"A new kind of dining" is what the local newspaper called "That Steak Place". We all thought it was a pretty elegant restaurant with a couple of marketing ploys that kept us coming back.
As the name suggests, beef was their specialty but you could also order crab, shrimp, or lobster too. When you entered, you knew by the gold and red decor and candle lighting that you were in an upscale eatery. The tables were surrounded by captain's chairs and you might immediately notice there was a salad bar where you could create your own first course (a fairly new concept then). If you came in to have a steak (and why wouldn't you?) then that's when the fun began. A waiter would wheel a cart beside your table with the house specialty, Choice Rib-Eye steaks, and you could select the size of your entree by telling him to move the knife over just a little more ! You were then charged by the weight, and when they first opened that was only 50 cents per ounce .... just think, a half-pound steak for 4 bucks. Filet Mignon and New York Strips were priced at $5.50.
That Steak Place was located in the front of the University Motel, the place that now hosts a laundromat just beyond the hospital and Dairy Queen on Rt. 460 South.
The co-owners were George Nettleton, a Tech graduate, and Vernon Roberts, both from Richmond. Vernon was director of operations and manager of That Steak Place in Richmond as well.
The best part of this great dining experience was that you could get a free steak on your birthday. Do you think many starving VT students showed up there?
I was a waiter there. Most customers were white collar. Best high-end food in the area, and made more on tips in a couple nights than my gigs playing music at Squires and frat houses. They also had a restaurant in Salem called "That Seafood Place."
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