Daddy, I Want Steak!

My five year old likes steak.

Wait, My five year old LOVES steak.

A few weeks ago, she was a little under the weather, and when I asked her what she wanted to eat - she said STEAK!

We were in downtown Nashville this weekend on our way to the Bridgestone Arena to see Disney on Ice. As we walked past The Palm, my wife casually mentioned that one of the best steaks that she ever had was at that restaurant.  When J, my five year old, heard that she said "If they have good steak, I want to go there!"

Don't worry, we didn't go in. This blog is not going to be about giving a five year old a $46 dollar steak, or taking kids to a restaurant that is normally reserved for a high roller business lunch, or a very special romantic anniversary.  The wife and I actually ate there earlier this year when we were on our anniversary get away, it was an awesome steak and great experience, but it is for sure not a place for kids.  The Palm does not have a children's menu, nor do they need one.  I told J that I would take her there on her 18th birthday.

SO, now she had steak on the mind, and so did I.  So now we had to figure out where to go.

I was in Atlanta for a medical meeting about a year ago, and after the meeting we went to dinner at Ted's Montana Grill.  I knew there was a location in Nashville, so I thought we could consider it. I pulled up their website, and found a complete menu. Unlike many restaurants that put their menus online, Ted's online menu also included the kids menu! So off we went to Ted's Montana Grill.

Ted's is owned by none other than Ted Turner of Turner Broadcasting.  Mr. Turner owns the largest herd of Bison in the world, and his restaurants are known for their bison burgers and bison steaks. For those of you who have never eaten bison, it is very lean with minimal fat.  In fact, for those of you counting Weight Watcher Points an equal amount of bison meat is only about half the points of what beef would be. This restaurant is very environmentally conscious.  They encourage recycling, and even had paper straws instead of plastic, which are apparently bad for the environment. Ted's has 46 locations in 16 states.

When we entered the restaurant at 7:30 pm on Sunday night, there was no wait, and we were seated without delay.  The host gave each of the girls a set of Bendy Sticks, and even opened them for the girls.  The decor was classic with dark woods and a large Bison head on the wall.  The wait staff places a piece of recycled paper over the table cloth to keep the tablecloths clean, less washing means less water... which is better for the earth.

When the girls saw the paper on the tables, they asked the waitress for crayons.  They waitress said "That's a really good idea, and I don't know why we don't have crayons for kids to color."  My brilliant wife had previously figured out to keep crayons in her purse for such an occasion.  So out came our crayons (from another restaurants' kids menu) and the girls began to color as we read the menu.

The adults both had Bison Filet.  J ordered the "kids steak, cooked medium because I like to see pink," and G ordered the kids chicken tenders.

The kids menu choices include: Chicken Tenders, Bar None Sliders, Salmon, Steak, Mac-N-Cheez, and Grilled Cheez.
Kids Drink choices include: fountain beverage, Lemonade, Milk or Ice Tea

G got the lemonade, and it was really good.  J, the picky drinker, had some apple juice that we had brought with us.

The girls made a trip to the restroom while we waited for our food.  The restrooms have a very retro decor, with a double flusher on the toilet. You push the handle one way for one, and the other way for two.  My girls thought that was super cool.

When the food arrived, it looked amazing.  G's chicken tenders were large, and delicious.  J's steak appeared to be an approx 6-7 oz sirloin. It was cooked to her specifications with pink in the middle.  As I sliced her steak, I stole a bite, and it was great.  J quickly ate her steak, and was looking for bites of her parents'.  The kids plates both came with fries, and they were great as well.

As for our Bison Filets... all I can say is WOW!  The meat was lean with no fat, and was cooked to perfection.  This was one of the best steaks that I have had in a really, really long time.  To be honest, it is probably the best steak I have ever had at a restaurant that welcomes children.

The bottom line:  If you, or your kids like steak, head over to Ted's Montana Grill.  Try the Bison, but bring your own crayons!  We will be back!