When I was a student at Grinnell College years decades ago, one of the biggest treats was a road trip to Rube’s Steakhouse in Montour, Iowa.

Grinnell is in between Des Moines and Iowa City, off I-80. You could drive to Rube’s in under a half hour. It’s a pretty amazing grill-your-own steakhouse in rural Iowa, the “anchor of the town” of 285 people. Going there was a welcome indulgence not just for skipping the college dining hall but also to get off-campus. Even though it wasn’t that far, it felt like a world away.

I have great memories of (poorly) grilling my steaks alongside Texas toast dipped into garlic butter. I went there a few years after graduating and it was also fun to hang out in the lounge, drink beer, and play pool.

I follow Rube’s on Facebook and came across a blog post entitled, “What if I don’t like steak with a lot of fat on it?” There’s a sentence in there that really resonated with me as a wine person/educator:

First of all, don’t be embarrassed by your preferences. Just like you should drink a wine that you enjoy, the same is true for eating steak.

Amen to that. If you like buttery Chardonnay, sweet Riesling, blockbuster Cabernet, whatever, don’t let anyone tell you that’s “wrong.” White wine with your steak? Why not?

For the record, I do not like filet mignon. But I do like going to Rube’s.

My 25th (!) college reunion is coming up and I’m not sure if I’m going to make it. But if it comes to pass, I guarantee you will see me at Rube’s. And maybe more than once….