I became a vegetarian nearly a decade ago after an allergic reaction to beef convinced me that I was done eating red meat. Chicken and fish soon followed. All my friends know that I eat nothing that previously had parents and a face. Honestly, everyone of them knows this fact. It is often a topic for discussion. If they know this, however, why when we go out do my friends invariably choose steak houses?

We had reservations at Ruth's Chris in San Diego where we were promptly meeted (or is that meated at a steakhouse?), greeted and seated by the hostess.

Everyone else in our party commented on the wonderful smells coming from the kitchen. As a vegetarian, I found the odors a bit overwhelming, but after a few minutes I ceased to notice them.

The menu was a surprise. Normally, I find quite little to eat at places like this. There is usually one salad that I can eat on the menu. Ruth's Chris had seven salads; four of these were appropriate for vegetarians. I had mixed field greens. This salad included baby lettuce leaves in a balsamic vinegarette with scallions and cherry tomatoes. (As an aside: Michael ate my cherry tomatoes. He always eats my tomatoes and olives. I eat his cucumbers and croutons...now, back to the review.) Mario, who is a Caesar salad freak, had one here and proclaimed it among the best he has had. The croutons were very good (Yes, I steal croutons from all my friends.) The parmesean was grated in nice big curls so it was possible to steal a piece right off the top without getting my fingers dirty.

Michael skipped salad and had the onion soup au gratin. It smelled very good and came nicely topped with just the right amount of cheese. Because it was beef based, I didn't try it, but everyone who did claimed it was wonderful.

Everyone at the table went for a different variety of potatoes and then we shared. The steak fries, julienne and shoestring potatoes were all uniformly dull. Sorry folks, but there is only so much you can do with potatoes. All were well fixed, but BORING! The potato au gratin is a different story. Here is a potato covered in cream sauce and topped with cheddar cheese. YUM! I would go back to the restaurant just for this.

The vegetable menu includes: brocolli au gratin, sauteed mushrooms, onion rings, creamed spinach au gratin, broiled tomatoes and asparagus with hollandaise sauce. Since I don't like tomatoes, I went for the creamed spinach which was superb. By this time, I was getting full. The portions at Ruth's Chris are extremely generous. This is not the place for dieters.

What everyone except me comes to a steak house for is the steak. Ruth's Chris has a good selection of steaks. Our party got a porterhouse for two. I would like to know for two what? This was a huge piece of beef. It was very tender and well-prepared. I used to see my mother purchase smaller roasts to serve the entire family. Somehow, however, there was only enough left over for the couple who ordered it to each have lunch the next day. Michael got the cowboy ribeye. He got through about a third of that and the rest got boxed up to take home. He was very impressed with the flavorfulness and the tenderness of the meat. Finally, Mario got the T-bone. As soon as it arrived, he stopped talking and we didn't hear a word out of him the rest of the night. Indeed, I was staying with him this weekend, and I woke to the sound of him gnawing on the bone in the middle of the night.

Although all the desserts looked spectacular, we were much too full by that time to even try them. The mention of Chocolate Chunk Bread Pudding made with chunks of white & semi sweet chocolate all mixed together with chopped pecans and topped with caramel was enough to make me consider one final gorge. I would have died if I had eaten another bite, however...though I think I would have died happy.

Of all the steakhouses my carniverous friends have taken me to, Ruth Chris's is the one where being a vegetarian was most acceptable.

**********
If you're interested in my reviews of more San Diego restaurants, check out these links:

Souplantation
Ruth’s Chris Steak House
Bandar Persian Cuisine
Tapenade French Provencal – La Jolla
Pacifica Del Mar
Piatti La Jolla
Kensington Grill
El Indio’s Mexican Restaurant
Surf and Turf Club
Jyoti Bihanga Vegetarian Restaurant




Recommended: Yes

Kid Friendliness: No
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations potato au gratin is wonderful. skip the plain fried potatoes - dull stuff!
Best Suited For: Trendy Crowd