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Charley's Stands Out In The Crowd

Tribune photo by JASON BEHNKEN

Charley's menu celebrates huge, amazing steaks.

By RICHARD MULLINS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 25, 2008

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TAMPA - Tampa has an overcrowded pack of steak restaurants, ranging from passable to fantastic to fantastically overrated.

There's Bern's, Malio's, Shula's, Sam Seltzer's (in bankruptcy), Longhorn, Gallagher's, Fleming's, Council Oak, Landry's, Ruth's Chris, The Palm and a bunch of flashy Brazilian places. Have we left anyone out? Probably. This, after all, is the city that created Outback Steakhouse and its Bloomin' Onion experiment in gluttony.

I've wondered about the Charley's neon sign off Interstate 275 that says "Aged Steaks." Aged? It sounded like a misguided adjective, like warm yogurt, cold burgers or last week's pudding. Does anyone really want a not-so-fresh steak? Oh, how wrong I was.

Let me recount why. And if you read no more, remember this: At the first bite into my 26-ounce New York Strip, I decided "Holy-Cow-This-Is-The-Best-Steak-I've-Ever-Had-How's-Yours?"

This is not the kind of hoity-toity steakhouse that puts shot-glass-sized beef cuts on funky-shaped plates for $30. This place celebrates huge, amazing steaks.

Case in point: Servers give a tour of steaks, presenting a tray of all the cuts, showing the difference between a New York and Kansas City Strip, a Filet and a Porterhouse, etc. - a great way to choose what you want.

Here, let's explain the "aged steak" issue. (Skip forward two paragraphs if you're squeamish.) Traditionally, steak was kept hanging whole with the rest of the cow and chilled for weeks. During that time, enzymes break down the meat, making it more tender.

Only recently, more beef producers have started racing past this step, shipping meat a day after it's harvested.

Charley's is a throwback to the older methods - it vacuum seals beef to keep juices inside, ages it four to six weeks, then grills it over a ridiculously hot 1,100-degree fire of oak and orange wood.

It works.

Sorry, vegetarians, but when our New York Strip and Filet Mignon arrived, the conversation stopped. Both were spectacular. We all but ignored the side dishes (portioned to serve two), including a pile of huge shrimp lying in a row of scallops.

Along the way, we noticed great little touches: waiters who scraped up crumbs between courses and offered black napkins to women in darker pants or skirts (to limit the lint). Salad on chilled metal plates. Seafood with butter in stands, melted by a candle underneath.

A side of asparagus came dry-smoked, a tasty alternative to the butter pool most restaurants serve. Cappuccino came with a stick of rock candy sugar, not paper packets. Crème brulee was blowtorched to a crust like it should be and good enough to convince you humankind has made great progress.

Appetizers of shrimp and portabella-stuffed mushrooms were served with a rich yet light sauce similar to hollandaise. With wine and bread, it would've made a good dinner on its own.

But here it's all about beef. Even the decor says "steak": wood panels, big booths, an aquarium with a creepy eel.

One thing to remember - good steakhouses cost money. Appetizers can cost $8 to $15. My New York Strip cost $28.95. Filets can cost $33. Deserts can cost $9. We went a bit nuts and topped $198 for two people with drinks.

With restaurant chains collapsing weekly, here's hoping places such as Charley's survive.

DINING REVIEW

Charley's Steak House

BOTTOM LINE: High-end steakhouse.

WHERE: 4444 W. Cypress St.

HOURS: 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday

CREDIT CARDS: Visa, Mastercard, American Express

RESERVATIONS: Suggested

CHILDREN'S MENU: Yes

ALCOHOL: Beer, extensive wine list

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes

PRICE: $25 to $33 for steaks, without side dishes.