Grey Moss Inn, San Antonio, Texas – CLOSED

Posted on May 30, 2013 by The Jab

Recently I visited my pal Jeff, who is a bartender at the bar in the historic Menger Hotel in San Antonio, which is the oldest bar in Texas – since 1859! I was charmed by the San Antonio’s Riverwalk, architecture, and history. And one of my favorite places we went was the historic Grey Moss Inn, serving diners since 1929.

Located in the outskirts of San Antonio in an area called the Grey Woods, the Grey Moss Inn consists of the original stone restaurant from 1929 and several later additions, also built from stone, surrounding a central stone and brick patio with many tables for outdoor dining, all sitting under majestic old Oak trees. It’s a very peaceful and lovely spot, with deer roaming the woods behind the restaurant.

Starting in the 1920’s, Grey Woods became a popular place for summer homes of wealthy San Antonians for its scenic beauty and its climate, which is a few degrees cooler than in the city. Mary Howell founded the Inn in 1929, serving her specialty, squash casserole from her garden, which is still served to this day.

We opted to sit inside in the oldest part of the restaurant. The decor is homey and traditional yet classy with linens and stemmed glassware, with massive blobs from colored wax drip candles on each table.

The menu is extensive, but house specialties are aged, choice steaks cooked over a mesquite grill converted from a stone well, that are basted with a secret “witches brew” before cooking. Other specialties include free-range chicken and Texas quail. They make their own salad dressings and pies.

the mesquite grill

Dinners come with olive twists (house made bread stuffed with sliced olives), a delicious squash casserole (called squash au gratin on the menu, yet it wasn’t cheesy), and a creamy twice-baked potato.

olive twists

squash casserole

My bone-in ribeye steak was tender and flavorful and cooked just right (rare to med. rare).

rib-eye steak and twice baked potato

The service was very friendly and attentive. It was a pleasure chatting with our knowledgeable waiter about the restaurant’s history, menu options, and wine selections by the glass. They have an extensive award-winning wine list of other 500 selections and a full bar.

The next time you’re in San Antonio it is well worth the drive out to Scenic Loop Road for dinner at the charming and historic Grey Moss Inn.

Grey Moss Inn
19010 Scenic Loop Rd, Helotes, TX 78023
Phone: (210) 695-8301
Open daily 5pm-10pm
Reservations are recommended but not required.

Postcard Panorama

Posted on April 22, 2013 by The Jab

That Steak Joynt – Chicago, Illinois, a photo by The Pie Shops Collection on Flickr.

Now Adobo Grill.

The Sycamore Inn, Route 66, Rancho Cucamonga, California

Posted on April 11, 2013 by The Jab

Part two of a two-part journey along a small part of Route 66 in San Bernardino County, California.

Last week we visited the Magic Lamp Inn along a short but still relatively intact section of U.S. Highway 66 in San Bernardino County. As we continue down the road heading east from the neon genie’s lamp with flame coming out of the spout we pass an outlet of Vince’s Spaghetti, which opened in 1984. The original location of Vince’s in Ontario dates back to 1945 and is still owned by the original Cuccia family, making it a must for the time travel explorer!

A bit farther down the road as we approach the intersection with San Bernardino Road the spectacular neon sign of the Sycamore Inn comes into view.

The Sycamore Inn stands on a historic site that was an oasis of trees next to a creek on the old Santa Fe Trail. In 1848 an inn and tavern was built on the site called the Mountain Inn (hence “since 1848” is on the Sycamore Inn’s sign). Eventually it was destroyed by fire and in 1920 a new building was built among the sycamore trees with a dining room and bar on the first floor and hotel rooms upstairs. This is the same building that is the Sycamore Inn today. The building looks like an old chalet from the Alps, with a large porch in the front and a veranda on the second floor. In 1939 it was renamed the Sycamore Inn as a restaurant only, and its use as a hotel was discontinued. In the heyday of Route 66 the Inn was a popular stop by people traveling to Palm Springs and Las Vegas, including many Hollywood celebrities.

Image by The Sycamore Inn

On the inside is a large bar and lounge with deep red banquettes, an old stone fireplace, and a semi-circle bar in deep red vinyl.

Image by The Sycamore Inn

The main dining room is large with walls of wood and wallpaper, wooden beams on the ceiling, and tables with club chairs in the same deep red as the upholstery in the bar.

Image by The Sycamore Inn

The menu is strong on beef, with eight varieties of aged Prime steak plus prime rib. They have an extensive list of wines by the glass and the bottle, and table side soufflé offered for dessert. The prices are pretty high, along the lines of higher end ala carte steakhouses, but they have happy hour every night until 8PM featuring inexpensive dinners available in the lounge and on the veranda as well as half-priced wines-by-the-glass, cocktails, and appetizers in the bar.

The Sycamore Inn
8318 Foothill Blvd., Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
Telephone: 909.982.1104
Email: finedining@citivu.com, info@thesycamoreinn.com
Open Mon-Th 5:00pm – 9:00pm, Fri & Sat 5:00pm – 10:00pm, Sun 4:00pm – 8:30pm, happy hour nightly until 8pm

Magic Lamp Inn, Route 66, Rancho Cucamonga, California – CLOSED

Posted on April 5, 2013 by The Jab

Part one of a two-part journey along a small part of Route 66 in San Bernardino County, California.

I’ve driven most of what’s left of Route 66 in California and the stretch through the ‘Inland Empire’ of San Bernardino County is one of the most boring stretches, with mile after mile of chain stores and restaurants, ugly shopping centers, and suburban tract homes. But there is a short segment on Foothill Blvd in Rancho Cucamonga that is well worth a drive for a good meal, especially after dark.

This daytime shot I took in 2008 gives you a bit of an idea how this stretch of road looks. On the right (South) side are the Magic Lamp Inn (which is just out of view), followed by historic Vince’s Spaghetti, which opened in Ontario in 1945, then later at this location in 1984 (but the building looks much older). On the left when I took the photo there was an old fruit and vegetable stand, which may be gone now, followed by a low Spanish style building, which is now a sushi restaurant, and then at the intersection with San Bernardino Rd. stands the lovely and historic Sycamore Inn, which deserves a post of its own (to follow later).

But I recommend you drive it at night.

The incredible neon sign still has a flame coming out of its spout!

The Magic Lamp Inn opened in 1955 but the building was a restaurant since the 1940s and retains its rustic charm, with lots of brick and stone, and a unique Spanish tile roof with tiles of different shades of red arranged in a variety of interesting patterns. It really must be seen in person to be appreciated!

entrance to the Magic Lamp Inn

Inside is a large cocktail lounge, then past that there is this wonderful fireplace seating area. Notice the massive cactus outside in front of the window.

The fireplace after dark looking through the front window.

The food is traditional steakhouse fare, featuring USDA Prime beef, and most dinners come with a fabulous relish tray, delicious cheese bread (a specialty of the San Gabriel Valley and Inland Empire), vegetable, and choice of potato.

Around the bend is a visit to our next stop, the Sycamore Inn.

Magic Lamp Inn
8189 Foothill Blvd Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
(909) 981-8659
Open for lunch Tue-Fri 11:30am – 2:30pm
Dinner Tue-Th 4:30pm – 10:00pm, Fri & Sat 5:00pm – 10:30pm, Sun 4:30pm – 9:00pm
Bar open Tue-Fri 11:30am – close, Sat 5:00pm – close, Sun 4:30pm – close
Live music and dancing Wed-Th 7:30pm – 11:00pm, Fri & Sat 8:00pm – 1:00am
And the dreaded karaoke Tuesday and Sunday 6:00pm – close

The Steak House, Circus Circus Hotel / Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada

Posted on February 27, 2013 by The Jab

Part three of Le Continental’s Las Vegas steak house tour.

I know what you’re thinking. “CIRCUS, CIRCUS? It can’t be good!” The Steak House with no name in the 1970s circus themed casino has long been on my list of steak houses to try in Las Vegas. It is the highest rated steakhouse in Las Vegas in Zagat Survey for food at 28 points (out of 30), with a very respectable 24 for decor and 27 for service. There are nine steakhouses in Las Vegas in Zagat that scored close – 27 for food – but they are all newer, not classic in appearance like The Steak House.

Circus Circus opened in 1968 and has expanded many times since then, with The Steak House opening in the 1983 expansion.The decor was well done (for 1983) in a men’s club style with lots of wood, brass lamps with green shades, and framed pictures of western scenes and cattle.

photo by Christopher DeVargas, vegasinc.com

After navigating the casino filled with families with screaming children you enter an oasis of calm and elegance. On entering you pass the dry aging room with windows so you can see the meat aging inside and a small bar area. The restaurant was nice and dark; just the way I like it. I was seated on the upper level with a good view of the dual mesquite charcoal broilers and prime rib carving station. Music by Dino and Sinatra was playing at a low volume.

I liked the leather bound menu with a steer’s head gracing the cover. Dinners come with a choice of black bean soup or salad, excellent house made breads, vegetable, and choice of potato. Considering you get all that the prices are not unreasonable at around $50 for an aged prime steak or aged prime rib (as most high-end steak houses in Las Vegas are ala carte, so by the time you order a starter and sides you are way over $50). The black bean soup is their specialty and it was without a doubt the best black bean soup I’ve ever had. It comes with a small pitcher of dry sherry and minced shallot to add to the soup if desired.

I ordered a New York Strip ($47) “Pittsburgh” style, which was my downfall this time. I have ordered a steak this way in the past and a couple of times it was burned beyond the desired dark brown char of “Pittsburgh”, so I was gambling with such an expensive steak.

Grill chef flaming my steak

I was pretty disappointed this time with the results. Although my steak was done just right (medium rare) on the inside, the crust was black, so it had a bitter flavor. I cut off the sides and ends but it didn’t save it. I could have sent it back but I was running late to catch a show I had a ticket for across town, so I ate it as is. I learned my lesson. I won’t be ordering my steaks “Pittsburgh” again, except at places where I know they won’t burn it (like at the Golden Steer).

The service was excellent, the atmosphere just right, and the food was delicious with the exception of my steak. I would return to The Steak House again and try the prime rib, which looked excellent (my pic above did not do justice), or another steak.

The Steak House
2880 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 794-3767
Open Sun – Fri 4pm – 10pm; Sat 4pm – 11pm

Le Continental

dining and drinking with The Jab

Tag Archives: steakhouse

Grey Moss Inn, San Antonio, Texas – CLOSED

Postcard Panorama

The Sycamore Inn, Route 66, Rancho Cucamonga, California

Magic Lamp Inn, Route 66, Rancho Cucamonga, California – CLOSED

The Steak House, Circus Circus Hotel / Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada

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