Why Our Guests Love Event Nights at Our Modern Steakhouse
There’s something magical about transforming an evening meal into an unforgettable experience. At our modern steakhouse, event nights have become the heartbeat of what makes us more than just a dining destination—they’ve turned us into a community gathering place where celebration meets culinary excellence.
The Perfect Blend of Atmosphere and Anticipation
When guests walk through our doors on event nights, they immediately sense the difference. The energy shifts from our typical refined ambiance to something electric, charged with possibility. Our team spends days preparing—not just the menu, but the entire sensory journey. Lighting gets adjusted to match the theme, music selections are curated with intention, and every detail from the table settings to the greeting at the host stand reflects the evening’s unique character.
What our regulars tell us time and again is that they appreciate this departure from routine without sacrificing the quality they’ve come to expect. They can still order their favorite ribeye, perfectly aged and flame-kissed, but now it’s accompanied by live jazz, or paired with a wine expert walking them through unexpected flavor combinations, or served alongside a chef demonstration that reveals the artistry behind what appears on their plate.
Culinary Adventure Meets Familiar Comfort
Event nights give our culinary team permission to push boundaries. Our executive chef describes these evenings as “controlled experimentation with immediate feedback”—a chance to debut seasonal specials, test flavor profiles that might seem daring on a regular Tuesday, and showcase techniques that don’t fit within our standard menu framework.
Guests have responded enthusiastically to this approach. The Whiskey and Wagyu pairing night last month sold out within forty-eight hours, with attendees raving about discovering how a smoky Islay scotch could enhance the buttery richness of A5 Japanese beef. Our quarterly “Butcher’s Table” events, where diners learn about different cuts while enjoying a multi-course tasting menu, have created amateur steak enthusiasts who now ask informed questions about marbling and dry-aging when they visit on regular nights.
This educational element resonates deeply. People don’t just want to eat well—they want to understand what makes their meal exceptional. Event nights provide that context without feeling like a classroom. The learning happens organically, through conversation and experience rather than lecture.
Building Connections Beyond the Table
Perhaps the most surprising feedback we’ve received centers on the social dimension of event nights. In an era when dining out often means tables of people scrolling through phones between courses, our themed evenings have sparked genuine human connection.
The communal tables we introduce for certain events encourage strangers to become dinner companions. A couple celebrating their anniversary might find themselves sharing stories with a group of colleagues marking a promotion, united by their appreciation for a perfectly prepared tomahawk steak or their shared discovery of an exceptional Malbec. Our sommelier-hosted wine dinners particularly excel at this—the structured conversation around each pairing gives people natural talking points and shared experiences to discuss.
Regular guests have told us they’ve formed actual friendships at these events, connecting over shared culinary interests and continuing those relationships beyond our walls. Some now coordinate their schedules specifically to attend together, turning event nights into their own tradition.
Value That Extends Past the Price Point
While event nights often command a premium over regular dining, guests consistently express that they receive exceptional value. This isn’t just about the food—though the special menu items and exclusive offerings certainly contribute. It’s about the complete package: the expertise shared by our chefs and beverage specialists, the enhanced atmosphere, the carefully orchestrated timing of courses, and the sense of occasion that elevates the entire evening.
One guest recently described it as “getting a private dining experience at a fraction of the cost.” She’s not wrong. The attention to detail, the personalized service, and the exclusive nature of limited-seating events create an intimacy and specialness typically reserved for much more expensive dining experiences or private parties.
Celebrating Life’s Moments, Big and Small
Our event calendar has taught us that people are hungry for reasons to celebrate. Not just birthdays and anniversaries, though we host plenty of those, but also the simple pleasure of being alive on a beautiful evening, trying something new, or spending quality time with people they care about.
The seasonal celebrations we’ve introduced—spring lamb festivals, summer grilling showcases, autumn harvest dinners, winter truffle extravaganzas—give guests permission to mark the passage of time with intention and joy. These aren’t holidays that appear on calendars, but they’ve become anticipated traditions nonetheless. We have guests who’ve attended our “First Tomato of Summer” dinner for three consecutive years, treating it with the same reverence some reserve for Thanksgiving.
The Anticipation Factor
There’s a psychological component to event nights that extends the pleasure beyond the evening itself. The anticipation begins when guests reserve their spots, builds as they receive preparatory information about what to expect, and continues through conversations with friends and family about the upcoming experience. Then there’s the event itself, followed by the memory and the stories shared afterward.
Our marketing team has noticed that event nights generate significantly more social media engagement than regular service. Guests photograph their courses, tag their companions, and share their experiences with genuine enthusiasm. This isn’t promotional content we’ve requested—it’s organic expression of delight, people wanting to capture and share something that made them happy.
A Playground for Our Team
The enthusiasm isn’t limited to guests. Our staff genuinely loves event nights, and that energy is contagious. These evenings give our servers opportunities to become storytellers and educators rather than simply order-takers. Our kitchen staff gets to showcase techniques and dishes they’ve been perfecting. Our bartenders create signature cocktails that complement the evening’s theme.
This team pride translates directly into guest experience. When servers are excited about what they’re presenting, when they can speak from genuine knowledge and enthusiasm rather than rote memorization, guests feel that authenticity. The service becomes collaborative rather than transactional, with staff members acting as guides through the evening’s journey.
The Element of Discovery
Even our most frequent visitors tell us they discover something new at every event. Whether it’s an unexpected ingredient pairing, a cut of meat they’d never considered, a wine region they hadn’t explored, or a cooking technique that demystifies something they’d found intimidating—there’s always a revelation waiting.
This commitment to education and discovery has transformed how many of our guests think about food. They ask better questions, make more adventurous choices, and approach dining with greater curiosity. Some have told us that what they’ve learned at our events has changed how they shop for ingredients, cook at home, and choose restaurants when traveling.
Creating Accessible Luxury
Modern steakhouse dining can sometimes feel intimidating, wrapped in old-school formality and unspoken rules. Our event nights have helped break down those barriers while maintaining our commitment to excellence. Themed evenings create a framework that makes fine dining feel approachable—you’re here for the bourbon and beef pairing, or the celebration of local farmers, or the exploration of Argentine grilling traditions. The event itself provides context and purpose that helps guests relax into the experience.
We’ve observed first-time fine dining guests choosing event nights as their introduction to our restaurant, finding the structured experience less daunting than navigating a full menu without guidance. The success of these initial visits has converted many into regular guests who feel confident and comfortable in our space.
Looking Forward
The overwhelmingly positive response to our event programming has inspired us to expand and evolve these offerings continually. Guest feedback directly shapes our calendar—when someone mentions they’d love to learn about sustainable seafood or explore natural wines, we listen. The conversations we have with guests during and after events provide invaluable insight into what resonates and what could be improved.
What started as an experiment to fill slower weeknights has blossomed into a defining characteristic of who we are as a restaurant. Event nights have given us a way to honor our craft while serving our community’s desire for connection, education, and celebration. The love our guests express for these evenings—through their attendance, their enthusiasm, their feedback, and their loyalty—continues to inspire everything we do.
In an industry where trends come and go, the fundamental human desire to gather around exceptional food, share meaningful experiences, and create lasting memories remains constant. Our event nights tap into that timeless truth, and our guests respond by making us part of their lives in ways that extend far beyond a simple meal. That’s not just good business—it’s genuinely fulfilling, and exactly why we’re in this business in the first place.
About Tartan of Redlands
Tartan of Redlands, a cherished local spot since 1964, is renowned for its classic steakhouse dishes and welcoming atmosphere. Founded by the Ctoteau brothers, Velmer, Al, and Art, the restaurant’s mission has always been to serve great food and offer excellent hospitality.
While ownership has changed over the years, the core values remain. Larry Westin, who joined the Ctoteau family in managing the restaurant, helped lead it for many years. After his passing in 2003, his son Larry Westin Jr. continued until Jeff and Lisa Salamon took over in 2015.
Jeff Salamon, a Marine Corps veteran from Boston, maintains the restaurant’s commitment to loyalty, tradition, and community.
The menu includes classic steakhouse favorites like prime rib, steaks, and the signature Redlands Tartan Burger, all complemented by a full bar. Known as the “Cheers of Redlands,” Tartan is loved for its relaxed vibe, attentive service, and loyal patrons, with both indoor and outdoor seating options available.
