This month’s perfect for ‘Steak Out’

As fickle a culture as we are, there’s a good chance you’ve worn out your interest in cooking out. A long weekend over a hot grill will do that.

You’re not done donning the extra-long spatula just yet, but you’re ready for a break.

Maybe that’s why June was christened National Steakhouse Month by some marketing flack of yore. Bet that fellow got a raise.

Once upon a time, a person could fire up an industrial grill, offer USDA Prime beef, learn how to make waffle marks and a business was born.

With Prime beef more and more available to the home cook, the challenge of the steak house owner has increased.

The old guard still is alive: Just ask Dick Stubbs at Cattlemen’s, which is not having trouble filling up its dining room.

But newer chop houses have had to find ways to draw a crowd.

Ian Clarke, sommelier at Red Primesteak, says that passion is behind everything they do.

Red, Opus, Boulevard, The Ranch Steakhouse, Mickey Mantle’s and Fleming’s in Tulsa all represent the new guard.

But Cattlemen’s and old friends such as Jamil’s are alive and well. Brush Creek Steak House in Newcastle is trying to prove the traditional ranch-style steak house is valid.

Starting June 10, we’ll spotlight steak houses in a new feature called "Steak Out.” We’ve got a few lined up but want to know your favorite place to get a steak.

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