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Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is pushing to rename the New York strip steak as the "Texas strip" steak. The Republican said the Texas senate will file a resolution to make the name change official for restaurants and supermarkets in the Lone Star State.
Lt. Gov. Patrick argues that the large cattle industry in Texas deserves the credit.
"Just because a New York restaurant named Texas beef a New York Strip in the 19th century doesn't mean we need to keep doing that," he said in a social media post on Friday, Feb. 28.
New York City restaurant Demonico's is believed to be the creator of the New York strip name. The legendary Manhattan steakhouse is considered the country's first fine dining establishment, opening in 1837 — eight years before Texas became a state.
Delmonico's owner Dennis Turcinovic shut down the idea of changing the steak's name.
"I think it’s ridiculous," he told NBC 4 New York. "It's the New York strip. It will always be the New York strip and good luck trying to change that."
Delmonico's has also been credited for popularizing dishes like eggs Benedict and baked Alaska. While Texas is one of the country's largest beef producers, Turcinovic said Delmonico's serves steaks from several states and countries.
In the Empire State's capital, War Room Tavern owner Todd Shapiro has filed a $1 million lawsuit against Texas, amNY reported. The Albany restauranteur claims Patrick's proposal threatens New York’s culinary identity.
Shapiro's political-themed restaurant is near the state capitol building, serving dishes named after New York leaders.
"We have two steaks on the menu: New York strip and filet mignon," said Shapiro. "No one's gonna order a 'Texas steak' in New York's capital."
This is far from the first time that food names have cooked up controversy.
Café CoCo & Bean in Montreal has rebranded one of its coffee drinks in response to President Donald Trump's tariffs on Canada.
"Without getting too political, we decided to switch the name of our Americano to a Canadiano," the café said in an Instagram post on Thursday, Mar. 6. "It is a playful way of asserting national identity & showing our community that we're all in this together."
Perhaps the most famous food fight over names happened during the Iraq War. In 2003, some restaurants rebranded french fries as "freedom fries" after France opposed the US-led invasion – even though "french" refers to the potatoes' cut, not the country.
Some have also criticized Patrick for causing a distraction from the growing measles outbreak in Texas. As of Tuesday, Mar. 4, the state's health department reported 159 measles cases since late January, hospitalizing 22 patients and killing one unvaccinated child.
Patrick said the steak name change is a "simple resolution" in comparison to the "world filled with serious issues" that Texas lawmakers face daily.
"Liberal New York shouldn't get the credit for our hard-working ranchers," the lieutenant governor said. "We promote the Texas brand on everything made or grown in Texas because it benefits our economy and jobs."
Patrick also referenced another controversial rebranding: Trump's decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico.
"After [the legislative] session ends this summer, I might take a short cruise across the Gulf of America and have a juicy medium-rare Texas Strip," said Patrick.
According to the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, the cut known as the New York strip is marketed under other names like ambassador steak, Kansas City steak, hotel-style steak, and veiny steak.
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