As a chef, there are 6 things I'll always order at a steak house and 4 dishes I'd skip every time

If I'm eating steak at a restaurant, I'm going all-in on a buttery, medium-rare filet. A medium-rare finish keeps the tender cut of steak flavorful and juicy.

I rarely make this treat at home, and a good steak house will know how to do it right. Pair the filet with fries or creamed spinach and I'm a happy camper.

Briny, shimmering oysters are my ideal way to start any meal, and many steak houses — especially those on the coasts — take pride in their daily mollusk offerings.

If there are multiple varieties, I'd order a medley for the table with all the accouterments. Purists can skip the mignonette, but I'll be dousing my oysters in lemon.

If I'm going for a salad at a steak house, it has to be a classic. A savory Caesar pairs well with both beef and seafood.

If the restaurant is making crispy croutons in the back and using real Parmesan, I'm all in.

Truffle, Parmesan, or simple salt and pepper — no matter how the steak-house fries are seasoned, I want them on my table.

Fries often pair nicely with steak and can be dipped in some of the meat's juices, too.

I love crab cakes that are golden and crisp on the edges and fluffy and tender inside.

In my experience, steak houses tend to do a good job on the crab-to-filler ratio — I want crab cakes, not breadcrumb cakes — and they often come with a tasty, tangy tartar sauce for dipping.

Somehow, this intense, dense cake has become a steak-house staple, and I'm here for it.

Though I'm generally not a cake person, I'll make an exception for a warm, lava-centered chocolate number topped with fast-melting vanilla ice cream.

Of course, we need enough spoons so everyone at the table can have a bite.

Clam chowder is usually served as an appetizer at a steak house, but it's so dense and heavy that I'm not likely to have room for the main event if I get it.

And, as a Boston native, I can't bring myself to sip on a milky chowder that's not been vetted by my fellow Massholes.

Unless I'm at a sushi restaurant, I often find the tuna I order to be dry and severely lacking flavor, especially when pan-seared.

Even when served raw, tuna can be disappointing if it's not super fresh and well-dressed. I think you're better off sticking to the other kind of steak in a steak house.

I know that the more classic steak-house salad is a bacon-topped wedge, but I've never gotten on board with a salad that requires — seriously, requires — knife work to get through.

The iceberg lettuce never has the proper amount of dressing, and if I'm already eating steak for my entrée, I don't need more meat in my salad (sorry, bacon lovers!)

I wouldn't order chicken breast from any restaurant, steak house or otherwise. For starters, I want the flavor and richness of dark meat.

Also, why would I risk a dried-out piece of poultry when I'm dining at (and paying higher prices for) a restaurant that specializes in perfectly cooked red meat?