Joel Smith, executive chef at Vintage Chophouse, dares you to eat a 32 oz. dry rib chop

In today’s economy, heading out to high-end eateries is something you might be doing far less often. With that in mind, I decided to challenge myself by heading to an upscale joint and ordering something that wouldn’t empty my pocketbook, but is still impressive.

I settled on Vintage Chophouse, which boasts “the top one per cent of all beef graded in Canada,” and “aged for a minimum of 35 days and charbroiled at 1,800°F in our custom-made broiler.” My first tactic was to head down for lunch, instead of dinner.

One of the first things that caught my eye was the servers’ attire. On top of dark dress shirts, ties and pants, servers wore white butcher’s coats. It reeked of old-school class, and I liked it. I weighed the menu options, while some Rat Pack-era jazz played in the background.

I opted for the Vintage steak sandwich ($19) — a seven-ounce Canadian prime striploin with fries, soup or salad on the side. I chose the lobster bisque and anxiously sipped a coffee ($3) as I waited.

When my meal arrived, I decided the best frugal plan of attack was to treat the bisque — made from tomato, brandy and lobsters, topped with lemon and chive crème fraîche — as the appetizer, and to eat the steak sandwich on its own. The bisque was wonderful, and the aroma of lobster was intoxicating as I raised the first spoonful to my lips. It wasn’t long before I found myself scraping the bottom of the bowl… luckily the sandwich also looked delicious and I eagerly moved on.

The presentation was top-notch. A piece of thick-cut, toasted French bread anchored the meal, and was topped with a single oversized onion ring that was, in turn, topped with the striploin, roasted shallot marmalade and a cherry tomato.

There was simply no way I was up to the task of cutting the sandwich as it was, so I disassembled it, placing the steak on one side. This was far more manageable. The toast was cooked just a hair more than I like, but it certainly wasn’t burnt. And the steak was pefectly pink, and I swear it got better with each bite. The shallot marmalade worked well in the dish, paired with the beer-battered onion ring.

Overall, it was a lunch to remember. The service was phenomenal. Servers regularly filled my water glass and coffee cup, and ensured everything was to my satisfaction.

As for my mission, it was a complete success. I managed to eat in a high-end chophouse, sample some of the best beef available in Canada, and got out of there for less than $30, including a tip. Take that, recession.