CALF_News_June_July_2018

47 CALF News • June | July 2018 • www.calfnews.net By Larry Stalcup Contributing Editor  CALF BEEF REVIEW The Keg Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada Where’s the Really Exceptional E ven today’s gazillion-pixel cameras are no more than an instamatic when it comes to illustrating the magnifi- cence of some of Earth’s treasures. Niagara Falls may top that list. Its splendor is indescribable. And when you’re hungry while witnessing this great wonder, a steak at The Keg is appropriate. The Keg Steakhouse and Bar, part of the Embassy Suites Hotel in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, provides a ninth- floor view of the Falls through a wall of windows. It’s part of a chain of 100 The Keg Steakhouses in Canada and 10 in the U.S., including Arlington, Irving and Plano, Texas. Chain restaurants are vital to the beef industry (thank you Outback, Chili’s, Applebee’s and dozens of others), but The Keg isn’t your typical Steaks ‘R Us. It’s fine dining at its best. Debby and I were ready for a ribeye and filet after a daylong trek along the Falls. We’d never been there and took advice from friends to stay on the Canadian side. They were right. The view of Horseshoe Falls and American Falls from our 40th-floor room was spectacular. It was still virtually winter in mid-April, so there was no under-the-Falls boat ride and not but a handful of tourists like us. But there was plenty of mist as we stood within about 20 feet from the northern-most corner of the mammoth water flow. Could have been where the movie, Niagara, was filmed with Marilyn Monroe early in her career. Among my thoughts was how could so much fresh water (6 million cubic ft. per minute) gush non-stop, 24/7? And, why couldn’t some of that be piped to the dry, wildfire-weary High Plains? As for overall dining, we didn’t see one “local” restaurant on the tourism path. It was all the chains you’d see five minutes from your driveway in Amarillo or near the Deere dealer- ship in Dodge City. I’m sure some of the Vegas-style casinos had them, and a Ruth Chris was down the street. But we’re not gamblers, and we wanted a new experience. Embassy Suites also had a TGI Fri- days; a good place to eat, but it wasn’t the right time for their great wings. It was steak time and The Keg came through. I had the bone-in ribeye. Debby had the filet. The waitress said they were either CAB Prime or Canadian AAA Prime. No matter the country-of-origin or grade, they were delicious. And the view was breathtaking. The Keg was founded in 1971 in North Vancouver, British Columbia, as The Keg ‘n Cleaver by George Tidball. It was a small, downstairs location in an old industrial building in the Moodyville area of lower Lonsdale. Today, The Keg is in all Canadian provinces except Prince Edward Island and in five U.S. states. The company also has The Keg Spirit Foundation. Estab- lished in 2001, it provided a vehicle to consolidate existing charitable activities, while focusing on new ways to give back to the local Keg communities. The foundation has raised more than $9 million for more than 300 charities across North America. Another major plus for the Niagara Falls economy is an area called Clifton Hill, located about a mile from the Falls. It’s an easy walk. Its giant Ferris wheel is a big attraction, but so are numerous, let’s call them“fun” houses, that center on entertain- ment from the likes of Frankenstein, Dr. Henry Jekyll and Count Dracula. After all, when the kids have seen the Falls, they’re ready for something else after 15 minutes. Clifton Hill is the answer. And there’s a friendly bar, the Niagara Brewing Co., which is a perfect place to relax while the youngsters visit Igor. Of course, The Keg also offers a fine line of beers, wines and cocktails. But go there for the steaks – with a view. There’s nothing like it anywhere else in the world, eh? 