Back to Lawry's The Prime Rib

It’s been another rough week in terms of staying positive. At work, some recent stresses finally came to a climax. Hopefully, things will go more smoothly from here on, but it was a struggle getting to and through this point. At home, things are getting a little better, in that for the first time since January, we don’t have any pending repairs at this time (knock wood). On the other hand, the repairs this year took a financial toll, and that necessitated cutting back on some travel plans. On top of that, my wife discovered some sort of repetitive motion injury to her wrist. Considering that she needs to use a computer mouse for work, this is of some concern to us. Fortunately, she consulted with a doctor, and we have a plan to manage that problem.

It hasn’t all been bleak, however. This month marked the 80th anniversary of Lawry’s The Prime Rib, and they were celebrating with a special $80-for-two meal, and we decided to take advantage of that offer. I wrote about Lawry’s on this blog just a couple of months ago, but we tried a couple of new items this time, so I thought I would share this most recent visit with you all.

This time, we were seated right near the entrance with the black cat sculptures, so we asked our server to take a photo of us with the cats in the background.

As usual, I ordered the Lawry’s signature martini, with olives stuffed with prime rib and horseradish.

My wife ordered a Mai Tai, which was delicious and very alcoholic. (So was mine; they never skimp on the alcohol in their drinks here.)

Because the meal special came with the smaller California cut of the prime rib, I decided to try an appetizer that I had skipped last time: the fried artichoke hearts. I love fried artichoke hearts, and these were very nicely prepared. The breading wasn’t too thick or heavy, they weren’t too oily or greasy, and they were served with a lemon aioli and a garlic aioli. The two different dipping sauces gave the artichokes two completely different flavor profiles.

Then came the famous spinning bowl salad. I finally remembered to take a video of the preparation!

I admit, I sprinkled some of Lawry’s seasoning onto the salad.

Wine was not included with the special meal, but we ordered some anyway. We both ordered the same Cabernet Sauvignon, but I can’t remember the vineyard. Our server recommended it, and it paired perfectly with the meal. I ordered a half glass, because I was driving; my wife ordered a full glass.

My glass after pouring, with the rest of my little carafe next to the remainder of my wife's

While the cut of prime rib was smaller than I usually order, it was every bit as tender and tasty as ever. We didn’t splurge on the premium mashed potatoes, but the regular ones were just fine. And, of course, Lawry’s serves Yorkshire pudding to soak up the juices!

Also included in the special: a smaller version of their hot fudge sundae. I had planned on ordering a sundae for my birthday, but they made me a birthday surprise bundt cake instead, if memory serves. So I was excited to finally try this!

In the past, I’ve always ordered the Lawry’s cut of prime rib, because I’ve thought I want as much of the beef as possible. After this meal, though, I may stick with the California cut. It allows me to order an appetizer and a dessert, and leave without feeling bloated. 

Once again, Lawry’s continues to impress us with the quality of food, and the quality of service. It’s a bit of a drive, but off the Strip enough that we don’t have to deal too much with the traffic down there. We’ll probably be going back for Labor Day, since it’s triple rewards points.

And that’s it for this week. See you (hopefully) next week!