Cattlemen's Steakhouse

I have eaten in a lot of dining rooms that try this hard. Cattlemen's Steakhouse is one of the few that pulls it off without looking like it is trying.

The room is exactly what you want it to be: Stockyards City, paper menus, lifers behind the counter. We were seated near the back, given menus we hardly needed, and brought a small bowl of olives without being asked.

We started with bone marrow with a small salad of capers and parsley, which set the tone — generous, unfussy, and confident enough not to crowd what was coming. With it we ordered a Burgundy that arrived too cold and rewarded patience, and were glad of both.

Then the main event: t-bone, the dish that puts Cattlemen's Steakhouse on every short list. Was it the very best steak I have ever eaten? No. Was it among the dozen I think about most? Yes. The signature touch — lamb fries before the steak, every time — is not a gimmick; it is the reason to come.

For sides we asked for grilled radicchio with anchovy butter and skin-on fries, twice-fried. Both arrived hot, both arrived early, both were exactly large enough to overdo it. We overdid it.

Dessert was tiramisu, just barely too much, mostly because the waiter raised an eyebrow when we hesitated. He was right to.

If you are passing through Oklahoma City, do not pass Cattlemen's Steakhouse by.