Today in Las Vegas Magazine

Gold Rush

You can’t miss the Golden Steer, even if it’s located in a nondescript location on Sahara Avenue, literally, a stone’s throw away from Las Vegas Boulevard and Sahara Hotel. Don’t underestimate this restaurant, for it has outlasted the newer, shinier and more modern steakhouses on The Strip. In fact, this year, the restaurant is celebrating 50 years, and in this town, that counts for something.

If Las Vegas is a ‘steak and potatoes’ kind of town, then this is the star example. The restaurant has a long and storied past, and in it’s prime, in the sixties and seventies, it was home to visiting Hollywood royalty, the most famous of which were The Rat Pack, Natalie Wood and Elvis Presley.

Though the place has had many changes over the decades, at its core, it still serves some of the best steaks in town, add its colorful history, and a dedicated staff, some of who have been there for more than 30 years, and the result is an unbeatable combination of fine food and top-notch service, making for one memorable evening.

Oysters Rockefeller	Prime Rib

If you’ve never been to The Golden Steer, then brace yourself. Stepping into the restaurant is almost like being in a time warp. It has kept up with tradition and the image of what a steakhouse was, back in the day, with its red leather banquettes, cosy booths, suited wait staff and tableside service. Very old-fashioned, but in this day and age, very refreshing to see such classic service. Our server, Fabian Ong, is one such student of the old-school, and has been with the restaurant for 33 years. We asked him to name drop some of the his more famous clientele, and he obliges by saying “I served Tony Spilotro,” though he laughingly adds, “I don’t listen in on their conversation, I just serve them their food.” Other celebrities he’s waited on include BB King, Paul Anka, Eddie Albert, Natalie Wood, Robert Wagner and Bill Cosby, “…who always orders a baked potato topped with caviar.”

We’ll say it again, this is a meat-and-potatoes kind of place, specializing in prime-aged corn-fed beef, and long known for their prime rib, New York and filet of beef.

Scallops Picante	Creamed Corn

As a diner, you really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. It was an especially pleasant surprise to see oysters Rockefeller on the menu, as it seems it’s getting harder and harder to find this dish nowadays. By the way, their version is excellent – very traditional, but very good. The usual classics are also served such as Alaskan king crab cocktail, escargots, fried calamari and clams casino. Had we been more than a party of two, we suspect we could have made a night of it, just on appetizers alone.

Making it more difficult, the soups and salads are also worth trying. A popular one being the Caesar, which is prepared tableside. The lobster bisque was divine – creamy, rich, and, well, tasting of lobster.

But brace yourself, for steaks are the main thing here, and you’ll be spoiled for choice with the selection on hand. We sampled the prime rib (the Lil cut), which, at 18 oz., was not so little, though it was the most tender piece of meat that I’ve had in a long time. It was so perfectly flavored, that it did not need the horseradish or Bearnaise sauce that came separately. It was thick, tender, juicy and perfectly done, my only wish was that it came smaller. Non carnivores need not worry because seafood also rates highly here. The Dover sole in lemon butter is a popular choice; and there is a wide selection to choose from – lobster tail, Alaskan king crab legs, shrimp, salmon and halibut. We tried the scallops picante, which was beyond reproach. The sautéed scallops, with a tangy, lemon sauce, was so good, we were sopping-up the sauce with some leftover bread, long after the last morsel was gone.

Spumoni	Cheesecake

The desserts continue in the same traditional vein. What’s a steakhouse without crème brulee or cheesecake? Even better, what’s a traditional steakhouse without cherries jubilee or bananas foster? There’s also chocolate mousse, spumoni and tiramisu – all classics. We would have loved to sample the bananas foster or cherries jubilee, but sadly, we only had room for a tiny bite of the cheesecake and spumoni.

Our advice, bring a big appetite, come hungry and you won’t be disappointed. Also, pace yourself, or bring a big group, so you can sample most of the menu, otherwise there’s always next time. If it’s lasted this long, it will probably last for another 50 more years.

-Rachel M. Sugay