Originally written AUGUST 2006.
For our anniversary of 11 years I decided to take my wife to San Antonio. We had accommodations at the lovely Emily Morgan Hotel right across from the Alamo. We had heard about Ruth's Chris Steak House for quite some time and there was really no better time to have tried it. I made reservations a few weeks before and everything was in order. The restaurant provides complimentary shuttle service to most of the upscale hotels in the downtown area. We were picked up promptly at 4:45 right in front of our hotel. It was about a 5 minute ride from where were staying. Ruth's Chris Downtown is situated right across from the train station and is in a very historic part of downtown. I tipped the driver and we walked into the restaurant and it
was very elegant to say the least. Wonderful paintings, soft lighting, and lots of wood adorn this eatery. The staff at the door introduced themselves and it was off to our table. We sat in corner by a window that was away from everyone else. Of course at the time we got there we had the whole restaurant to ourselves except for the waitstaff and management. Our waiter greeted us promptly and explained everything about the restaurant to us. Jesse was an excellent waiter and knew exactly what to say and how to say it. They are extremely well trained. We ordered Caesar salad and Julius couldn't have been more proud let me tell u whut! They had fresh Parmesan grated on them along with fresh ground black pepper. On to the steaks. Ruth's Chris' claim to fame is 100% Prime corn fed Midwestern beef cooked in a special broiler that is set at 1800 degrees. The steaks are brought to the table on a plate that has been heated to 500 degrees so that your steak will stay hot throughout your meal. I have always loved Rib eye so that's what I ordered. Elizabeth ("Betty"- to some of you) had some filet medallions and shrimp or Tournedos and Shrimp as they were called. I must say they hit her like a tornado because she was absolutely blown away by the flavor and texture of the meat. Her filet was very tender and smooth although it was cooked medium well. The shrimp were coated with spices and were also very tasty. We also shared some mashed potatoes and they were top notch. I have an affinity for smoked and grilled meats and although I enjoyed my ribeye very much , I missed the extra dimension that grilling over a wood fire adds to almost any cut of meat. 
The flavor was beefy and it was quite tasty. The texture however was another story. The meat was tender but not because of cooking technique. Apparently the cow that my steak had come from had been suffering from some pain and was seeking help from an acupuncturist. My rib eye was tenderized through and through with a blade tenderizer of some sort. This absolutely changes the texture of the meat. I prefer meat that has not been punctured in this manner. Any prime cut of steak can be made tender if proper cooking techniques are employed. It was a good steak but not particularly something I would singing from the mountaintops about. The steaks we had did stay hot during the entire meal as they had promised. On to the dessert! A good meal just got better when our waiter brought out our anniversary gift from the restaurant. Chocolate Mousse with Creme Fraiche was wonderful. The mousse was put atop a cake like crust that was very soft. This was topped with some Creme Fraiche and a sprig of mint for a eye catching presentation. This came out of the kitchen with a candle. Very thoughtful! We had planned to sample the other desserts way before this had ever come out so my lovely wife ordered Raspberry Sorbet and I had some Creme Broulee which by the way is my favorite dessert. She thoroughly enjoyed every last bite of the sorbet (ask her she'll tell you how good it was). My creme broulee was very tasty. I heard the music ya'll....I FEEL GOOD....I knew that I would now! I FEEL NICE ....like sugar and spice. SO NICE SO NICE I got you! My dessert was garnished with a few strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. The caramelized crust was very nice as was the custard. I could see the vanilla bean that had been put in and it was very delicious.
This meal gets the ever unheard of Zorro snap in Z form....OOPS wrong show. Ambiance gets 5 out of 5 points. Salads 5 out of 5. Steaks get a 4 out of 5 (since mamacita liked hers very very much) Mashed Potatoes 5 out of 5. Desserts and Service had to be like off the chizzain though. I just gots ta give props to my boy Jesse and the pastry chef for some of the best service and dessert I have EVER had. In all seriousness this was one of the best places I have ever been to. Of course it was my anniversary and I got to be with my beautiful wife so as far as the overall rating I would have to say a 4.9
For our anniversary of 11 years I decided to take my wife to San Antonio. We had accommodations at the lovely Emily Morgan Hotel right across from the Alamo. We had heard about Ruth's Chris Steak House for quite some time and there was really no better time to have tried it. I made reservations a few weeks before and everything was in order. The restaurant provides complimentary shuttle service to most of the upscale hotels in the downtown area. We were picked up promptly at 4:45 right in front of our hotel. It was about a 5 minute ride from where were staying. Ruth's Chris Downtown is situated right across from the train station and is in a very historic part of downtown. I tipped the driver and we walked into the restaurant and it
was very elegant to say the least. Wonderful paintings, soft lighting, and lots of wood adorn this eatery. The staff at the door introduced themselves and it was off to our table. We sat in corner by a window that was away from everyone else. Of course at the time we got there we had the whole restaurant to ourselves except for the waitstaff and management. Our waiter greeted us promptly and explained everything about the restaurant to us. Jesse was an excellent waiter and knew exactly what to say and how to say it. They are extremely well trained. We ordered Caesar salad and Julius couldn't have been more proud let me tell u whut! They had fresh Parmesan grated on them along with fresh ground black pepper. On to the steaks. Ruth's Chris' claim to fame is 100% Prime corn fed Midwestern beef cooked in a special broiler that is set at 1800 degrees. The steaks are brought to the table on a plate that has been heated to 500 degrees so that your steak will stay hot throughout your meal. I have always loved Rib eye so that's what I ordered. Elizabeth ("Betty"- to some of you) had some filet medallions and shrimp or Tournedos and Shrimp as they were called. I must say they hit her like a tornado because she was absolutely blown away by the flavor and texture of the meat. Her filet was very tender and smooth although it was cooked medium well. The shrimp were coated with spices and were also very tasty. We also shared some mashed potatoes and they were top notch. I have an affinity for smoked and grilled meats and although I enjoyed my ribeye very much , I missed the extra dimension that grilling over a wood fire adds to almost any cut of meat. 
The flavor was beefy and it was quite tasty. The texture however was another story. The meat was tender but not because of cooking technique. Apparently the cow that my steak had come from had been suffering from some pain and was seeking help from an acupuncturist. My rib eye was tenderized through and through with a blade tenderizer of some sort. This absolutely changes the texture of the meat. I prefer meat that has not been punctured in this manner. Any prime cut of steak can be made tender if proper cooking techniques are employed. It was a good steak but not particularly something I would singing from the mountaintops about. The steaks we had did stay hot during the entire meal as they had promised. On to the dessert! A good meal just got better when our waiter brought out our anniversary gift from the restaurant. Chocolate Mousse with Creme Fraiche was wonderful. The mousse was put atop a cake like crust that was very soft. This was topped with some Creme Fraiche and a sprig of mint for a eye catching presentation. This came out of the kitchen with a candle. Very thoughtful! We had planned to sample the other desserts way before this had ever come out so my lovely wife ordered Raspberry Sorbet and I had some Creme Broulee which by the way is my favorite dessert. She thoroughly enjoyed every last bite of the sorbet (ask her she'll tell you how good it was). My creme broulee was very tasty. I heard the music ya'll....I FEEL GOOD....I knew that I would now! I FEEL NICE ....like sugar and spice. SO NICE SO NICE I got you! My dessert was garnished with a few strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. The caramelized crust was very nice as was the custard. I could see the vanilla bean that had been put in and it was very delicious.This meal gets the ever unheard of Zorro snap in Z form....OOPS wrong show. Ambiance gets 5 out of 5 points. Salads 5 out of 5. Steaks get a 4 out of 5 (since mamacita liked hers very very much) Mashed Potatoes 5 out of 5. Desserts and Service had to be like off the chizzain though. I just gots ta give props to my boy Jesse and the pastry chef for some of the best service and dessert I have EVER had. In all seriousness this was one of the best places I have ever been to. Of course it was my anniversary and I got to be with my beautiful wife so as far as the overall rating I would have to say a 4.9
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