For many beef lovers—particularly those who opt for a healthy lifestyle—the ultimate palate-pampering, spirit-lifting, no-matter-how-tough-a-day-it’s-been comfort food is steak and a salad, period. And it was with this special customer in mind that Stonewood’s culinary director, Chef Mike Drury, created his Oak Grilled Steak Salad.

What is it? A cool, crisp mound of baby-leaf field greens mixed with julienned peppers, walnuts, and blue cheese that’s dressed with a raspberry/balsamic vinaigrette, then surrounded with a starburst of forktender steak slices and Portobello mushrooms.

“You might say that this dish was inspired by a Thai woman we called ‘Mama,’” says Chef Mike. “She was our pantry lady—that is, the person in charge of the pantry and cold-salad prep areas in one of the hotels I used to run—and she made a Thai steak salad with a plum dressing. I’ve always remembered how well those flavors combined together— which you wouldn’t really expect. It was a very intense, flavorful vinaigrette."

“Basically what I did was to stay true to the form of Mama’s version, but instead of going with the Asian flavor, I added a hint of garlic to the nice tender meat strips (which are served chilled, by the way), and substituted raspberry/ balsamic vinaigrette for the plum. Also, to update the salad ingredients, I added some crumbled blue cheese and walnuts, which are both very popular right now.”

Not surprisingly, that’s also true of the dish itself, which has become the most frequently ordered salad on Stonewood’s menu. “It’s almost developed a cult following by now,” Chef Mike laughs. “I hear it a lot: ‘Your steak salad is really, really good’ and I can’t argue with that. It is good."

“Usually when you order steak and salad,” he says, “what you get is a generic house salad. But this salad is a unique mix of ingredients, flavors, and textures specifically chosen to complement the steak we serve it with—and vice versa. Call it a custom-designed dish for the steak-and-salad fan.”