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Making Deals Where Steaks Are High
"It's a bulletproof kind of market," he said. "The demographics are great for fine dining -- a stable economy and a great workforce with high salaries."
That's exactly why Chima opened in Tysons. "The whole Tysons Corner area [offers] an upscale business class that everyone's trying to tap into," said Greg Woerner, a manager at Chima, where servers roam the restaurant with freshly cooked cuts of beef on swords, slicing meat directly onto customers' plates. "It's a sophisticated place."
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The regulars at the Ritz-Carlton's Steak House, the Palm, Flemming's, J. Gilbert's and Shula's American Steak House are a virtual who's who list of influential Northern Virginia business leaders.
Sima Birach Jr., who owns 14 radio stations around the country, including two local ones, eats at Morton's so much that he has his own wine locker -- a privilege reserved for the restaurant's most loyal customers. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and developer Douglas Jemal also are among the key-holders. Newscaster Sam Donaldson and several Wizards players also frequent the restaurant.
"When my wife can't find me, she calls here," Birach said, just before a New York strip steak -- his favorite -- arrived at the table.
In one corner, a group of Lockheed Martin executives discussed deals. Across the room, Clifton and Allison Best of Centreville celebrated their third wedding anniversary -- they mark the day each year at Morton's.
In the bar, lawyers and government contractors enjoyed cigars and wine.
Paul Brubaker, chief executive of Procentrix, an information technology company in Reston, said he eats at Morton's at least twice a week for business. The smoking ban in Washington restaurants drove him out to the suburbs, he said.
"It's old-school and clubby, and I think people like that," he said, cigar in hand.
A few feet away, Barbara Bridges sipped red wine with two co-workers. Merlin International Inc., the IT consulting firm where they work, is nearby and, she said, she likes the "classy" atmosphere and executive crowd.
At Flemming's, Ralph and Maria Evans, who owned McLean's Evans Farm Inn for 40 years before it sold in 2000, dined with their son, Joe Young, and his wife, Linda. The Youngs said they eat there at least twice a month and raved about the wine and atmosphere.
But in many of these steakhouses, food is secondary to networking.
"People come here to see and be seen," said Audrey Slade, communications director at the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner. Its Steak House's lounge is usually packed for happy hour, she said, and she's often surprised by the number of executives who eat a hefty steak for lunch.
Big names from PricewaterhouseCooper, Booz Allen Hamilton and Freddie Mac are frequent guests.
At the Capital Grille, regular patrons include owners of local car dealerships and lawyers, manager Gordon Leigh said.
"There's an explosion of new businesses opening here," he said. "It just shows you what's happening in this neck of the woods."
