Talk:Steak Diane

Steak Diane is not a cut of meat

Steak Diane is a preparation of beef tenderloin, including its particular sauce, originally done tableside.

Steak Diane

Poor Diane. paul klenk ^talk 16:09, 12 December 2009 (UTC)

Comments on the Article and the Dish

I love this dish, and I like the name, as well. It is hunter's steak, because it is served medium rare, and it is good, hearty fare that is not too complicated. Also, it is similar to a Swabian dish made with pork tenderloin. I see no reason for the article's snarky remark that the dish was "considered dated in 1980." Well, excuse me! I like to serve traditional favorites from my parents' and grandparents' generations, especially on tradition-steeped occasions like Christmas. It is a charming dish, a treat for all the senses, and it never fails to delight and surprise my guests.Wkailey (talk) 14:36, 24 December 2013 (UTC)

"but was considered dated by 1980..."

I think that statement needs to be removed. Yes, it is sourced - but it's a single-source, and only one person. It's not a fact, it's an opinion. I don't see any difference between that and, for (hypothetical) example, quoting Elon Musk saying "Gas powered engines are dated." I mean, right wrong or otherwise, it IS just one person's opinion. And it does indeed seem a bit snarky and not appropriate for a WP article. Lots of people, and more than a few "chefs" do not think it is dated, at all. I just don't care enough about this topic to delete it. Normally, I would. 98.194.39.86 (talk) 12:10, 18 April 2018 (UTC)

I have added a number of other references which demonstrate quite clearly that steak Diane was popular in the 1950's and 1960's and has since gone out of fashion, like the Continental restaurants where it was served. Of course, fashion is fickle and arbitrary in many ways, but I think it's important to document the social history of foods. Interestingly, Google nGrams shows a peak of references to it in the 1980's, but a lot of that seems to be setting a retro scene, as in this article: "restaurants once put phone jacks in walls next to tables. The image comes to mind of a tuxedoed captain calling out one`s name, phone in hand, and bringing vital calls between the shrimp cocktail and steak diane."; also see Jane and Michael Stern's American Gourmet; "Chef Mark Simon's menu, refreshed four times a year, blends New American with retro (steak Diane)." ("steak+diane"&dq="steak+diane"&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwip-7WLhMTaAhWImOAKHXDQBw8Q6AEITTAI 1995).

Of course, that doesn't mean that they aren't still listed in cookbooks and menus.

In general, we need to do a better job of putting dishes in their social context. For example, our tuna casserole article says nothing about how out-of-fashion it is, a poster child of retro foods, and by the same token a comfort food for some. There is definitely a class and region issue here, so we have to be careful not to take an editorial position, but rather report what various people say. Presumably, Reader's Digest and Saveur have different opinions. --Macrakis (talk) 14:38, 18 April 2018 (UTC)

I agree that there is a need to be careful about not letting opinion color information about a dish, but it's fair to say it's dated in the sense you are highly unlikely to find it in restaurants, and certainly not in places that have changing or trendy menus. It doesn't mean a food is good or bad. It's important to add context, especially for something as iconic as this dish. SnarkyValkyrie (talk) 14:48, 24 February 2021 (UTC)