RUHLMAN’S STEAKHOUSE
603 US-6, Ashland
(402) 780-8887
ruhlmansteakhouse.com
As a theater major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Phil Ruhlman made ends meet by bartending at Lincoln steakhouse Misty’s Restaurant & Lounge. That experience, coupled with a desire to “direct something” planted a seed that lay dormant for over 30 years while Ruhlman navigated a successful career at Gallup and raised a family. The charismatic leader never abandoned his dream, and with the help of his family and local business savant Willy Theisen, the curtain on his second act rose when Ruhlman’s Steakhouse opened earlier this year in Ashland, Nebraska.
Ruhlman was introduced to executive chef and co-owner John Benton by Brian O’Malley, Dean of the Metropolitan Community College Institute for the Culinary Arts, and he’s grateful the meeting proved fruitful. After graduating school in 2008, Benton gained experience in local Lincoln restaurants, then headed east where he completed an advanced study program at the famed Johnson & Wales culinary school.
The co-owners share a mutual respect and admiration—Benton is grateful to be an integral part of the team at Ruhlman’s, noting how refreshing it is as a chef to have a partner with managerial experience who’s wired to think in a specific way. Ruhlman added, “John has a gift for food, it’s amazing how many people say, ‘this is the best dish I’ve had’.”
In addition to an expansive dining room and patio, a private dining room—walls lined with photographs and stories of both Ruhlman and Benton’s families—seats 12 at a table named after Ruhlman’s brother Matt.
Benton is proud of his high-energy talented team, which includes sous chefs Sergio Segovia and Cynthia Lopez. Save the fries and onion rings, every item comes from the shiny, open scratch kitchen. From protein fabrication to stock to pasta and focaccia bread, the kitchen team takes care and pride in crafting the best possible dishes.
From the wood-fired grill come starters that introduce diners to unique flavor combinations such as grilled oysters with house-made sausage and Chinese shrimp toast with mustard oil and black vinegar. Soup selections include the French onion soup crafted with six types of alliums, Comte’ cheese, house made stock, and a balanced, flavorful blend of port, sherry, and Madeira.
More than 800 Mortadella meatballs are hand-crafted in the kitchen each week, served with a spicy arrabbiata sauce and showered with Grana Padano, an Italian crumbly aged cheese similar to parmesan. For those with heartier appetites, a 20-layer wood-fired lasagna alternates al dente pasta sheets with truffle bechamel, short rib-oxtail arrabbiata sauce, and sunflower pesto.
All steaks are wet aged and hung for 14 days but the dry-aged beef and cured meats have proven so popular the establishment is planning to soon expand its Stagionello cabinet capacity. One benefit of the cabinet is the ability to infuse flavors during the aging process, evident in the truffle-aged, bone-in ribeye, served with crispy stuffed potatoes and mushrooms.
According to manager Joseph Potter, the cocktail and wine lists are designed to be “approachable with funky twists.” A bespoke Sideshow bourbon provides the base for the creative bacon bourbon old fashioned, and guests have been intrigued with the parmesan martini, an umami-forward cocktail garnished with a cherry tomato. Ruhlman’s also offers a custom Rutherford chardonnay and red blend. In a thoughtful local touch, the wine bottle labels (designed by Phil Ruhlman’s daughter Olivia) display a roadmap of the city of Ashland.
Though inspired by great metropolitan steakhouses such as Smith & Wollensky, Ruhlman knew he wanted to offer quality food at an affordable price point for both locals and those travelling from nearby municipalities. Buying whole cattle from Connealy Angus Ranch keeps costs down—the restaurant currently orders eight head per week, and the extra ground beef is sold at local Hy-Vee stores under the Ruhlman brand.
According to Ruhlman, Benton has developed deep relationships around food over the years, which makes purveyor partnerships vital. In addition to the tight-knit relationship with Black Angus producers Connealy, the team sources Berkshire pork from Albert’s Heritage Pork and edible flowers and microgreens from Milford Old Depot Farm. Even the dining room tables are local, crafted by downtown Omaha’s General Manufacture.
In addition to recycling, little is wasted in the scratch kitchen. Namely, parmesan rinds are steeped in vodka for the parmesan martini, brunch bacon is used in the fat-washed bourbon, and the vegetable oil is turned into bio diesel. Benton also added, “The best way to be sustainable is to spend dollars locally.”
Benton sums up the early success of the steakhouse to a simple phrase, “Surround yourself with great people and products and success will follow.”
