Steak Flight at Hemlock

The New Steak Order: Tell Me Where It’s From

10 Minute read

14 Aug 2026

Jillian Dara

Journalist

Copy link

Chefs are putting ranches, breeds, and regions on the menu, turning beef provenance into a marker of quality, flavor, and value.

Diners have learned to consider where their wine was grown and their olive oil was produced. Now, chefs are bringing that same attention to beef, telling diners where individual cuts come from rather than leaving provenance off the menu.

“It’s about creating a stronger connection between the guest and what’s on the plate,” says Maxwell Pfeiffer, chef of the Sky Room at Fairmont Breakers Long Beach. When the historic restaurant reopened in 2024, Pfeiffer chose to include the origin of every cut of beef on the menu. The service team is also trained to answer questions about the producers and their farming practices.

“As chefs, we’re fortunate to work with incredible farmers, ranchers, and producers whose dedication directly shapes the quality of the food we serve,” says Pfeiffer. For him, crediting those sources celebrates their work while giving guests a deeper appreciation of the meal.

The practice is beginning to spread. At restaurants from Long Beach to Chicago, chefs are making the origins of their beef a more prominent part of the dining experience. Here is what they say is driving the shift.

What Diners Are Paying For

“Trust is built through transparency,” says John Manion, chef of El Che Steakhouse & Bar in Chicago. The farm-to-table movement helped make diners more attentive to ingredient sourcing. Many now want assurance not only that a restaurant is serving premium products, but that the quality justifies the price.

“Guests are more educated and curious than ever,” says Antimo DiMeo, co-owner and executive chef at Bardea Steak in Wilmington, Delaware. “They want to understand where their food comes from, how it was raised and why one product tastes or costs more than another.” As beef prices continue to rise, provenance can help explain the differences in quality and cost between steaks.

Erik Niel, chef of Main Street Meats in Chattanooga, argues that menus should be as specific as possible. “If you are not claiming provenance, you are passing average government beef off as a premium product while charging a premium price,” he says. Even when a menu omits the origin of its beef, informed diners may ask, giving restaurants another reason to provide the information upfront.

The Story Behind the Steak

Provenance also gives restaurants a way to distinguish one steak from another. “The more guests understand that story, the more meaningful the dining experience becomes,” says Alfred Bueno of 888 in Nashville. He has noticed guests discussing beef with a level of detail once largely reserved for wine.

DiMeo sees a direct parallel. “No one expects the grape variety alone to tell the entire story,” he says. “You want to know where it was grown, who produced it and what makes that place or style different.” A cut name alone can be similarly incomplete. Breed, genetics, diet, region, aging, and handling all contribute to the flavor and texture of beef. “Meat is common across many cultures, and understanding more about what makes a particular cut or style special is important to the story,” says Manuel Echeverri, culinary director for Bazaar Meat by José Andrés in New York City.

Those details can also set a restaurant steak apart from what diners can readily find at retail. Whether it is an American Wagyu filet mignon from Rosewood Ranches in Texas or a prime dry-aged porterhouse from Creekstone Farms in Kansas, “guests know it will be something that they can’t just go buy at their local grocery store or butcher,” says Mitchell Randall, chief culinary officer for Boston steakhouse Mooo….

How Provenance Shapes Flavor

The same cut can offer different levels of marbling, texture, and flavor depending on the breed and how the cattle were raised. “Beef is an agricultural product, not a commodity,” says DiMeo, explaining why Bardea identifies the provenance of every cut on its menu. Piedmontese, Holstein, Angus, and Wagyu beef can each have distinct characteristics.

Providing that context may encourage diners to try unfamiliar options rather than defaulting to the steak they always order. “Clearer information allows the conversation to focus less on selling the most expensive steak and more on matching each guest with the experience they will enjoy most,” says Scott Slater, co-owner of Hemlock Boise.

Learning at the Table

Together, these elements can make ordering steak an educational experience and help diners make more confident choices. Listing provenance on a menu provides a starting point, but guests can decide how deeply they want to engage. “Some guests want to explore every detail of a steak’s origin, marbling and grading; others simply want an exceptional dinner,” says Slater, who trains his team to read the room. For those interested in learning more, Hemlock offers steak flights that allow them to compare the flavors, textures, and richness of different cuts in real time.

Restaurants are also using tasting formats and expansive menus to showcase beef from multiple breeds and regions. Bardea, for instance, serves the Butchers Feast with six cuts. At Catch Steak Aspen, the Japanese Wagyu flight features selections from Hyogo, Miyagi, Shiga, Kagawa, and Hokkaido, while the menu at Beefbar in New York City includes both American Wagyu and certified Japanese A5 Kobe beef.

Elsewhere, listing provenance invites further conversation, with servers trained to explain breeds, grading, and feeding programs. At Bazaar Meat, refrigerated displays of meat labeled by origin serve as a focal point. “It’s like a museum of meat,” says Echeverri, who encourages guests to get up and browse.

Greater transparency can make the meal more enjoyable. It also “ultimately benefits everyone,” says Pfeiffer, from the ranch to the restaurant to the guest.