5 things you ought to try on the Oakwood Club's menu

• Shells no

  
  Photo by Amelia Robinson

   

  Snails swimming in garlic butter are among the very best things you can put in your mouth in this steakhouse.

  People dig the Oakwood Club’s beef tenderloin carpaccio starter (one of the restaurant’s go-to apps at $11.95 ), but it is the restaurant’s escargot ($10.95 for a serving of six) that calls my name each and every time.

  And only a fool would pass up the opportunity to dip bread in that delicious butter once the snails are gobbled up.

  Munch, munch munch…

   

• Manhattan transfer

  
  Photo by Amelia Robinson

   

  The Oakwood Club’s bar is crowded for a reason.

  Bartenders produce mean cocktails and serve a selection of more than 150 wines. The old-school bar makes one of the best Manhattans in town for about $8.

   

• Salad and Such

  
  Photo by Amelia Robinson

   

  Most of the Oakwood Club’s entrees come with a salad and either one or two sides: baked potatoes, baked sweet potato with cinnamon butter, French fries, fried onion rings, hash brown potatoes, vegetables, stewed tomatoes, wild rice and or roasted garlic rosemary mashed potatoes.

  Not all salads are created equally and neither are the dressings that cover them.

  The Oakwood Club’s garlic vinaigrette house dressing is sent over the top when you add blue cheese crumbs. Finish the salad and dip your bread in the garlicky goodness. You also can’t go wrong with the Oakwood Club’s creamy blue cheese dressing for a 95-cent up charge.

   

• Good and meaty

  
  Photo by Amelia Robinson

   

  Steak is king at the Oakwood Club, a family-owned business with Lance Stewart at the helm. Stewart’s touch is also on the steak. He hand cuts the marbled steaks before they are broiled.

  The thick and juicy New York Strip (10 ounce, $28.95; 13 ounces, $33.95 and 16 ounce, $36.95) comes perfectly seasoned and tender.

  Like other steaks, it comes with a salad and two sides dishes.

   

• Land and sea

  
  Photo by Amelia Robinson

   

  Like any good steakhouse, the Oakwood Club has its share of seafood dishes. Stewart recently told me that the Potato Crusted Chilean Sea Bass and the Maryland Crab Cakes are crowd favorites.

  The garlic shrimp and linguine with Twin Filet Mignons ($25.95) is a great option for those of us who want a little land and sea. Like other items on the specialties list, it comes with a salad and one side.

   

• Want to go?

   

  WHERE: 2414 Fair Hills Ave., Oakwood

  HOURS: 4-11:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 4:30 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday and Saturday, closed Sunday

  INFO: theoakwoodclub.com | Facebook

  Contact this blogger at amelia.robinson@coxinc.com or Twitter.com/DDNSmartMouth