An episode declaring the top five steakhouse restaurants in the country is scheduled to air at 10:30 p.m. on July 6, a spokeswoman for the Food Network said late Monday. The spokeswoman declined to identify the top five steakhouses or to confirm the Pine Club’s inclusion on the list, saying the network prefers to keep the winning restaurants secret until the shows air.
But a camera crew from Authentic Entertainment LLC, the producer of the show, came to the Pine Club at 1926 Brown St. near the University of Dayton last month to tape a segment, and during the taping, posted a large legal notice and release form near the front entrance alerting diners that they would be filming inside the restaurant.
A publicity poster for the show shows a photo of the Pine Club’s 20-ounce bone-in ribeye with the restaurant’s signature onion rings in the upper left-hand corner.
“It’s an honor and a thrill to be included,” Hulme said. “Food Network recognition is a big deal, and this is a testament to our customers and to the culture and the tradition that have developed over nearly 70 years.”
Hulme said he did not know how the Pine Club was selected. He said he was contacted by the production arm of the Food Network several months ago to schedule the photo and video shoot.
The Pine Club has scored other national — and even international — recognition in recent years. In December 2013, the Dayton restaurant was included in a list of “10 of the World’s Greatest Old Dining Institutions” by a writer for T Magazine, the New York Times Style Magazine, joining restaurants in Paris, London, and New York City. Six months earlier, Michael Stern, co-author of “Roadfood,” identified the Pine Club as his favorite steakhouse in the country in a USA Today story.
The Food Network’s “Top 5 Restaurants” show will air episodes focusing on barbecue and pizza prior to the scheduled July 6 “best steakhouses” episode.
The show’s initial episode suggests that the Food Network may include at least one out-of-the-way establishment on its top-five lists. The burger edition singled out restaurants in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Pasadena — and a place called “Sid’s Diner” in El Reno, Oklahoma.
About the Author
