CALF_News_October_November_2020

38 CALF News • October | November 2020 • www.calfnews.net By Josh and Cassidy Geiger Contributing Editors  CALF BEEF REVIEW Silver Fox Steakhouse Casper, Wyo. BEEF? Where’s the Really Exceptional O n the edge of where the Great Plains meet the Rocky Mountains is Casper, Wyo., a town with a deep Western pedigree. Beginning as a frontier outpost and bridge across the North Platte River, it has gone on to be a center for the oil industry, thanks to local refineries and the city’s proximity to the Salt Creek oil fields. Silver Fox Steakhouse has been serving quality food and excellent service to Casper residents for 40 years – it’s practi- cally an institution that has watched Casper grow and change. Since 2012, it has been owned by the restaurant’s longtime chef, Bernard Ambrosino, who has been highly invested in the local community. The odd circumstances of the current pandemic have made going out to eat a very different kind of experience than it used to be, but it hasn’t changed what the Silver Fox Steakhouse does best. So my wife and I strapped on our masks to get some truly excellent food. The restaurant’s decor is carefully chosen, and it is classically Western themed, with paint- ings and other art on the walls depicting wildlife, fishing and Wyoming-inspired scenery. With the dimmed lighting and tall booth backs, each table provides an intimate experience for the patrons. Everything on the menu has been crafted and tested by Chef Ambrosino, whose passion for good cuisine is evident in the care he has given to each of his recipes. Their shared plates include fried green tomatoes, escargot and their famous bacon knots. When speaking with Brian, Silver Fox assistant man- ager, he explained how the bacon is knotted, covered in brown sugar, then baked. The most important part is the timing. “It’s an art,” Brian said, to get it perfect. If so, it’s an art the Silver Fox Steakhouse has mastered. The results are wonder- fully chewy, sweet, savory and impossible to leave on the plate. Silver Fox Steakhouse’s menu runs the gamut of salads, handheld options, house specialties and an impressive meat selection, including Prime cuts of steak, chicken and seafood. Each night they run a different special, depending on what they have received from their butchers and the inspirations of the chef. It’s a wonderful addition to their already excellent menu, as you never know just what surprises the chef might have for you that night. While we were there, the special was bacon-wrapped filet mignon with shrimp alfredo fettuccine. The restaurant looks far and wide for the best Prime grade beef and, due to the current economy, they have been able to acquire some incred- ible Prime cuts to incorporate into the daily specials. All of the meat is hand-cut and hand-trimmed on site. Along with the bacon-wrapped filet, our table ordered the Prime rib, blackened. Both cuts of meat came cooked beautifully. The bacon around the filet was wonderfully crisp, while the filet was perfectly pink and juicy. The alfredo that came with the filet mignon was creamy to a point of decadence. However, it was the Prime rib that stole the show – a tender cut of meat, well-seasoned and then blackened. Truly one of best meat dishes we’ve had all year. Alongside the Prime rib were horseradish, au jus, vegetables and a cheesy potato casserole – another chef recipe – well and truly the perfect companions to the hearty slab of prime rib. The restaurant has a full bar, and serves wine as well as a good selection of beer on tap. The 