Ontario's Top Sommelier

[Marlene]

April Kilpatrick recently won top honours in the Best Ontario Sommelier's Competions. The competion includes a written exam and a blind tasting.

Her next competition will be the Canadian nationals. If she wins that she'll go on to represent Canada at the international competition.

We were at Ruth's Chris last night for dinner and asked April to pick a wine for us. She picked Heba Morellino di Scansano 2003, which I'd never heard of before. We had told her we like something full bodied, red, either French or Italian. We mentioned we liked Amarones and Barolos.

What I really liked was that she didn't try to upsell us and she could have. The wine she picked for us was quite reasonable in price and I really really liked this wine. It was very smooth. Don liked it because unlike many dry red wines, this one doesn't dry the roof of your mouth out so to speak.

We'll be rooting for April at her next competition!

Just a little bit more about dinner. Prime Rib is not normally on Ruth's menu. They had it last night, and I opted for that over steak. Bone in, 2 and 1/2 inches thick, 6 inches wide, and there was enough for a family of four. I will say, I've never ever had Prime Rib quite this good. It was med rare, melt in your mouth tender with a beautiful crust.

The other thing that Ruth's Chris is going to start doing is catering bbq's. They'll come to your house, and bbq steaks for your crowd of hungry people.

We're planning a housewarming party for the spring after we move. We've agreed to be guiniea pigs for their first trial run at this.

[jayt90]

April Kilpatrick recently won top honours in the Best Ontario Sommelier's Competions. 

We were at Ruth's Chris last night for dinner and asked April to pick a wine for us.  She picked Heba Morellino di Scansano 2003, which I'd never heard of before.  We had told her we like something full bodied, red, either French or Italian.  We mentioned we liked Amarones and Barolos. 

What I really liked was that she didn't try to upsell us and she could have.  The wine she picked for us was quite reasonable in price and I really really liked this wine.  It was very smooth.  Don liked it because unlike many dry red wines, this one doesn't dry the roof of your mouth out so to speak.

We'll be rooting for April at her next competition!

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How reasonable was the Heba? I think of high-priced, and limited, when I think of Ruth's. I know the chain is controversial, and a favourite of Marlene's, but I don't think of Ruth's as a food/wine destination when there are many other enticing places out there. Maybe it's time for a visit.

[Marlene]

The Heba was around $85.00. I do recall the Barolo's being obcenely expensive.

Ruth's wine list seems to have expanded a great deal. One of the things they've done, is added a significant selection of half bottles, both red and white. I like this because I drink red normally and Don drinks white. So it works well for us.

Ruths is not planning at the moment to participate in the BYOB program, but they are looking into whether they can participate in the cap it and send it home with you portion of it.

We like Ruth's for a number of reasons.

1. Generally we prefer steak to most other cusines. Don is far more likely to be willing to go to Ruth's than Susur's for example. There are other better steakhouses in Toronto, Barberians comes to mind. (2). I can still smoke at Ruth's so 95% of the time, Ruth's will get my vote for that reason alone.

[mkjr]

Good old RC. Nice to see the mark-ups on the wine are still as killer as ever. $85 bucks for the (please correct me if I am wrong) $21.95 Morellino di Scansano 2003 (LCBO#992560 released in the Feb 2005 vintages release). Ouch, although not as bad as (on magnitute) the Cherryblock Cab from Sebastiaini on their list for $310 versus the under $100 dollar cost. Reminds me of a line from Wall Street.

Cudos on the award though.

[Marlene]

I don't think Ruth's is any worse than any of the other top restaurants in the city for marking up their wines. It doesn't make it right, but they certainly aren't the only ones doing it.

[mkjr]

I don't think Ruth's is any worse than any of the other top restaurants in the city for marking up their wines.  It doesn't make it right, but they certainly aren't the only ones doing it.

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I agree with you 100%. That being said, I have been to many places that just stick with the "double up" pricing and leave it at that. RC goes a bit further, but again that is just my own 2 cents and based on the prices of things I have bought and see on their list. BTW, I am a huge fan of BYOW, so that may taint my response somewhat when I see a more than double mark up anywhere.

[SteveW]

I don't think Ruth's is any worse than any of the other top restaurants in the city for marking up their wines.  It doesn't make it right, but they certainly aren't the only ones doing it.

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Marlene, how are the wine markups at Ruth's Chris Toronto compare with Queue de Cheval steakhouse in Montreal(the most criticized Montreal restaurant at eG Montreal, for highest wine markups)? I believe you have eaten at Queue de Cheval several times already.

-Steve

[Marlene]

Steve, I've eaten at Queue du Cheval two or three times. I honestly cannot remember the wine mark ups there as I was never in charge of ordering the wine. The next time I'm in Montreal though, I'll make a note to check.