Toronto Steak Lovers, Read Below

If you can't read the fine print, it says this deal for Morton's in Toronto expires on March 31, 2009. The deal is not advertised on the menu, so you must inquire about it with your server.


My recap
We arrived for our reservation (booked via OpenTable.com), had our coats checked and were seated promptly. No need to wait 10+ minutes before drink orders were taken (I'm looking at you, Nota Bene). The room was darkened as any reputable steakhouse should be and was a bit noisy, but it was a Saturday night. I liked the little pig lamp we had at our table.

Our server presented us with the menu. And when I say menu, I really mean visual presentation of all the seafood choices and cuts of meat on giant trays. The porterhouse for two is definitely bigger than my head. Maybe one day we can try it.



We both had the Morton's Salad, which if memory serves me correctly, is a romaine salad topped with chopped egg, anchovies and a rich blue cheese dressing. Even if you aren't normally a fan of anchovies, try a bite of everything together. The crisp greens, anchovy saltiness and creamy egg and dressing are well-balanced without feeling too heavy for a salad.

Next came the entrees. We both had the single filet and broiled sea scallops wrapped in bacon. The scallops came with a citrusy sauce, good for mopping up the last bit. I found the scallops cooked past the point that I think is perfection, but was by no means "overcooked".
The filet was good (medium-rare for me), and came with a Béarnaise sauce. Ketchup is not automatic, for you ketchup-fiends. This is a classy joint! But I'm sure they would bring some out for you if you asked. If I were to compare it to Ruth's Chris and Barberians, I would say that the steak was on par with Barberians, but not quite at the level of Ruth's Chris. At Ruth's Chris, I can "taste the cow". Considering that I normally order a filet at steakhouses, I think it's a fair comparison.

We also ordered two sides: Grilled jumbo asparagus and French fries.
I only had the asparagus, so I cannot comment on their potato endeavours. Despite a truly jumbo size, the asparagus spears were nice and crisp. A good light side dish choice, unless you want to get even healthier with their steamed jumbo asparagus. Nothing spectacular, but done well.

At this point we were beyond stuffed, and asked for our server to pack our desserts. Yes, they were Morton's Legendary Hot Chocolate Cakes. I don't care if they aren't made in-house, are shipped frozen and dinged in the microwave (not sure if this is the case or if indeed, they are made in-house), this is a good cake and deserves to have its reserved space in your stomach.
[Edited to add: Catherine Merritt, Morton's PR Coordinator, tells me that they are made in-house. I'm inclined to believe this info!
Now that I think of it, I do recall our server saying that desserts need to be ordered at the start of the meal since they take time to prepare.]

All-in-all, good food, good service and good company for a meal that would normally cost closer to $250+taxes+tip, for a total around $330. Taking advantage of this deal, a meal for two including two glasses of wine came to $150 plus taxes and tip - for a total of $200.

ETA2: E says that Harbour Sixty has the best steak in town, but he had a porterhouse, which is a completely different experience. I may need to test this out at all of the local steakhouses. The sheer size is daunting though.
As fantastic as the value of this Morton's Surf 'n Turf deal is, I think it was just too much for me. I wish the steakhouses offered "small appetite portions", because I always have to gear myself up for the massive quantities of food.




Morton's The Steakhouse
Park Hyatt Hotel
4 Avenue Road
Toronto, Canada
Website
(deal link)