A tall, willowy gal greets you at the entrance. She couldn’t be any nicer.

“Do you have a reservation?” she asks. “I’m sorry, we don’t,” you respond a bit sheepishly.

“I don’t think that’ll be a problem,”  is her smiling reply, as she glances over her book and the room as you spend a minute gazing at pictures of the ex-mayor on the wall.

In less than a minute, you are led to a big, comfortable booth where your young and attractive waitress is ready on the spot with a wine list and some cocktail suggestions. Looking around, you see a renovated room that is stylish without pretense, and comfortable without effort. Neither too bright or too dim, it is a room made for convivial conversation of the politic and personal kind. Within minutes, all of these factors start softening you up, and you think to yourself perhaps you’ve been too hard on ex-politicos who think they can sell steaks.

A glass of wine is ordered, a bit too warm and perhaps corked. Your waitress sees a hint of displeasure and immediately whisks it away and replaces it with a much more solid cabernet at a very fair price. Yep…in no time this place can start working its charm on you like that.

The place screams “old school” so that’s how you order: Caesar for two, baked potato soup, chicken Marsala over pasta, Charlie’s steak au poivre — all of it large of portion and made by someone who knows how to do the classics. The Caesar is particularly fine  — with your waiter asking direction about how you like it rather than doing it by rote like so many do.

While you’re digging in, and enjoying the nice bread basket (with three different butters, all at the right temperature), your companion remarks how warm and wonderful the setting is, and you kick yourself for thinking she wouldn’t like it — and for bad-mouthing it to anyone who would listen for the past few months.

As you linger over your filets napped in a nice Dijon, cognac and cream sauce, and trade slurps of pasta, you resolve never to pre-judge a restaurant again — least of all one run by a former mayor of the City of Las Vegas.

The check comes and you’re as pleasantly surprised by it as by the ambiance and quality of the food. Dinner for two- $78.

“Thanks Ron Lurie,” you think to yourself,  “we’ll be seeing you and your steakhouse again soon.”

….oh, and by the way, there’s another steakhouse in town named after an ex-Las Vegas mayor that’s half as good at twice the price.

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RON’S STEAKHOUSE

In Arizona Charlie’s Hotel and Casino

740 South Decatur Boulevard

Las Vegas, NV 89107

702.258.5201