No one can accuse Ted Turner of backing
down from a challenge.
That's why he's opened the first Philadelphia
location of his Ted's Montana Grill steakhouse (Broad
and Spruce streets), in a completely redesigned version
of the huge corner space that posed too big a challenge
for Avenue B.
Challenge No. 2 comes from Ted's beefy
competitors. The restaurant is within walking distance
of steakhouse legends Ruth's Chris, Morton's, Capital
Grille and Smith & Wollensky. So what does Ted's
bring to the table?
Price.
Ted's is the most family-friendly of the
steak spots and the most affordable, as all the meat
dishes come with side dishes.
As befits a steakhouse, the room has lots
of wood, a few wise sayings painted on the walls and
a mounted buffalo head that you may want to wave to
while you're eating your bison steak. There are lots
of small booths for business lunches and there's a bar
that faces onto Spruce Street which should be a good
meeting spot for a quick libation before the orchestra.
The onion rings hit the mark, with a crispy
breading surrounding a real onion slice, and the portion
was a good size for sharing.
For their price, the steaks were a hit.
The slabs of meat at Ted's were a good size, cooked
to the correct ordering instructions, tender and tasty.
The bison, especially, had a strong flavor without having
too much fat. It was maybe a little gamier than a beef
steak but if you didn't know you were eating buffalo,
you wouldn't know you were eating buffalo.
Ted's is definitely worth a shot. And
like a good steak, it should get better with age.