Here's the beef

Tenderloin temptations await at Angus Beef on Drummond

by SPANKY HOROWITZ

Being a professional eater, I am often asked for advice on where to get a good steak in Montreal. Usually, I recommend a visit to a reputable butcher and an outdoor charcoal grill. Still, most folks invariably end up in a steakhouse. Montreal has a handful of restaurants that define themselves as steakhouses, the obvious ones being Moishe's, Gibby's and Queue de Cheval.

I didn't know which is technically the best steak, so I did a little digging and found that there's one kind of beef that actually exceeds the highest beef grade set by the USDA: Certified Angus Beef. I called up the Certified Angus Beef Association in Wooster, Ohio and spoke with PR person Beth Barner, who sent me a detailed list of all Montreal restaurants that are licensed with their particular organization. Actually, the list contained only one eating establishment, a restaurant called, coincidentally, Angus Beef, on Drummond.

This joint really wants you to know it serves beef. Lots of beef. You can't miss the giant neon cow outside and the plush toy cows and copper carvings of cows all over the walls inside. My absolute favourite bovine-themed item is the Angus Beef chair, with the silhouette of a cow carved into the back. I really must have six or eight of these babies for my dining room (hint to all those who would ever buy me a gift).

Cattle paraphernalia aside, the remaining decor is a mix of Drummond street elegance and Drummond street fromage. There are wrought-iron chandeliers and a wine list with quotes from Beaudelaire and Louis Pasteur ("Un repas sans vin est comme un jour sans soleil"). Then there's the TV suspended from the ceiling and the gaudy painting of a '70s disco queen wearing skintight jeans. I just can't figure it out, but then again, I don't really want to. I just want some beef.

After inquiring about the cow chairs, which are not for sale, we ordered a Surf-and-Turf ($40) and a 12-ounce New York steak ($28). While waiting, we downed some gin and tonics ($7 each, Beefeater gin, of course) and munched on the bread spread. Our bread basket contained several types of rolls and breads, the standout being a sublime raisin and nut bread from Première Moisson.

The steaks arrived promptly, with little Certified Angus Beef tags stuck into each one to let you know you are eating (and paying for) the very best. The New Yorker was a great piece of meat, but nothing out of the ordinary. It came with a beautifully baked potato accompanied by a large gravy boat full of sour cream and a medley of grilled vegetables.

Then came the Surf-and-Turf. I will ignore the Surf, which was a lobster tail that probably spent more time in a freezer than it did bottom-feeding on the coast of Maine. The Turf was tremendous. It was a tenderloin cut, which, like its name, was much more tender than the New Yorker. The marbling was perfect and my knife slid through the flesh like it was butter. Soft butter. The taste was superb, making me regret not ordering the large tenderloin. In place of a potato, the Surf of the Surf-and-Turf was sitting atop a mound of herb-infused rice, which suited the lobster fine but was a mismatch for the steak.

So if you go to Angus Beef, order the tenderloin. As their slogan goes, "It's what vegetarians eat when they cheat."

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Angus Beef

Address: 1218 Drummond

Phone: 868-1666

Hours: 11:30am-3:30pm, 5:30-11:30pm (weekdays); 3:30-11:30pm (weekends)

Best features: some of the best beef in town

Alcohol: yes

Vegetarian friendly: if you eat salad or fish

Credit cards: yes

Wheelchair access: street level

Price: $12-60 per person, before drinks, tax and tip

Rating: HHH out of HHHH