo said.
Morton’s was the first major national steakhouse to bring a branch to Denver, opening at the Tivoli in 1985. The restaurant has since moved to 1710 Wynkoop St. in Lower Downtown.
Amy Evans, a manager at Morton’s, arrived at the restaurant four years ago after a three-year stint at Sullivan’s, just two blocks away.
She can sing the praises of signature dishes such as the 24-ounce porterhouse and the double-cut filet mignon – “a beautiful, nice tender filet.” But what still sends her reeling is the 48-ounce porterhouse carved tableside by a maitre d’.
So who orders enough beef to make a dozen McDonald’s Quarter Pounders? Couples, mainly. “And sometimes you get three or four people who share it,” Evans said of the $34.95 entree.
But there’s a certain breed of diner who opts to seize the steer by the horns.
“During stock-show season, when we get some of those big beefy cowboys in, they’ll order it and polish it off on their own,” Evans said.
Peter Meersman, president of the Colorado Restaurant Association, sees the popularity of steakhouses through the prism of the state’s status as a beef producer. “Colorado is known for beef, and it’s a huge tourist destination,” he said. “When people entertain here, they go for beef.”
Steakhouses also enjoy a long tradition as a place for power lunches and dealmaking.
“I think steakhouses are considered the perfect place for business entertainment if you want to impress your client,” said Imbergamo, who, for the record, has been a vegetarian for 20 years. “If someone’s from out of town, they’ll recognize the brand.”
Still, it all comes down to the steak.
“You know beef,” said Evans of the LoDo Morton’s. “You know what it is. You know beef is what’s for dinner.”
William Porter: 303-954-1877 or wporter@denverpost.com
