Well Fed On the Town

Tim Gannon is a passionate man. When he speaks about the food that he’s created for Outback Steakhouse, a restaurant chain that he helped found, he exudes care, precision, dedication … and honesty. It’s not just about getting folks in the door, it’s about wooing them with bold tastes to keep them coming back again and again.

“Outback was a place designed so you could come anytime,” Gannon said, admitting that in recent years, the prices had risen to a point where it became a special occasion experience. “I think the prices drifted a bit north.”

When Gannon came to that realization a year ago, he set out to change it with an overhaul of the Outback menu. The project was dubbed 2010 to convey a forward-thinking sense of the direction. The new menu features 15 items for under $15. Outback has also overhauled its systems to make their overall operation more efficient, so less money and time goes to waste.

“I think there is going to be a race to the $9.99 stuff but it’s how you’re going to get there,” Gannon says. For Outback, getting there meant finding ways to cut back on costs without sacrificing the quality they’ve built their brand around. For instance, “We are committed to fresh chicken, not injecting it. What we did was re-engineered and re-imagined our food.”

Last night, I had the pleasure of breaking bread, so to speak, with Gannon and several other bloggers, to discuss the new menu and, most importantly, try it. The food has as much attention to presentation as it does to flavor, which is to say a lot.

The new menu includes traditional favorites like Outback’s best selling Bloomin’ Onion, which is approaching $1 billion in sales. Gannon wouldn’t let us in on the secret recipe of the onion, or its addictive dipping sauce. But he assured us that it’s not going anywhere.
The Outback Special steak, which Gannon says put sirloin on the steakhouse map, remains as well. The steak comes from a portion of the cow that wasn’t typically used at steakhouses prior to the Outback’s inclusion, because there is a vein that can make some portions tough. Gannon says that Outback found a way to cut around that and make the steak deliciously viable. The Special is now available in a slightly smaller portion, served with a Classic Blue Cheese Wedge Salad, an old-school menu item that seems to be making a comeback at several restaurants around the country. Alice Springs Chicken also remains on the menu, and also comes as a quesadilla now.
While the traditional items are favorites for many, it’s the new items that really shine on this menu.

One of my favorites was the Crab Stuffed Shrimp, which is available both as an appetizer and as a surf-and-turf type item with filet. The perfectly cooked shrimp are mounded with rich crab meat and breaded. Served in a lemon butter sauce, the warm layers of flavor have a slight bite that make these shrimp totally addictive.

Also new to the menu is Shrimp en Fuego, a truly inspired dish that is decadent in flavor and presentation. Shrimp, mushrooms and tomatoes are married in a rich, creamy sauce and served over a potato with perfectly cooked green beans.  Gannon also showed us a delicious pasta version of the dish that is in development. The pasta dish carries a slightly lighter creaminess since the sauce is mixed with the pasta as well, but it is still quite good. That could be coming to an Outback near you soon.

The new Roasted Filet Sandwich sets a higher standard for steak sandwiches everywhere. The tender, buttery, slow-roasted filet is enhanced with Provolone cheese and a garlic herb aioli and served on a crusty foccacia-like bread with a perfectly seasoned au jus. This isn’t the bland au jus that you get many places just to wet your sandwich a bit. No, this one is a true sandwich enhancer.

Now, I have to admit that I am not big on pork of any kind. However, the Sweet Glazed Roasted Pork Tenderloin is absolutely amazing. The flavor combination hits all the bases: sweet, savory, crunchy and a little bit of heat. Tender as can be, the pork is slow-cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees and served pink (which, I assure you is absolutely safe). It’s drizzled with a sweet apricot glaze and sprinkled with just a hint of crushed corn flakes.

The new Savory Pepper Mill Steak blows my old favorite, the Special, out of the water.  This New York Strip steak is encrusted in pepper and served in thick slices over specially made potato wedges that are exquisitely crisp. Served with a brandy cream sauce, the combination of flavors is simply fantastic - like a party in the mouth. Unfortunately, Gannon says that since this was introduced, it hasn’t been a hot seller. People. You are missing out. If you are going for steak, this is a must-try. And don’t worry, the pepper is anything but overwhelming. (Sorry no photo!)

Finally, the new Sweet Adventure Sampler Trio includes generous portions of two classic Outback desserts: the Chocolate Thunder From Down Under and the Classic Cheesecake. New to the menu and also included in the trio is the Nutter Butter Peanut Butter Pie, a rich, creamy peanut butter pie with a house-made chocolate sauce and whipped cream. The pie combines crispy, sweet, and a little salty in a flavor-explosion dessert that will have you clamoring for more. It’s just so damn good. Seriously. I would drop in just for that.

Are you ready to head there yet? Yea, me too. Outback’s overhaul is a wonderful new take on their casual dining experience. The flavors, combinations and offerings aren’t just catchy new items, they are carefully developed and crafted dishes that exude a love for the craft of cooking. And if the dishes speak to anything, it’s that Outback respects the palates of their customers.

Delish.