Food Network declares Pine Club #2 steakhouse in U.S.

As we first told you three weeks ago, the Pine Club steakhouse was singled out last night (July 6) in an episode of the Food Network's "Top 5 Restaurants" as one of the top five steakhouses in the country.

And in fact, the Pine Club was declared number 2 on the "Top 5" list. Peter Luger Steakhouse in Brooklyn was ranked No. 1. Check out the web version of the rankings at this Food Network link entitled "Top 5 Steaks in America."

Food Network publicists were mum about the rankings and details of the show until last night’s “reveal.”

The episode refers to the 68-year-old Pine Club as “dark and cozy” with an “unmatched blend of high-end dining and Midwest hospitality.” The episode focuses on the aging, preparation, broiling and final touches (including a drizzle of melted butter) of the restaurant’s 20-ounce ribeye. The restaurant’s web site lists the price of the bone-in ribeye dinner, including sides and salad, at $41.95.

Here’s what the Food Network’s web site said about the Pine Club:

“Order the 20-ounce bone-in ribeye at the Pine Club in Dayton, Ohio, and you can expect a warm dose of Midwest hospitality. After aging in a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment for 28 days, the tender meat is frenched (trimmed with the bone in) to create a handle where the meat is juiciest and most tender. Once broiled and caramelized, the steak is drizzled with pure butter and served with the restaurant’s famous deep-fried onion rings.”

The Pine Club, which opened in 1947 at 1926 Brown Street near the University of Dayton, has enjoyed other media recognition in recent years. In December 2013, the steakhouse was included in a list of “10 of the World’s Greatest Old Dining Institutions” by a writer for T Magazine, the New York Times Style Magazine, joining restaurants in Paris, London, and New York City. Six months earlier, Michael Stern, co-author of “Roadfood,” identified the Pine Club as his favorite steakhouse in the country in a USA Today story.

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