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I don’t want to alarm anyone, but Rae & Jerry’s has revamped its menu.
When the iconic local steakhouse at 1405 Portage Ave. changed hands earlier this year, new owner Adam Rodin vowed only minor updates to the food and interior. He seems to have kept his word.
To avoid inciting a riot among longtime regulars, the restaurant has held onto beloved staples — such as the prime rib steak and tomato juice starter — and brought in some new mains and starters.
I was there for dinner recently and enjoyed the bruschetta flatbread and French onion soup. The chicken cordon bleu was also very good. I was particularly jazzed about the new cocktail menu, which replaces some dated mixed drinks with modern classics, like a negroni and a French 75 — don’t worry, the martinis are still filled to the brim.
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Rae and Jerry’s Steak House is famous for its red leather and retro wood paneling. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Free Press files)
One thing I wasn’t jazzed about: seeing a fellow patron dining in sweatpants. On a Friday night no less! Listen, I get it. The place is kitsch and the pomp of dining out is long gone. I’m certainly not opposed to dressing for comfort, but I usually make a point of putting on actual pants when heading out in public.
I don’t think formal wear is required for a meal at Rae & Jerry’s — in fact, the restaurant’s ability to embrace a more casual atmosphere is likely what keeps bringing in new generations of clientele after nearly 70 years in business.
Part of the fun of the place is being able to walk off the street in 2024 and enter a nostalgic time capsule. Seeing grey cotton mixing with the red leather and retro wood paneling brought me right back to the present and got me thinking about just how much public dress codes have changed in the wake of the pandemic.
Athleisure is everywhere, business attire is more casual. In the restaurant world, come-as-you-are is the new standard. Even in places like New York, some fine-dining establishments are eschewing longstanding “jacket required” policies and opening the door to dressed-down diners.
Practically, I’m all for leaving discriminatory service practices in the past. Still, when faced with the reality of sweatpants in a steakhouse I found myself aghast, clutching pearls of expectations I didn’t even know I had.
Changes — menus, pant choices and otherwise — take some getting used to.
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