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Back Street is the real thing--
An authentic steak house
by Daniel Hines
Publisher
America's Seniors/TodaysSeniorsNetwork.com
Growing up in the heartland of Illinois,
in the midst of corn-fed beef has qualified me for at least one
thing in life--the ability to recognize a good steak.
Steak has taken a beating in recent
years. People who ought to know better protest the eating of
meat. Franchise 'steak houses' seem to sprout up like weeds, usually
featuring South American grass-fed beef with a stringy tough taste.
Against this backdrop, the insistence of
the Backstreet Steak and Chop House in Galena for only quality steaks
shows that the great American tradition of fine steaks still is alive and
well, thank God!
The restaurant gets its name from its
location at 216 Commerce Street, one block removed from the main drag of
Main Street.
When we visited, Commerce Street was
undergoing extensive repairs and widening, making getting the the
restaurant a bit of chore. But, the effort was worth it, and by Summer of
2002, the construction will be completed, making the restaurant even more
accessible.
 The
building that houses Backstreet Steak and Chop House is a converted bank
building. It has retained the charm of the old building, keeping the
antique decorative tin ceiling and rich wood paneling approximate 4 feet
high. Even the old vaults have been incorporated into the decor.
The restaurant is the creation of
Matthew and Sarah Kleusner, who started Backstreet in 1997. From its
inception, they dedicated themselves to the highest quality food and
service.
Backstreet has ample, courteous
and well-trained serving staff and one does not need to look for a server.
They are always there, but not in an interfering manner.
From time to time, we like to commend
certain servers. This is one such occasion. Melissa Smith, a Galena
native who had returned home after a sojurn in Colorado, was an absolute
delight. She was knowledgeable about the menu, the city and this
history of the Restaurant.
But, it was the food for which we
reserve the plaudits.
We started with an appetizer selection
that included crab cakes, stuffed mushrooms and Mozza blocks (lightly
fried battered mozzarella) served with a wonderful honey mustard
sauce.
All were delicious. The crab cakes were prepared somewhat
differently from those we had eaten in Maryland, being served like larger
hash brown 'pancakes', but they had all the seasoning and spicy taste of
East Coast crab cakes. The mushrooms were stuffed with a fresh
cheese pate and gave the mushroom caps an absolutely perfect taste.
I had a peppercorn filet, cooked medium
to medium rare. It was prepared perfectly, with a seared crust but a
warm pink middle. We were especially pleased when the rich flavor
and the great tender meat texture literally melted in our mouth.
This was no grass-fed beef, but genuine corn-fed beef from nearby Iowa
farms.
I also had the generous helping of the
homemade-type garlic mashed potatoes. Add to this the wonderful
fresh bread, and one is enjoying an All American meal of the highest
quality.
My stepson, Peter Kelly (who is a large
man) had an appropriately sized New York Strip steak, also with the garlic
mashed potatoes.
The New York Strip was massive, but
cooked perfectly.
My wife, Brooks, loves steak, but she
also loves tuna steaks, and it was this that caught her eye. Her entree
was an equally large sized serving, and was a tasty, browned selection
with a great sauce.
Brooks selected desert, which, quite
frankly, we shared because we were so comfortably full after enjoying the
steaks. She selected a grasshopper ice cream cake, featuring a
lively cream de mint taste, offering a perfect light offset to the steaks
and tuna.
We have visited and tried several steak
houses in our travels. The Backstreet Steak and Chop House ranks
among the best, offering outstanding entrees and the highest quality
service. |
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