Keg's big bro - Hy's

Hy's
120 Adelaide St. W. (at York St.) 416-364-6600
The Keg’s more glamorous big brother is still topping up Bay Street business lunch expense accounts with its unique brand of garish opulence and decadent cuts of meat. But as with many steak house chains, perfect meat is tarnished by achingly mediocre everything else. A plate of escargot, smothered in butter and pesto, is just so-so. Hy’s special barbecue sauce struggles to counterbalance dryness in long pork ribs. Main attractions are much more satisfying, with triple A aged Alberta beef saving the day. Both a tender, juicy 14-ounce New York strip loin and delectable inch-thick slice of prime rib will take your breath away. Skip soggy onion rings and stick instead to fresh side dishes, such as grilled beefsteak tomatoes. Wines, with a reasonable sel­ection between $40 and $60, feature both the popular and obscure. Desserts are no match for the glut of after-dinner drinks, including a full page of cognacs. By the end of it all, cleats may be needed to extract yourself from the sumptuous velour banquettes.