Local Restaurant Review: Outback Steakhouse

I knew this was my kind of joint as I listened to my waiter help the neighboring table figure out their order.

"Are you in the mood for steak or seafood?"

I immediately recognized Todd's question as a false dichotomy.  You see, Dirtsmith faithful, steak is my favorite food and so is seafood. Determined to have both, I quickly scanned the menu and, much to my delight, many of the dishes offered what in traditional Australian culture is known as a "Surf-and-Turf" combination.  However, this evening I was in the mood for liquified shellfish and, eschewing such choices as Alaskan king crab, lobster, and shrimp, opted for the 12 oz sirloin accompanied by a bowl of clam chowder.

My servers were attentive and the food was simply to die for.  The clam chowder arrived in no time and was served with the customary "skin" on top .  Although I had been warned that a "medium" sirloin would be pink in the center, I was delighted to find that the chef had intuitively known that I wanted it dark red throughout.  To round out the meal, my baked potato was slathered in enough sour cream and butter to mask the taste of the vegetable itself.  A half-dozen draft beers complemented the meal nicely.  Primo!

Needless to say, I will be returning to Outback in the very near future.  For first-class service, a festive atmosphere, and authentic Australian cuisine, my experience tonight would be hard to top.