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Bern’s Steakhouse brings back wine cellar tours this summer, featuring half a million bottles

• July 19, 2023
• • By Andrew Harlan

Bern’s has one of the largest wine collections in the world

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A half-million reasons to tour the wine cellar at bern’s steak house.

B y Janet K. Keeler

  A tour of the wine cellar at Bern’s Steak House in Tampa is as dizzying as any Florida theme park thrill ride.

In tightly cramped quarters, rows and rows of square bins holding single bottles of wine are easily double the height of the tallest NBA player. The facing cubbyholes seem to narrow at the far end of each aisle, creating a carnival fun house effect, but there’s nothing funny about this seriously complete wine collection. 

Rare wines such as a magnum of Grand Vin De Chateau Latour, 1947, is one of 100,000 bottles in Bern's Steak House working wine cellar. The bottle costs $30,000.

- Scott Keeler for VISIT FLORIDA

As you walk past the neatly ordered bottles, looking up and then down, you may feel disoriented, especially if you start counting. The legendary Bern’s Steak House in Tampa sells 200 wines by the glass, with vintages dating to 1973 and boasts 6,800 unique labels. You will lose track quickly. Give in and breathe deeply the aroma of wine enveloping you in the 50-degree cellar. Hold your gasps as you pass the locked rare room where each bottle goes for $1,000 and up. Plastic bags protect the labels.

For diners with thinner wallets, there are wines to enjoy in a variety of price ranges, including a label or two around $5 a glass. The wine list is updated several times a year.

What’s almost more amazing than the fact that Bern’s Steak House houses more than half a million bottles of wine in two locations, is that diners are welcome to check out the bounty in the back reaches of the restaurant. That’s where the bins can hold up to 100,000 bottles. The rest are in the 3,600-square-foot wine warehouse nearby. Bern’s has one of the largest, if not the largest, collection of wines on the planet.

A couple of hundred people take the free kitchen and wine tour each night after they’ve dined on French onion soup, aged porterhouse steaks and the veggie of the day. It is a unique offering from a unique restaurant that has been serving fine steaks and impeccable service to everyday diners and celebrities in Tampa for more than 60 years.

The lobby area of Bern's Steak House is decorated with vintage paintings and iconic red velvet wall paper.

Bern’s, along with Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami Beach , is among the most well known restaurants in Florida. The wine collection has much to do with its widespread reputation.

After the tour, many patrons head upstairs to the Harry Waugh Dessert Room , where private and very dark spaces extend the evening with Bananas Foster and all sorts of chocolate creations. More wine, after-dinner libations or specialty coffee drinks can be ordered there, too.

It’s not uncommon to see a current or former Tampa mayor or professional baseball player, most likely a New York Yankee, holding court in the restaurant lounge, which is a great perch for people-watching. Staff might be able to squeeze your party in here for dinner if you arrive without a reservation and are willing to wait. Word from the wise: make a reservation . Your waiter will ask when you are seated if you’d like to take the tour and/or visit the dessert room; no need to reserve in advance.

Actor Tom Cruise is said to have climbed a ladder in the wine cellar looking for something special. Some of Tampa’s best chefs dine on oysters and other favorite dishes late in the lounge on the nights their own restaurants are closed or after they’ve finished service. And Bern’s has long been a spot for birthday, anniversary and engagement celebrations. There might be as many guys who’ve popped the question here as pricey French Champagne bottles have been uncorked.

Bern Laxer, the innovative restaurant founder who died in 2002, began the tours in the 1970s, long before the Food Network offered glimpses into the inner workings of the professional kitchen, said son David Laxer, now owner and caretaker of Bern’s esteemed reputation.

Bern Laxer “believed that it was important for people to see the hard work that goes into making their meals and how wines are properly stored for them to enjoy. This also allowed our server trainees to interact with guests and get over any stage fright before they actually were out in the dining rooms waiting tables,” said David Laxer. Many of the wait staff has been with Bern’s for more than 20 years.

On a recent evening, senior sommelier Brad Dixon squired us through the kitchen and into the cellar. Bern’s has three “somms” and a wine director carrying on the tradition started by Bern Laxer of scouring the globe to keep the comprehensive collection relevant and stocked.

They are doing a lot right. Bern’s won the 2016 James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine Program, cementing what David Laxer and the somms already knew. Wine is part of Bern’s DNA. Still, the national award, sometimes called the Academy Awards of food, humbled the staff.  It was Bern’s second James Beard. Then sommelier Derrick Pagan won for wine service in 1992.

“To be recognized by one’s peers is the highest form of acknowledgement and I believe it speaks to Bern’s commitment to our wine program from the restaurant’s early years,” David Laxer said of the 2016 award.

His dad was a beer guy when he started his burger and steak joint in the mid-1950s but became interested in wine soon after as the restaurant morphed into a fine dining establishment. He traveled to the legendary wine regions of France and then to California in the 1970s when winemaking began to make huge leaps there. The restaurant cellars still have many bottles purchased by Bern Laxer.

Today, David Laxer said, wine purchasing is more strategic and analytical because the “dollars are bigger now” and there is much more information available to both the consumer and the wine buyer.

“My father always said that the winemaker put so much effort into producing a bottle of wine that we had a certain obligation to receive, store and serve that wine so as to represent that winemaker’s efforts,” he said.

Aged steaks are cooked in the kitchen at Bern's Steak House in Tampa.

Back to that tour with Brad Dixon: Dixon leads us to the kitchen where all tours start. Visitors quickly learn to hug the sides so that the staff can work around them. It’s organized chaos for sure, with dozens of cooks, bartenders, prep folks and others laser-focused on their tasks. Steaks are hand-cut at one station, and then cooked on a 30-square-foot cast-iron grill, fueled mostly by hickory. In another area, seafood is tended to, including the shucking of oysters, some to be served on the half shell with horseradish sorbet, among other accouterments. Twenty types of caviars are carefully stored so as not to lose their salty vibrancy.  

Food for composting is scraped off dishes as they return to the kitchen. One person spends the evening putting slices of Swiss cheese atop the French onion soup before it goes under the broiler. Make sure you watch the rotating cylindrical contraption that slices the onions. That’s a Bern Laxer invention, along with the coffee bean roaster he converted from a mid-1800s peanut roaster. There’s a spice grinder, too, and trays of freshly grown sprouts that will be plucked to put atop the house salad.

And, with all the orchestrated movement, staff still finds time to smile at the wide-eyed visitors.

The tour moves from the kitchen to the wine cellar. It’s a tight fit and even in warm Florida, you might wish for a sweater. The 50-degree temperature is for the benefit of the wine, not so much the comfort of humans.  

Dixon rattles off lots of facts about the collection, with questions about how many bottles always the highlight. (Up to a half-million give or take in the two locations.) So, too, are queries about the most valuable bottle, and right now that’s an 1875 Chateau Gruaud-Larose worth about $36,000, he said. That’s doesn’t mean it’s the tastiest, though. In fact, the taste is really unknown.

What is known, though, is that the kitchen and wine tour at Bern’s Steak House is an added bonus to a pretty terrific dinner. Just like the Haunted Mansion attraction at Disney World, it’s a thrill you won’t want to miss. In fact, some folks say the two-story lobby at Bern’s with its red velvet walls, gothic sconces and period portraiture reminds them of that, without the glass of Bordeaux, of course.

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• United States

Tampa / Central Florida West

Bern's Steak House

• Good for special occasions

Great for fine wines

Make a reservation

Additional information.

• Dining style Fine Dining
• Price $50 and over
• Cuisines Steak, Seafood, Dessert
• Hours of operation Tue–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–11:00 pm
• Phone number (813) 251-2421
• Website http://www.bernssteakhouse.com/
• Payment options AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
• Dress code Business Casual
• Executive chef Chad Johnson
• Location 1208 S Howard Ave, Tampa, FL 33606-3102
• MICHELIN Plate 2022
• Neighborhood Tampa
• Cross street 1208 S. Howard Avenue, Tampa FL 33606
• Parking details Valet parking is $8 per car.
• Additional Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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What 11,450 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews.

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

• 4.8 Service
• 4.8 Ambience

Noise • Moderate

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How is Bern's Steak House restaurant rated?

Bern's Steak House is rated 4.8 stars by 11450 OpenTable diners.

Is Bern's Steak House currently accepting reservations?

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

1208 S Howard Ave, Tampa, FL 33606-3102

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photo credit: Pezz Photo

Bern's Steak House

Cheryl Rodewig

October 23, 2023

Included In

The Best Restaurants In Tampa

If your generationally wealthy friend from England opened a steakhouse in their parents’ old manor, it’d probably feel a lot like Bern’s. The lobby is all gilded furniture and ruby lights, and there are eight different dining rooms lined with wall-to-wall photos from the founder's travels to Bordeaux, Burgundy, and beyond. Every meat on the menu is given its own paragraph explanation, which sounds like it was written by someone who's an e-commerce copywriter by day and a steak scholar by night. The Delmonico that they dry-age for 100 days is always our go-to. 

After dinner, every table gets a tour through the kitchen and wine cellar that’s stocked with over 100,000 bottles, along with a trip to the dessert parlor upstairs. That’s where you’ll slide into your own private wine-cask cubby and try the banana cream cheese pie and a deconstructed chocolate sundae as a pianist plays anything you want.

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Bern’s Steak House reopens after undergoing renovations

by: Brittany Muller

Posted: Jul 28, 2023 / 05:35 PM EDT

Updated: Jul 28, 2023 / 05:38 PM EDT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — An iconic Tampa Bay area restaurant is back open after undergoing major renovations! Bern’s Steak House in Tampa has updated its kitchen and lounge.

For guests that come to Bern’s, it’s about the history and legacy.

“Hearing the stories about everything in this building, there’s a story behind it, Bern opened this place in 1956 and it just continues to grow in and evolve,” said Chad Johnson, Bern’s Executive Chef.

On July 2, Bern’s closed for two weeks for renovations.

“Over the decades, the dining rooms have been done here and there, but this is the first time we really shut down for a couple of weeks and done this much at once,” he said.

Johnson said the kitchen was updated.

“Technology has changed a lot in 40 years so new equipment,” he said. “We changed the layout and opened up a lot.”

The lounge is also under renovation.

“We will have more dining seats in the space and an updated look, but still staying true to what makes Bern’s itself,” said Johnson.

While guests enjoy the dry-aged steaks, extensive wine collection and the Harry Waugh dessert room, they come for the Bern’s experience.

“Tours in the kitchen and the wine cellar are big part of Bern’s,” he said.

The tours officially returned this week. Guests are taken to the wine cellar to see the world largest private wine collection, with over 750,000 bottles.

“It’s that whole experience rolled into one that really makes it special to people and because of its age in history. It’s where people locally have come for decades to celebrate their important moments in life,” Johnson said.

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Bern’s Steak House, With the Biggest Wine Collection in the World, Is Nostalgic for an America That Never Was

words: Cat Wolinski

photography: Patrick Phillips

There is only one window in Bern’s Steak House, and it’s one customers will never see. Replacing natural light is a red wine-colored aura cloaking the carpet, walls, and staircase, giving rows of antique paintings an alluring, ghostly glow.

The Tampa restaurant opened in 1956 at the hands of Mr. and Mrs. Bernard and Gertrude Laxer, or Bern and Gert, New York natives who had been running a mom-and-pop “luncheonette” and hoped to add a bar to their repertoire . Instead, they created a fine dining institution and pilgrimage point for wine lovers.

The Bern’s of today is helmed by Bert and Gert’s son, David Laxer. Like many American steakhouses, its clubby decor seems preserved in amber, and the menu recalls a time when gluten, dairy, and cardiac health were nary a concern. Yet Bern’s is different. It’s nostalgic for a time that, perhaps, never was.

In Bern’s universe, everyone is welcome. Entrées come with a soup and salad. Meals are best ended with something sweet from your own private booth in a second-story dessert lounge. The piano player takes requests. And anyone can afford to drink their preferred wine, whether it’s a $3.50 supermarket pour or one of the rarest bottles in the world.

“We believe that every guest that comes to Bern’s is a special guest,” Frank Russo, dining room manager, says. “We want everyone to experience the ultimate in fine dining.”

And they will. The wines, steaks, and service at Bern’s have earned the restaurant such accolades as a James Beard Award in 2016, Rachael Ray’s best restaurant in America in 2009, and Wine Spectator’s Grand Award every year since 1981. Along with an ornate lobby and bar, there are eight dining rooms, each named for an aspect of Bern’s travels — Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhône, Andre Tchelistcheff  — with wall-to-wall photographs to prove them. Dinner reservations include an optional tour of the kitchen and wine cellar, as well as a trip upstairs to the Harry Waugh Dessert Room , named for one of Bern’s mentors, where 48 private “rooms” constructed of floor-to-ceiling redwood wine casks await.

Then, of course, there’s the wine cellar containing what is believed to be the largest private wine collection in the world .

To borrow Russo’s word, there is undoubtedly something “special” about this place. Indeed, once inside its ruby-hued walls, it becomes difficult to see where Bern the man ends and Bern’s the steakhouse begins.

Bern was a wealthy eccentric whose lifetime lent him a penchant for collections: of travels, of interests, of friends, and of beautiful things. One of these things was wine. Bern followed his nose around the world, and when he liked something he bought it — sometimes every last drop. “Bern was just way ahead of his time,” Russo says. “Many laughed, but Bern got the last laugh.”

Because of the unusual method, and mass, of his procurements, a trip to Bern’s guarantees access to wines you won’t find anywhere else in the world. Eric Renaud, wine director and sommelier, recalls a recent night when he served a Portuguese white wine from the early 1970s. “I said, ‘Think about it. There’s no one else in the world who is drinking this wine right now,’” Renaud says. “And the bottle cost $75.” (This being inexpensive for such a rare vintage.)

By the numbers, the wine collection at Bern’s is truly massive. In the restaurant’s temperature-controlled wine cellar are 110,000 bottles, organized numerically, including 6,500 table wines and nearly 1,000 dessert wines. Two hundred wines are available by the glass. In a warehouse across the street, half a million more bottles sit waiting for their place in the lottery. “It’s like a Home Depot of wine,” Renaud says.

Their rarity is nearly as shocking as their multitude. Currently, the collection boasts bottles from the early 1900s through the present. (Bottles from the 1800s cleared out in recent years, Renaud says.)

Equally surprising is their affordability. Bern’s prices avoid what Renaud refers to as the corporate markup: If a bottle is $100, a glass is $20, a fair fifth of the total bottle price. “We don’t want to gouge people,” Renaud says.

Adding to the lack of pretension is the fact that wines are treated with equal zeal: As Eater’s Bill Addison pointed out in a 2015 review , a glass of Dom Perignon for $52 and a pour of Sutter Home White Zinfandel for $3.50 are both “offered, if I’m not mistaken, without irony.”

Renaud estimates the rarest bottle to be a 1957 Romanée-Conti, currently priced at $25,000. The most expensive are another Romanée-Conti from 2007, a magnum with a price tag of $35,000, followed by a 1947 Latour for $30,000.

These prices, while steep, are conscientious. Renaud points out that the restaurant strikes a balance between preserving its wines and letting them go. “It’s that damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t price,” he says. “Plenty of people want the unicorns. If you put them out at a good price, they disappear, then people complain that you don’t have it. If you have it at a high price, then it’s expensive.”

Then, there’s the food: Dry-aged steaks come with a lauded French onion soup and salad. (“If I had to choose one thing to eat for the rest of my life, it would be Bern’s French onion soup,” one Yelp reviewer croons.) A portion of produce is grown on the restaurant’s nearby organic farm, where waiters are required to work as part of their training. Microgreens are grown on-site in the kitchen.

Yet even as Bern’s progresses, its staff concerned with things like microgreens, the essence of Bern’s doesn’t change. “I haven’t been here in almost 20 years … The inside was exactly what I remembered,” another reviewer reminisces.

And it will be the same, seemingly, forever. To its devoted employees who have worked here for decades, to the patrons who’ve returned for just as long, Bern’s is eternal. Vintage by vintage, wines disappear; yet, there will always be 100-year-old bottles; there will always be a waiter from 20 years ago; and there will always be Bern, in spirit and memory.

The restaurant lives and breathes in its own, singular past, present, and future. It’s utterly bucket list-worthy, yet inured to the Instagram age — its magic surpasses filters and humblebrags, and the lack of natural lighting makes Snapchats a challenge. Closed off to the world, Bern’s makes us sentimental for a man we never knew, a life we never had, and wines no one has tasted.

Published: June 28, 2018

• Bern’s Steak House, With the Biggest Wine Collection in the World, Is Nostalgic for an America That Never Was | VinePair
• https://vinepair.com/articles/berns-steakhouse-best-wine-collection/
• wbs_cat Wine, wbs_type Beaujolais, wbs_type Burgundy, wbs_type Syrah (Shiraz), wbs_type White Zinfandel, wbs_brand Dom Perignon, wbs_brand DRC, wbs_brand Latour, wbs_brand Romanée-Conti, wbs_brand Sutter Home, Affordable Wine, America, Florida, food, Longform, steak, Tampa, Wine
• Everything You Need to Know About Bordeaux’s Médoc Region | VinePair
• https://vinepair.com/articles/everything-you-need-to-know-about-bordeauxs-medoc-region/
• Julie Tremaine
• wbs_cat Wine, wbs_type Bordeaux, wbs_type Cabernet Sauvignon, wbs_brand Médoc, AOC, bordeaux, france, Médoc

Review: Bern’s Steak House in Tampa

Location and arrival.

Downtown Tampa on a Friday night can be rather crazy — and during Halloween, even more so , with traffic choking the streets and pedestrians seemingly everywhere. With regard to the parking lot, you can park your vehicle by yourself free of charge; or you can opt for valet parking. Street parking is also available. Once the car was finally extricated from the traffic, we found a spot to park the car.

We walked under the portico and into the lobby area of the restaurant. As it was a Friday night, we naturally waited for a table. The wait was approximately 20 minutes or so — not too bad — until we were escorted to one of several dining rooms on the premises.

It was a formal dining room with white tablecloths and rich wood paneling which gracefully showed the age of the restaurant; and it was rather quiet despite its occupancy of guests.

Shown in the photograph above is the menu of the steakhouse…

…and there is no question that this spoon is the property of Bern’s.

The Service

The waitress who came to our table gregariously — but not too loquaciously — introduced herself and gave a synopsis of what we can expect from our dining experience at Bern’s. When she was finished, she answered in detail any questions which we asked of her; and she did so again after giving us ample time to review the menu and select what we wanted to order.

After consulting with the waitress, I decided to go with the largest filet mignon, which was 12 ounces, cooked at a medium temperature — but not butterflied, which is having the steak cut split almost in two and spread flat for a more even doneness of cooking. Two inches is not the thickest filet mignon which I have ever eaten; but I was in the mood for a significant cut of meat that evening.

The person seated next to me decided to splurge and go with what is known as the Bern’s Steak House 100 Day Dry Aged Delmonico, Filet Mignon & Japanese Wagyu Strip — three ounces of each — for a cost of $85.95.

Not long after the order was placed, the French Onion soup au gratin with garlic and spelt toasts were served.

As there was no choice of soup, I was initially not happy about French onion soup because I do not like cheese — especially when it is melted. Fortunately, the cheese was rather easy to peel off; and I consumed the consommé of the soup both with and without the toasts, on which I also nibbled by themselves in an attempt to savor their flavor. The soup was good but not fantastic…

…and although I found the toasts to be too dry — I ate them anyway because I was hungry — I preferred the garlic toast when compared to the spelt toast.

Next came the Steak House Salad, which contained lettuce, carrots, onions, cucumber slices, chopped tomatoes, croutons and shredded cheese. I picked off the cheese — but like the soup, the salad was good but nothing extraordinary. A choice of the following dressings for the salad were offered — including a few unusual choices:

• Blue Cheese
• Buttermilk Ranch
• Cabernet Sauvignon Vinaigrette
• Citrus Vinaigrette
• Cleopatra (Caesar)
• Creamy White Balsamic Italian
• Macadamia Vanilla Bean Vinaigrette
• Maple Dijon
• Thousand Island

The steaks finally arrived; and at first glance, I was disappointed. This steak was not two inches thick — not even close — and I have ordered steaks in the past at medium temperature which were easily three times the thickness of what I had just received.

It arrived with a baked potato — I ordered mine with the crumbled bacon and chives but without the sweet butter and sour cream which accompanies it — as well as a serving of thin crispy fried onion rings and some green beans and carrots.

The steak was very good overall — but the flavor was a little on the bland side, despite the proud claim of “perfectly aged steaks” being served there. The quality of meat was very good as well; but easily not the best filet mignon which I have ever eaten. I would not place it in the uppermost echelon of steakhouse fare.

The baked potato was perfectly cooked — although I would have preferred a little au jus to moisten the potato a little instead of the butter and sour cream. The crumbled bacon was the star of the potato, giving it the boost of flavor it needed.

I typically enjoy onion rings; but these were more like onion straws — of which the only problem is that I wished that there were more of them. The cooked green beans and shredded carrots displayed nice bright shades of green and orange. They tasted as though they were fresh from the farm — and they apparently were sourced from a farm in North Tampa owned by Bern’s.

The dining companion who ordered the 100 Day Dry Aged Delmonico, Filet Mignon & Japanese Wagyu Strip offered me a taste of the Wagyu beef. Not ever having tried authentic Wagyu beef, I politely accepted the invitation. The texture of the beef emulated pure fat — not a sensation I particularly enjoy, as I prefer lean cuts of meat — and it was not all that flavorful either. While he did enjoy his meal, I could tell that there was some disappointment in his demeanor.

The Kitchen and Wine Cellar Tour

After dinner concluded, we were offered a tour of the establishment — something which is highly unusual for a restaurant.

We visited the hectic and bustling kitchen — replete with shiny steel surfaces and personnel in white coats as wait staff constantly brought in new orders and left with plates of freshly cooked food — as our guide explained the intricacies and statistics involved with running the kitchen of a legendary steakhouse.

The wine cellar — which grew to be one of the most respected and largest collections of bottles of wine in the world with greater than half a million bottles of 6,800 different selections — was the other stop on this tour. Its dankness was welcome on that warm and steamy evening in Tampa.

Yes, you are reading those vintage years correctly on the bottles shown in the above photograph.

We did not visit or tour  Cave du Fromage , which is the cheese cellar of Bern’s. I was not particularly interested in it anyway.

After the tour, we decided to repair to the Harry Waugh Dessert Room, which is an area separate from the restaurant in which patrons can enjoy confectionary treats and libations in quiet and private dimly-lit booths.

Each booth is supposedly equipped with a six channel stereo sound system which offers a wide range of musical styles — including classical, jazz, progressive, contemporary, new age and live music supplied by Bern’s pianist — but the system did not seem to work in the booth in which we sat. That really did not matter, as we preferred to engage in conversation anyway.

Despite the vast selection of dessert options, I was not interested in either dessert or wine, as I do not consume nuts or alcoholic beverages; and the remaining options just did not sound enticing enough for me to order.

I did manage to try a bite of a few of the dessert options ordered by my companions; and although they were tasty — including a spoonful of the famous Macadamia Nut ice cream, which was delicious — they again were not all that special for the most part.

The presentation of the desserts was excellent, though.

Consider Lynn Canyon Instead of Capilano Park When in North Vancouver

A filet mignon for the price of $51.10 plus tax and gratuity would normally be on the expensive side if it were offered à la carte ; but as the price included a full meal and a tour of the facilities, the value proposition increases — but not by much.

I suppose my expectations were too high prior to my dining experience at Bern’s; but despite what I consider to be an imperfect experience, I recommend Bern’s Steak House in Tampa — especially if it is your first time there.

Maintain your expectations and realize you are not going to get the best value for your money, and you should enjoy the experience. While the food was very good, it is not the best, as better food exists elsewhere. The attentive service was very good to excellent. Be sure to take the tour of the facilities.

Bern’s Steak House 1208 South Howard Avenue Tampa, Florida 33606 813-251-2421

Hours Sunday through Thursday 5:00 in the afternoon – 10:00 in the evening

Friday and Saturday 5:00 in the afternoon – 11:00 in the evening

Major credit cards are accepted; and the appropriate attire to wear is business casual to semi-formal.

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bern’s Steakhouse is like Joe’s Stone Crabs in Miami if you like steak or stone crabs you have to make the trip. Some like you would say “underwhelming” which at times can be true. However it’s the experience and ambiance that makes it. Having dined at both numerous times over the years I would still put them in the top three of each’s specialty. And yes the wine list is to die for, especially after you get the bill.

Good Post thats two in a row

Thank you, Ghostider5408 .

I actually have been to Joe’s Stone Crabs in Miami some years ago. The restaurant was quite crowded — which was expected — and I remember thinking to myself that the stone crab claws were not as tasty as blue crab or king crab. I also remember the food being rather expensive; but I was on business and did not have to pay for my meal.

If we are referring to restaurants in southern Florida, I have dined at the original Shula’s Steak House in Miami Lakes more than once; and I had always had a superior dining experience there — but that was years ago as well and do not know if the quality of the food or service has changed since then…

Next time in Dayton head to The Pine Club. Worth a trip.

Originally from TPA, I have been there numerous times. Have always had great food/ambiance etc. If your steak wasn’t cooked perfectly, then the wrong cook was on that day/nite. It is expensive for sure, but I rate them as high as Ruths Chris. Also in TPA, go to Kojaks on Gandy Blvd. The best BBQ in the city. If you want great seafood, go to the Collanade off bayshore, which also has great views of Tampa Bay.

Kojak’s and the Collanade, two now defunct establishments. Death by developers.

I do not eat in restaurants unless necessary. I tend to always find fault with cleanliness and preparation of food.

Bern’s is acceptable to me as is Ruth Chris, but they are not destination steak houses. I tend to agree with the critic about Wagyu beef that it is like taking a bite of pure, undercooked fat. I also find it hard to believe that a critic does not eat cheese, being one of the best foods around the world.

In all my travels, I have found one steak house that I return to over and over again for the perfectly prepared steaks and dining experience. It sits in the Hard Rock Casino in Tampa and is called Council Oaks.

It is truly the best steak house I have ever visited.

Council Oaks, eh?

I will have to remember that, Jacqueline .

By the way, I have seen the kitchens of catering halls. If you think you can always find fault with restaurants, you will never want to eat at a catering hall.

Trust me on that one…

Brain, agree on that one. When I was looking for a venue for my daughter’s wedding, I checked out the kitchens. Yes, being an Italian and French home cook, I am big on prep cleanliness to the point that I don’t allow anyone to bring food to my house for parties. When asked what to bring, I always say that wine and beer would be great! We had the wedding at The Breakers in Palm Beach, French service and sit down dinner. I liken the wedding “stations” to buffets where hundreds of people touch the serving utensils and then put them back in the food. HAHA, grosses me out.

The Breaker’s was not only immaculate, but the food was phenomenal and the service outstanding!

The Breakers in Palm Beach was where I earned my certification as a scuba diver, Jacqueline .

I have to agree with you on buffets, whether they are at weddings or in restaurants: they can be rather disgusting; but when correctly implemented to mitigate the contact of hundreds of people, I do enjoy them.

“I do not enjoy dessert ‘nor’ wine” you must live a very exhilarating lifestyle thank God you have a blog to tell everyone about it.

Berns was great two decades ago but the photos demonstrate it has clearly jumped the shark.

I supposed I missed out on the good days at Bern’s, Boraxo .

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Rare and well done: Bern’s Steak House is a Tampa legend

T he New York Yankees. Tom Brady. The Tampa Cuban. Ybor City. Stuff that Tampa legends are made of. And then, there is Bern’s Steak House. After 66 years, Bern’s still serves hundreds of guests, night after night, sharing important milestones or just a great evening out.

There are many things that make Bern’s, and its concepts, special. It’s a challenge to describe all of the magic in a thousand words. It is strongly suggested that you experience it for yourself.   (NOTE: Reservations book on a rolling basis 90 days out and fill up quickly!)

The story of Bern’s Steak House begins in 1923, when Bern Laxer was born on the lower east side of Manhattan. After serving in World War II, Bern returned to New York City where he met his wife, Gert, in a copywriting class at New York University, while earning his degree in advertising. Bern and Gert married in 1950 and Bern supported them with his one-man advertising agency.

Bern and Gert initially attempted to open a soft-serve ice cream parlor, in downtown Tampa, but couldn’t secure the necessary financing. In 1953, they bought a small luncheonette called The Gator Juice Bar which served orange juice, coffee and cold sandwiches at lunchtime. After several months, the Laxers added cold breakfast and opened earlier to accommodate more diners.

Bern and Gert spent five days a week working at the luncheonette while Saturdays were reserved for shopping, cleaning, scrubbing and making repairs to prepare for the week ahead. The Laxers served dishes prepared using the freshest, and best, ingredients in their small restaurant. On Sundays, Gert rested while Bern continued to produce his four-page garden newsletter. Before long, the luncheonette added hot breakfasts and lunches, fresh eggs and homemade doughnuts under the new name Bern and Gert’s Little Midway.

Not long after opening the bar, the Laxers learned that the man who sold them Beer Haven had done so without permission from the landlord. With the landlord threatening not to renew their lease, due to his disapproval of alcohol sales, Bern and Gert agreed to go back into the food business and became a restaurant, once again. The Laxers labored seven days a week, Bern as the cook and dishwasher and Gert as waitress, hostess and second dishwasher, as they served breakfast, lunch and dinner with beer and coffee in between. As time marched on, Bern and Gert gradually bought adjoining shops and grew Bern’s from one to eight dining rooms and from 40 to 350 seats. Finally, the famous Harry Waugh Dessert Room was built in 1985, using redwood wine casks to create 48 private rooms where guests, to this day, enjoy nearly 50 desserts, wines, ports, sherries and madeiras.

Over the last decade, Laxer formed a partnership with Mainsail Development, with the Epicurean Hotel, as well as expanded the Epicurean Hotel footprint to a location in Midtown Atlanta, in fall of 2021. Additionally, Bern’s Steak House was awarded the James Beard Foundation medal for outstanding wine program in 2016, after being a two-time finalist and a semifinalist for Best Restaurant. Haven’s executive chef, Chad Johnson, is a two-time semi-finalist for Best Chef: South. Bern’s is also one of only four restaurants in the country to be awarded the Grand Award from Wine Spectator, since its inception.

Along with the restaurants, David and his wife, Christina, also founded Bern’s Winefest that, through the Laxer Family Foundation (established in 2018), fund a culinary scholarship for students in Florida, in Bern’s name, via the James Beard Foundation. In addition, the foundation supports Veteran’s initiatives, Youth in sports and pediatric cancer causes. Winefest, now in its 25th year, has become one of the top wine festivals in the country and hopes to continue its giving success this year with the Silver Jubilee.

Bern’s Steak House is a one-of-a-kind experience. ♦

Brooke Palmer Kuhl is the public relations director for Bern’s Steak House and its related companies. She is also the director of Bern’s Winefest.

A First-Timers Night at Bern’s

By Jo-Lynn Brown

I’m a woman that appreciates a good steak and wine, so the fact that I had never visited Bern’s Steak House before is problematic, on a few levels, including the fact that I’m born and raised here and have no good excuse.

My friend, Brooke Palmer Kuhl, found this to be unfathomable and as we planned this story through, she insisted I come out to experience “the magic” firsthand. I know, my job is the worst.

I arrived about one hour before doors opened so she could give me the grand tour and cars were already pulling into the valet line. While reservations are insanely hard to get, and book up months in advance, the bar seating area is first-come, first-serve. This means, you need to show up early and hope for the best.

If you’ve never been to Bern’s, like me, you might envision a stuffy atmosphere with hushed chatter, it is not. It’s people talking, laughing and fully enjoying the evening. And it is an evening. This isn’t a place to eat dinner quickly before you go to something else. It is the experience of the night, not the precursor.

The food is, top-notch, incredible. Anything you order will please you. Truly. But the food isn’t the whole story. Each member of the staff goes to great lengths to make sure you are well-taken care of, from going over the menu to making recommendations on wine pairings.

When you are finished with your meal go upstairs to the Dessert Room, where you can hear your favorite songs on the piano while you enjoy a nightcap.

When you get home, you will be full and happy.

Brooke’s Bern’s picks:

The 8-ounce, filet with bearnaise, and the macadamia nut dressing for the salad, with a jammy California cabernet or a great bourbon.

Jo-Lynn’s Bern’s picks:

[image_slider_no_space on_click=”prettyphoto” height=”300″ images=”15995,15994,15991,15992,15990,15989,15987″]

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Bern's Steakhouse

Bern's is an institution. Not just in Tampa, but it's known nationwide and makes "Best Steakhouses in America" lists such as  this one  and this one . So I was very excited to bring my family and enjoy a meal here for the first time.

The initial impression does not disappoint! The valets meet you with excitement and professionalism and immediately make you think "Whoa. This place is going to be terrific!" The building itself is an impressive old-school steakhouse. Red velvet, an enormous Christmas tree, gold stair rails. And it was packed. People everywhere. 

Our waiter was perfect for the environment. A middle-aged gentleman who had been doing this so long, it was in his nature. Smooth, easy, friendly. We loved him immediately. 

Dinners here come with a ton of food - their French onion soup, salad, green beans, fried onions. "It's a lot of food" we were advised. Too bad, because the appetizers looked fantastic.

The onion soup was truly spectacular. It lived up to the sky-high expectations the water gave us. Unfortunately, that's where it ended. The steaks were...fine. Good quality but  way  underseasoned. I wondered whether they were seasoned at all. There were 4 of us, we ordered 3 different types of steaks and all were underseasoned. We asked for salt. How does that happen at a steakhouse of this quality? It was a huge disappointment.

In addition, the "bone in 14oz grass fed" strip steaks arrived...with no bone? How can that be? The cook on the strips were also strange. I've included a photo of it. It was well done around the edge and properly medium rare in the middle. If you've ever eaten a steak like this, it's not enjoyable. Your mouth continually wonders whether the next bite will be juicy and unctuous or chewy and dry as a bone.

Following dinner, you move upstairs to the dessert room. Everyone who ever visits Bern's talks about the tour of their 500,000 bottle wine cellar (you read that right) - which are no longer available due to COVID - and the dessert room. It lives up.

It's a terrific environment, the dessert and post-dinner drink lists are impressively large and every single one we saw being delivered (and those we had ourselves) were beautiful. Other than their signature banana cheese(?) pie which was bland and banal, the other desserts were as generous as they were delicious.

I'm disappointed to say I won't rush back. I was hoping this might be a staple for me. But I can grill (and season) a better steak at home. No need to travel here and drop the coin. I'll look to Tampa's other steakhouses to fill the bill. 

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• Life & Culture

Want a good steak? Here are 5 places to get one, and the best way to eat it

• Helen Freund Times staff

ST. PETERSBURG — Sometime during the hazy days of the early pandemic, I had a hankering for steak.

It was hot and rainy outside in the late summer or early fall of 2020, when afternoon thunderstorms carried well into the evening and I was still spending most of my nights alone.

I was hungry and lonely, as I so often was back then, and looking for a place to tuck in for a good meal and a glass of wine, perhaps in the company of socially distanced strangers.

I drove down Fifth Avenue North and passed by Beau & Mo’s, a steakhouse from a pair of Chicago expats that I’d driven by countless times but hadn’t had the chance to stop into. Tonight seemed as good a night as any.

Soaked from the deluge outdoors, I entered a dimly lit space where dinner service was well underway. I didn’t have a reservation, but an empty bar stool beckoned. As I slid in, soft music played in the background, the buzz of dining room chatter wafting all around me.

A woman with heavily tattooed arms who looked around my age sat down next to me. She seemed like a regular, chatting and joking with the bartender casually, at ease in her surroundings during this strange time. She was drinking a gin martini and I ordered the same.

We got to talking and the woman told me about her work as a hairdresser and bartender in downtown St. Petersburg. She shared how difficult the past year had been, how her client list had dwindled and the bar shutdown had slashed her income. She said she liked to treat herself to a nice steak from time to time — a little piece of joy during a dark period.

When the woman’s food arrived, it was impossible not to gape at the whopping 42-ounce tomahawk, which she heartily dug into. I ordered the ribeye, a portion only slightly less daunting, and we sat silently, enjoying our food. The restaurant is known for its chargrilled steaks, and mine arrived blackened with a salty, caramelized crust, the meat cooked to a juicy medium rare. Paired with a side of bright green garlicky sauteed spinach, it made for the perfect meal.

I left the restaurant feeling full and a little bit less lonely. At the time, it felt like something rare and special.

As we returned to pre-pandemic normalcy, we crowded into restaurants in pairs and groups without a second thought. But something about that evening has stuck with me, and I’ve made solo steak dinners at the bar an occasional treat — a little piece of joy in the company of strangers.

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Beau & Mo’s is my neighborhood standby, and the restaurant is always reliably welcoming and delicious. But throughout the years, I’ve discovered several other spots in the Tampa Bay area suited to a night of solo dining.

I’m somewhat of a regular at Renzo’s, the South American steakhouse with locations in South Tampa, Carrollwood and downtown St. Petersburg. The restaurant is within walking distance of the Tampa Bay Times office, and it’s where I’ll go after a long week when a tall glass of Argentinian Malbec and the restaurant’s beef carpaccio are calling my name. There’s also an excellent happy hour, with $8 cocktails and snacks ranging from Uruguayan-style grilled provoleta cheese and ham croquettes to Argentinian red shrimp sauteed in garlic and rum. But the steaks are the real draw here, particularly when they’re accompanied by the restaurant’s punchy chimichurri.

Another one of my favorite spots for a steak is Bascom’s Chop House , on Ulmerton Road in Clearwater, where meals should always start with the restaurant’s signature Billionaire’s Bacon: sweet and peppery strips of Applewood-smoked pork belly that arrive hanging on a makeshift line, attached with clothespins. I love to pair the bacon with an order of shrimp cocktail before moving on to the wagyu ribeye with peppercorn sauce and a side of creamed spinach.

At Bern’s Steak House, when a reservation in the restaurant feels impossible to get, I’ve had luck snagging a seat at the crowded bar, as long as I show up right when the restaurant opens. The French onion soup, Caesar salads and steaks taste just as good here as they do at a table.

And then there’s Fortu, the newest steakhouse contender in downtown St. Pete, which opened in December in the old Ceviche space on the corner of Central Avenue N. and Beach Drive NE. Many of the steaks here are very expensive, from an $85 Japanese A5 filet to the restaurant’s signature $150 35 day-aged Australian wagyu. But even the cheapest steak on the menu — a $54 prime ribeye seasoned with a yuzu kosho — is fantastic, as is the miso crab butter and black garlic sauce guests can order alongside it.

A steak dinner can be expensive, and at a time when many of us are tightening our pursestrings, ordering one can feel like a real luxury, if not a downright unnecessary expense. My solo steak nights are now something I save for a special occasion, in an effort to appease both my cardiologist and my wallet.

Lately, I’ve shaken things up a bit, sharing a steak with my partner, who shares my affinity for great food and budget dining. It’s a lot kinder on our wallets to split a ribeye and order an extra appetizer or two, and more often than not we still come home with plenty of leftovers.

One thing has remained the same all these years, though — I always insist on a seat at the bar.

Beau & Mo’s: 2924 Fifth Ave. N., St. Petersburg. 727-771-3690. beaunmo.com

Bern’s Steak House: 1208 S. Howard Ave., Tampa. 813-251-2421. bernssteakhouse.com

Fortu: 97 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. 727-256-0268. forturestaurants.com

Renzo’s (St. Petersburg): 104 Second St. S., St. Petersburg. 727-851-9983. renzos.com

Bascom’s Chop House: 3665 Ulmerton Road, Clearwater. 727-573-3363. bascoms.com

Helen Freund is the food and dining critic, reporting on and reviewing restaurants throughout Tampa Bay. Reach her at [email protected].

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The Best Views in the Bern Region

Views of the beautiful Gantrisch range, the Swiss capital, or the world-famous mountain triumvi-rate Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau in the Bernese Oberland – there are so many scenic points with spectacular views in and of the Bern region. Here are our favourites.

The ascent at the beginning is definitely worth it: If you follow the narrow path over sticks and stones and past high fir trees, you’ll be rewarded with a breathtaking view at the top, as well as the Gägger-steg, a boardwalk made of windthrow, which can only be reached by taking on the short hike. It is up to eight metres above ground and offers views of the forest surrounding it and the entire Gantrisch range, a mountain panorama that you won’t get enough of! Take a walk on the boardwalk and explore the beautiful Gantrisch Nature Park.

To the Gäggersteg

Nomen est omen with this one: “Lueg” in Swiss German means “look”. The popular destination in Af-foltern in the Emmental lies at about 900 metres above sea level and offers a beautiful panoramic view of the Emmental’s hills and meadows and the Bernese Alps. Whether you prefer biking, hiking or a relaxed excursion: Many paths lead up the Lueg and to the impressive monument erected in 1918 for Bernese cavalrymen that died from the Spanish Flu. If you take the route toward Affoltern, you can stop at the renowned show dairy on your way down and experience up close how the world-famous Emmental AOP cheese is made.

To the Lueg

The easily visible television tower high above the town of Bolligen makes sure that the Bernese can enjoy their favourite TV series. But the mountain itself provides entertainment, too: The 360° view from the top at about 1,000 metres above sea level includes the rooftops of the federal city, the rolling hills of the Emmental, the Gantrisch and Jura ranges, and the world-famous peaks of the Bernese Alps. This gorgeous view is only a flight of steps away; it can be seen from the platform of the 30-metre tower, where panels help you recognize and name every mountain in sight. Give the TV an evening off and head over there!

To the Bantiger

Höllchöpfli

Hällchöpfli, Höllchöpfli or Hellchöpfli – this peak in the first Jura range and highest scenic point in the Oberaargau region has no less than three different names. At 1,232 metres above sea level, above the town of Rumisberg, you’ll have a spectacular panoramic view of the Central Plateau, the Alps and the Jura. An especially charming way to reach the Chöpfli is by taking the loop trail from Wolfisberg. There are restaurants along the way if you feel like a break, and on your way down you’ll pass im-pressive historic buildings such as the Erlinsburg Castle ruins and Neu-Bechburg Castle.

To the Höllchöpfli

Obergurnigel Trail

Unlike the more frequented routes around the Selibüel, the new Obergurnigel snowshoe trail takes outdoor fans to less known scenic points. If you get your timing right, the hike’s highlight also dou-bles as a perfect backdrop for Instagram pics: once you reach the top of Obergurnigel, you’re treated to a panoramic view of the Bernese Oberland and Lake Thun. Combined with a beautiful golden sun-set – unforgettable. Snowshoes can be rented conveniently at the Berghaus Gurnigel or the Berghütte Selital for CHF 30.00

To Gurnigel

You can see them from afar, guiding the way and reassuring visitors that they’re almost there: the two impressive, protected linden trees give the Ballenbüehl the feeling of grandeur that it deserves. From this popular spot, you’ll have a beautiful panoramic view of the Aare valley, the Chasseral and the Stockhorn and Niesen mountains – an absolute feast for the eyes! The gem can be reached in just one hour on foot from the Konolfingen train station. And while sitting by the nearby barbecuing pit and enjoying a picnic with a view, you’ll start to understand the person who sang “My Jutz vom Bal-lebüehl”: “I bi so froh u glücklech da, es isch es herrlechs Gfüehl, dass i di gäng ir Nechi ha, mi liebe Ballebüehl” (“I am so happy here, Ballenbüel my dear, and it’s wonderful to know that you are always near”).

To the Ballenbüel

In Röthenbach in the Emmental, you will find the 195 steps that lead to happiness: Stroll through the Gauchernwald (Gauchern forest) until you reach the Chuderhüsi tower, then climb up the steps in joy-ful anticipation. At the top, a breathtaking 360° view awaits – on clear days, you can see as far as the Black Forest. So how about planning your next Sunday excursion to the Emmental around a visit to this tower made completely out of silver fir wood? By the way: its 42 metres make it one of the high-est wooden towers in Switzerland. Good to know: in the summer months, there’s a bus on weekends from the Signau train station to the Chuderhüsi, and the tower is only a short walk away from the park-ing lot at Restaurant Chuderhüsi.

To the Chuderhüsi

The Ahornalp above Eriswil is at 1,136 metres above sea level and located in the border region be-tween the cantons of Bern and Lucerne. Thanks to this unique location, it offers stunning views: be it the Central Plateau or the Jura, Mount Pilatus or the Rigi, the Chasseral or the Bernese Alps – you can see them all from up there. Ahornalp is also perfectly suited for escaping the dull, grey lowland fog. And the quaint restaurant at the top will keep your belly satisfied while your eyes feast on the pano-rama. The Ahorn (maple), as locals and regulars like to call it, is a great starting point for wonderful hikes such as the “Grenzpfad Napfbergland”.

To the Ahorn

Chutzenturm

The Chutzenturm tower with its 45 metres is the highest wooden tower in the entire country. It takes a bit of courage to climb, even if you aren’t usually afraid of heights, but once you reach the top, you’re rewarded with a spectacular panoramic view. Can you see the mountains in the distance? Moléson, Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau, Titlis, and even Mont Blanc? There’s a wooden table at the base of the tower, perfect for a break and an energizing picnic. Our tip: combine your visit to the Chutzenturm with a leisurely e-bike ride through the region.

To the Frienisberg Scenic Route

It only takes nine minutes to get right into nature from Bern

Cycling tour “Bern’s Green Belt”

Cancer patient sees Taylor Swift in concert after purchasing 'Eras Tour' tickets past her ‘prognosis’ date

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AS TAYLOR SWIFT'S ‘ERAS TOUR’ HITS LONDON, RESTAURANT OWNER SAYS SHE'S ALREADY PLACED A FAVORITE ORDER

At the time, the U.K. resident was 27 weeks pregnant.

Just three weeks later, she gave birth to a 3.4-pound baby girl named Sienna Mahon. 

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By Dec. 2021, just a month after her baby was born, Mahon said on her GoFundMe page that she was given a year to live due to the size and location of her brain tumor. 

CALIFORNIA SHOW OF TAYLOR SWIFT'S ‘ERAS TOUR’. CLASSIFIED AS ‘MICROEARTHQUAKE’: THESE 5 SONGS HIT LOUDEST

Last year, however, when Mahon found out Taylor Swift would be stopping in Liverpool on "The Eras Tour," she decided to buy tickets for the June 13, 2024, show. 

Mahon’s husband, Daniel, took to Instagram the week of the show and gave an update on how the pair made it to the concert. 

He said, "Omg, we got her here, we are actually here. After 50 seizures over three days and a week on ward, Laura is getting to see Taylor Swift live."

TAYLOR SWIFT FANS ARE UPSET OVER UNOFFICIAL MERCH CRACKDOWN: ‘SUCH A BUMMER’ 

Daniel Mahon noted that Laura Mahon was having seizures every 10 minutes at one point — causing the couple to push their concert attendance date back by two nights. 

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"This has obviously had some effect on her," he said in the Instagram caption. 

"Currently, her walking and [the use of one] arm has gone, but [we] got it back before and we’ll do it again," he wrote.

Daniel Mahon revealed how much his wife was looking forward to the concert — and that it gave her something to focus on during her treatment. 

He added, "She sets milestones to get to, and although most [of them] are around seeing [daughter] Sienna grow up , getting to see Taylor live was up there on her bucket list."

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Fox News Digital reached out to the Mahon family for further comment. 

Original article source: Cancer patient sees Taylor Swift in concert after purchasing 'Eras Tour' tickets past her ‘prognosis’ date

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2 people were taken to a hospital after lightning struck a tree near a PGA Tour event in Connecticut

Associated Press

CROMWELL, Conn. – Two people were taken to the hospital Saturday after lightning struck a tree near a home along a golf course that is hosting the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship.

The home is just north of the fifth green at TPC River Highlands, which is hosting the tournament one week after the U.S. Open.

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Cromwell Police started getting 911 calls around 4:30 p.m. about a lightning strike. When first responders arrived, they found a tree that had been hit and three people who were near it.

Cromwell Fire Department Chief Jason Brade said in a statement that an emergency medical crew treated two people and took them to the hospital for further evaluation. He did not elaborate on their condition. A third person refused treatment.

Weather delayed the third round of the Travelers Championship, where earlier in the day Cameron Young shot a 59 for the PGA Tour's first sub-60 round in four years.

Lightning is an ever-present danger on golf courses. In 2019, six people were injured when a strike hit a 60-foot (18-meter) pine tree at the Tour Championship.

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