There is a restaurant in Portland, Or that was like the most special place to go eat all while I was growing up. That restaurant is a steak and seafood house called Sayler's Old Country Kitchen. Our family just called it Old Country Kitchen though. In fact, I went to grade school with one of the Sayler sons and didn't ever make the connection till probably my 20s or something cause I was totally ignorant to the Sayler part of the name of my favorite restaurant. This SE Portland steakhouse was all the rage in the 50s and 60s and probably 70s and 80s and raged on into the 90s and the 00s and, I'm guessing is still raging on - cause the last time I was there the parking lot was packed, as per usual.
What I loved most when I was a kid was this relish plate that they always put right in the middle of the table right after you ordered, so you never had to spend a single moment without some form of food in either your hand or your mouth for the duration of the evening. The relish plate had carrot sticks (yay) and celery (ew) and black olives (super yay) and mini corn cobs (super yay!) and there was also this chivey sour cream for dip. That's the part I remember most from my childhood, but since I've been there many times as an adult I can also tell you that they pretty much stuff you to the gullet with bread and garlic oil (it comes in it's own bowl so you can spoon it onto your bread or whatever), salad or soup, the main steaky or seafood thing, baked potato (with more sour cream and butter and chives and bacon if you're up for it) and then ice cream for dessert. I always had spumoni.
One thing they are famous for is this 72 oz steak deal where if you eat the whole thing (that's 4 1/2 pounds) plus some relish plate, salad, potato, veg, and dessert within an hour (I think) then you don't have to pay (in dollars, that is). Oh, and you get your picture put in the lobby.
These are some scans I did of one of their menus that I got when I was a kid. The menu is approx the size of the 72oz steak you would get if you were crazy enough to go that route. As you can see, my scanner (which fits and 8 x 10 piece of paper with like an additional inch of space around) cut a bit off the ends. So that mother is big. And as you can also see, I was very territorial about my Old Country Kitchen Menu. My first and last name is all over it - just in case someone outside my family happened to find it somewhere - I wanted them to know it was mine. Another thing you can clearly see - the prices are so insanely low - but we're talking the 70s here. A 72 oz steak meal for $16? Oh and add on a lobster tail for $4.45! And I love the warning for the well done steak request.
