"Verdict: A meal at Red Ash is often heavy-handed—expect lots of butter, garlic, bone marrow, and cheese in just about everything—but that's okay because you come here to celebrate big occasions. It’s basically a rustic Italian restaurant imagined through the lens of a swanky downtown steakhouse. The pastas are homemade, and almost everything is cooked on a live wood fire. It’s also one of the only places you’re going to find a 50-day dry-aged steak in town, which is sadly about half the time you’ll need to start planning in advance for a meal here. You might get lucky by calling on the day of and asking about cancellations, but if you want a guaranteed table, you’ll need to start planning early. Reservations open up six months in advance, and prime time tables book up about four months in advance (and about two months for the late-night seats). If you’re mostly here for steak, you can get a very similar steak at Red Ash’s sister restaurant, J. Carver’s, with a little less planning. Get access to exclusive reservations at this spot with Chase Sapphire Reserve. New cardmembers get $300 in annual dining statement credits." - nicolai mccrary, raphael brion