There are a lot of really cool things about my job! For one, I get to eat A LOT. I’m always invited to try out the newest and best restaurants plus, I get the pleasure of teaching cooking classes to like-minded foodies. It really is a dream!
Despite all the exciting things I get to do on a daily basis, the other day, somehow, my job got even more fantastic.
I got to have dinner at the iconic Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse with one of the Managing Partners, John Colletti, and boy did I get all the inside scoop.
Before I get into the meal, here is a little background on how this dinner even happened:
One of my good friends, Erika (two of us are better than one, trust me), used to work at Gibsons many years ago while she was in college. The staff immediately became like family to her and to this day, she still heads over to the restaurant almost every Sunday for a “family” brunch. I was lucky enough to join last week and that’s where I met John. When I told him I was a food blogger that had never been to Gibsons before, he almost fell off his chair (I’m not kidding). Within seconds he told me to pull out my calendar, clear my schedule on Tuesday night and plan to come into Gibsons with my stretch pants on.
If I’m being honest, my stretch pants didn’t even fit me after this dinner. It was so phenomenal and so over the top. I’d like to think it was because I was dining with a VIP, but looking around the restaurant, I noticed that every single person there had portions as big as ours.
Here are 3 SECRETS about Gibsons that I learned while I was there (and how I learned them):
1) They have their own USDA grade of Prime beef. And they are the only restaurant group in the country to get this. How is this possible? I’m not totally sure, but it’s delicious and you need to order one of their steaks. Their beef is raised on sustainable local upper midwest farms, corn fed and wet aged for 40 days. They cook the steaks under a scorching hot broiler (over 1200 degrees) until they are perfectly cooked. The result? One of the most incredible freaking steak I’ve ever eaten.
Oh, and trust me, I tried almost all of them on the menu! John made sure to order a filet mignon, NY Strip and Ribeye (pictured below) so that I could really try the gambit.
2) They don’t just allow sharing, they encourage it. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been to a steak restaurant that encourages you to share everything from the soups to the steaks. Well Gibsons does just that and it’s actually built into their philosophy as well. They want the dining experience to feel interactive and they want you to try as many things as possible. On top of that, their portion sizes are HUGE (but their pricing is insanely reasonable).
Think I’m kidding? Check out these two monstrous desserts we had. All their sweets feed about 6-8 people and are priced around $13 each.
3) They have secret menu items. That’s right! There are incredible items you can order that aren’t even on the menu. I learned this when John ordered onion rings and I didn’t see them on the menu. When I asked him about it, he said that one of Gibson’s philosophies is a focus on from scratch food. They make all of their own sauces, dressings and more. If you don’t see something on the menu, but want it, ask for it. If they have the ingredients, their talented Executive Chef, Brian Key , will make it for you. Another cool fact about the chef, he’s been there since the restaurant opened 25 years ago.
Oh an by the way, the onion rings were to DIE for. So good, that I didn’t even get to snap a photo because they were eaten so quickly! These are a must order.
If all of that doesn’t convince you that Gibsons Bar and Steakhouse is a must go, then maybe this will. Our dinner was on a Tuesday night at 7 p.m. The place was packed wall to wall when we arrived and when we left the restaurant at 10 p.m. there still wasn’t an open table in the entire place. If a restaurant that’s been around for 25 years is attracting that kind of a crowd, you know it has to be incredible.
So what are you waiting for? Go!
Love always,
Erica
