In an Arch Eats podcast episode that dropped this week, Cheryl Baehr and I recommended a handful of places to procure a big, fat steak for Dad on Father’s Day. I wouldn’t push away a juicy ribeye, mind you, but I’d be just as happy with a half-pound custom beef blend burger with thick-cut bacon and sharp cheddar cheese, alongside some thin-cut, battered French fries. As long as it’s cooked medium rare throughout (not the pink bull’s eye that many places claim as medium rare), I’m a happy guy. For me, that bull’s eye is a clear miss.
I asked a few dads around town what they might have a hankering for this weekend.
Adam Tilford, Session Taco, LaPez Mod Mex, Sobremesa: “That’s an easy one. Traditional English breakfast with bangers, crumpets, fried eggs, baked beans, blistered tomatoes, and, of course, HP Sauce. That with a nice English breakfast tea and glass of OJ, and my day is set.”
Frank Romano, The Parkmoor Drive-In, Madrina: “I’ve been working on this idea for a while, and we now offer it at Madrina: a three-finger-thick, 30-day dry-aged porterhouse. Remove the tenderloin section, and turn it into beef tartare. Then grill the remaining bone and strip section over a wood fire. Plate it with the tartare where the tenderloin was removed. OMG.”
Mark Hinkle, O+O Hospitality: “All I need is a jalapeño cheddar brat and an ice cold Ollie [Perennial on Lockwood’s Ollie Ollie Oxen Free Session IPA, a tribute to his deceased son, Oliver “Ollie” Hinkle].”
Michael Gallina, Take Root Hospitality: “I’m a sucker for anything cooked outside on our back deck while watching the Cardinals game and listening to some music in the background. Whether it’s firing up the grill for a steak or some burgers and sausages or using our Ooni pizza oven to make pizzas with the kids, it makes for a pretty happy Father’s Day.”
Brant Baldanza, Shack, The Corner Pub & Grill, and The Tavern Kitchen & Bar: At home, hands down, it’s my mom’s Sunday Gravy with pork butt, yes—pork butt. It’s a Jersey thing. If I am going out, the Veal Dumplings at Sidney Street. I tease [chef-owner Kevin] Nashan often that he needs to stop carrying business cards and just keep those dumplings in his pocket to pass out as his greeting card. Sadly, but understandably, he has not taken that advice yet.”
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