I should've guessed it when I heard they serve bison. The "Ted" in Ted's Montana Grill is Ted Turner - TV mogul, land baron and owner of the country's largest bison herd.
Bison is hard to find, but easy to enjoy; it tastes like beef, only it's much healthier dining - about on par with turkey. These big critters convert grass into lean and tender meat with very little fat. Beef creatures convert corn flakes and warm water into fatty meat.
Ted's is part of an impressive new development, nearly complete on a brownfields site in the center of Westboro. The grill opened late last year, one of the newer links in a chain growing mostly along the East Coast. The attractive interior is reminiscent of fine Chicago steakhouses: dark wood, generous and well-isolated seating, Arts and Crafts accents, etched glass, mahogany, oil paintings and stamped tin ceilings above hard pine plank floors.
We resisted the cocktails, skipped over the two dozen burgers - actually double that because you may order either beef or bison, and another 20-odd sandwiches, all of them priced from $8.69 to $11.79. The appetizers were our first target: onion rings, beef sliders, shrimp (chilled or grilled) chili cheese fries and a crab cake. Prices are $6.99 to $11.99; soup, salads and chili are less.
We split an appetizer of a 1/4 -pound crab cake with fresh guacamole and coleslaw for $11.99. Neither of us has tasted a better crab cake, even in Baltimore. It was so filled with lump meat that it's difficult to understand how it held together. The flavor was simply perfect.
Alongside was a wonderful chopped coleslaw and guacamole with some avocado pieces that may not have been ready for prime time.
We asked for bread and were rewarded with fresh, first-rate biscuits. Fresh-squeezed lemonade was a nice choice, too, for $2.49.
There's a blue plate classic offered each day; only one is priced above $16, and that's a double serving of crab cake. Others include chicken fried chicken, roast turkey, chopped beef or bison steak and roast pork.
Bison meatloaf is also on the regular menu; our server brought us a sample. Delicious. Chicken can be cooked under a brick for $10.99, or beer can style after 4 p.m. with Sam Adams keeping it moist while roasting. There's fresh-grilled tuna, salmon and trout and for vegetarians, four of the dozen vegetables for $8.99.
Ah, yes, meats. You knew there'd be beef tenderloin, strip steak or rib-eye; $21-$22. Prime rib comes in three sizes from $16.99 to $23.99 on Friday and Saturday evenings and all day Sunday. Bison is $24 for the steak, a dollar more for the rib-eye and $31.99 for a 1/2-pound tenderloin.
The Soup Goddess chose beer can chicken, $12.99 with garlic mashed potatoes and buttered broccoli. We both found the chicken quite moist, nicely flavored and perfectly done. Surprisingly, neither of us could detect the flavor of beer. We've heard of the recipe for years and planned to make it at home, although the Goddess doesn't really like beer.
There was plenty of roasted asparagus for an extra dollar and the mashed potatoes were just about perfect, creamy and showing bits of red skin.
Of course, I ordered bison, a very rare Delmonico, which is a grilled slice of boneless prime rib, a very reliable steak. Happily, it came exactly as ordered and lightly seasoned. At most steakhouses, I ask that my steak be unseasoned, since so many overdo it. The flavor was even more like beef than I recalled, but it was sweet and rich and tender and really rare. I had a lot of fine, fresh broccoli on the side with five "salt & pepper" onion rings for an extra 50 cents. If that sounds like a skimpy portion of rings, think again. I only finished three. They're huge, fresh and heavily battered and five is a portion you can split.
We had key lime pie and apple crisp for dessert; $5.99 and $6.99. Both were excellent and both were too much to finish. Real, really good key lime pie is difficult to find here in the thawing north; this was among the best we've tasted.
This is apple country, but the apple crisp was among the best we've had, too. Isn't it swell, when they make it with fresh apples and lots of crunch and nuts on the top? Right under a scoop of Häagen-Dazs vanilla.
A couple of cups of truly fine coffee finished our dinner; $2.29 each and worth it. Our check was $63 plus tax, beverages and gratuity; very fair for our quite extravagant, fine dinner served perfectly by Jennifer Trachanas. She waits on tables, works as hostess and occasionally as manager.
If we were still in the restaurant business, I'd have tried to hire her on the spot.
Actually, every employee we met was cheerful, helpful, friendly and welcoming ... serving first-rate food from a remarkable menu with a great staff and a fine kitchen.
Ted's is going to be a humming place for a long time.