traditional steak house Archives - Small Barrels Magazine

Wonderfully traditional steakhouse elegance

An elegant downtown Regina tradition going back over 40 years, The Diplomat Steakhouse was welcoming, comfortable, and delicious. Featuring Prime Aged Steaks (aged in-house), the expected steakhouse accompaniments, and much more – you’re in for an enjoyable evening.

The steak menu is comprehensive, and that’s what brought us here, but the offerings go beyond steak. Numerous chicken dishes, pastas, and a large seafood selection are also available. There’s something for everyone, with plenty of Greek-cuisine inspired deliciousness.

We began dinner by melting into our cozy plush red velvet booth and ordered very traditional cocktails – a Caesar and a Manhattan.

For a starter, and continuing with old school steakhouse tradition, we shared a shrimp cocktail. The shrimp was pleasingly plump and icy cold, with a balanced and tangy cocktail sauce – just as you’d hope.

Caesar salad followed. Portions were generous without being overwhelming large. And this is as good of a spot as any to mention the impeccable service. The pacing of courses was perfect, and our server possessed the best blend of polite, friendly, and unobtrusive that we could hope for. That paired with the warm, familial welcome from the gracious host right upon our entrance made for a most comfortable evening.

We found the large wine list to be very reasonably priced. We chose a big, bold shiraz, Mollydooker Carnival of Love (2014), one of our favourites. Beautifully decanted, it dressed up our table and was the ideal pairing with our steaks.

Molly Dooker's Carnival of Love — Molly Dooker’s Carnival of Love

I myself ordered the 8oz. Filet Mignon (not pictured). For him – a 19oz. Rib Steak grilled to perfection. Both steaks were absolutely excellent. The Triple AAA Angus beef was rich and flavourful, benefitting from the aging done in-house. The medium rare preparation was exactly right. Fresh bread and garlic butter, soup or salad, choice of potato or rice and vegetables rounded out the meal.

I must mention the unique decor. Besides the sumptuous materials and dark colours that give the restaurant a very traditional feeling, there are of course the oil portraits. On every corner, you’ll find ornately framed paintings of Canadian Prime Ministers and other dignitaries. It’s unique – it works! – and adds to the enduring charm of this historic restaurant.

You’ll also note the jam-packed wall of signed celebrity photos near the entrance. Clearly The Diplomat is a beloved and much-recommended destination. And now, Small Barrels recommends it to you!

Gallery of Canadian Prime Minister oil portraits

Visit www.the diplomat steakhouse.com or call 306-359-3366 for more information or to make reservations.

Shula's 22 oz. "Cowboy" Ribeye — Shula’s 22 oz. “Cowboy” Ribeye

Looking for an upscale steak house experience at Walt Disney World? Just like those ’72 Dolphins, we think that Shula’s at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort can’t be beat. Founded by legendary Miami Dolphins football coach Don Shula (with fantastic black and white photos of his team’s unparalleled 1972 season gracing the walls), this steak house offers excellent cuts of meat, great service, an awesome wine list, and an overall enjoyable experience. Like most Disney property restaurants, it’s family friendly, but also great for couples (we recommend booking a later dinner to enjoy a more laid back, romantic dinner).

Shula's Steak House - Still Celebrating the Perfect Season — Shula’s Steak House – Still Celebrating the Perfect Season

We began our meal with cocktails; a spot-on perfect martini with blue-cheese stuffed olives for him, and a spicy Bloody Mary for me (it wasn’t brunch, but I was in that kind of a mood!)

Cocktails at Shula's — Cocktails at Shula’s

We went with some classics, but Shula’s offers a nice selection of cocktails with their own signature twist (see above).

We then tucked into some rich, tasty treats. Shula’s menu is wonderfully ‘traditional steak house’, with appetizers like chilled jumbo shrimp cocktail, wedge and caesar salads, sides served family style.

Shula's Appetizers and Sides — Shula’s Appetizers and Sides

And as if we needed more to fill us up, the freshest, hottest, most tempting sourdough bread was served to get things going…

Wedge Salad - steakhouse classic — Wedge Salad – steakhouse classic

Caesar Salad - another classic — Caesar Salad – another classic

The award-winning wine list offers excellent choices. We went big with the Shafer 2012 Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon. As soon as it was uncorked and decanted, the air was quite literally filled with a rich, heady scent of dark fruit, promising opulent flavors – and it just kept opening and opening throughout our meal. The deep, dark color looked inviting in our glasses, and it was a treat to drink with our delicious steak entrees and rich sides.

Filet Mignon at Shula's — Filet Mignon at Shula’s

Pictured just above is my 10 oz. filet mignon with bearnaise, along with asparagus and hollandaise. And you should see some lovely panko-crusted potatoes gratin – there’s a tiny scoop at the top of the plate (it was hard to restrain myself). For him – a 22oz “Cowboy” ribeye pictured at the top of the article.

Certain dessert selections had to be ordered in advance, like the scrumptious apple crisp we chose, served with Hagen Daas vanilla ice cream. A glass of Buffalo Trace bourbon sealed the evening.

Shula’s is a wonderful upscale steak house destination at Disney World. It allows you step out of the Disney flow for just a bit to enjoy a different ambience, while still having the top-notch service you expect from this magical place. We highly recommend it, and plan to be back!

For more information or to make reservations, visit www.shulassteakhouse.com

The Diplomat Steakhouse – Regina, Saskatchewan

Shula’s Steak House – Walt Disney World