This is a, perhaps the, top choice for carnivores before
going to the stadium for baseball and bad beer. As there
was to be a Rockies game at and after dinnertime, we came
in the late lunch/early dinner sag, when the place was
quite empty.

It had been a warm walk, so the first order of business
was to address our thirst. Water came immediately, drinks
soon after we ordered.

Lilli ordered the Two Hands Picture Series Shiraz without
looking at the price (you can see where this is going) -
it's a pleasant quaff, just a little high acid and tannic
to qualify as easy-drinking, Nothing to get excited about,
a good $10-12 a bottle wine along the lines of Clancy's or
Stump Jump, so maybe $8-10 a glass. Well, on the ticket it
came in at a jaw-dropping $15 a glass, but we didn't know
that at the time, so the pleasure was not diminished until
much later. I had a dark Munich lager, which other than as
usual in American interpretations a little sweeter than the
real thing, was pleasant and less than half the price.

Missing the point of going to a steak place, she ordered
the Chophouse burger rare. This was a big plate, a patty
of half a pound but not thick, so as to match the oversize
bun; BLT and cheddar on the sandwich, fries on the side.
She ate half of it, about her usual, but didn't offer me
the other half, which she usually does. On inquiry it
turns out she found it mushy and tasteless, even though it
came medium. I took a bite - decent well-done-beefy flavor
from meat way too finely ground, and their grinder didn't
get all the gristle (which doesn't generally bother me,
but the textural dissonance did this time. I didn't care
for it either and would have sent it back if it had been
my order. The fries, on the other hand, were excellent.

I ordered the top sirloin rare - this comes with Cabernet
mushrooms, a waste of taste and stomach space, so I asked
for that to be omitted and for the steak to be Oscarized
instead (7.50 upcharge) - an ounce and half of jumbo lump
from a very good Indonesian or someplace can, of decent
flavor and texture but not nearly so silky or sweet or
briny as the Maryland original. Astonishingly, no crunchies;
six spears of thin asparagus nicely done; and I got the
Bearnaise on the side - this was good with the asparagus
stalks, Lilli's fries, and the well-done trimmings off the
just a little past what I think of as rare meat.

My meal was fine, and I didn't register the depth of
Lilli's dissatisfaction until it was a little late, so
there was no chance of having it corrected - they might
have been willing to remake the sandwich, even after half
of it was gone, but not to take it off the bill, which
I'd offered to pay in return for her doing the expenses.
I discovered that lunch had cost nearly what dinner had
at the Buckhorn.
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