Other than ice hockey, the thing I miss most about home is getting really good beef. All someone needs to do is mention the word "steak" and my mouth starts watering with the thought of a large slab of beef, a baked potato smothered in sour cream, and some vegetables on the side (just to make the meal look a little healthy).

I think of servings of a size which is foreign to a lot of Europeans who are frequently amazed at the sheer amount that some of us North Americans will eat at a normal sitting. I think of the classic artery-clogging meal that one can only find at a true steak house.

But, as I'm young enough that I don't yet worry about cholesterol levels and the like, I feel I'm wasting away my youth in Bulgaria. This is a time in which I could be indulging in such pleasures on a regular basis, if not for the fact that many of Sofia's restaurants have yet to master the art of cooking beef properly, or sometimes even buying it.

On a recent visit to the Radisson, however, I managed to satisfy my craving. At the invitation of the hotel, I had the pleasure of experiencing the Panorama BBQ Garden's opening night. As signs outside the hotel and on the menu will tell you, this new restaurant boasts American beef, courtesy of the U.S. Meat Export Federation and the American Beef Club.

Situated on the top floor of the Radisson, the restaurant has become the newest addition to what could now be called the "Radisson Entertainment Complex," given its several restaurants, club and casino.

Naturally, the restaurant comes with a view, and a remarkable one at that. At night, the lights from the Parliament building and Alexander Nevski Cathedral, provide a great background for a pleasant evening sitting outside, high enough where it's a little cooler and more comfortable.

To start things off, Panorama has a great antipasti buffet filled with a variety of meat and vegetables. For vegetarians, there is the option to make the buffet into a full meal, something my companion did and was quite pleased with. But for the more carnivorous of us, it's a good idea not to eat too much at the buffet because the important part is yet to come.

For main courses, the menu offers marinated chicken, lamb, veal and pork dishes, as well as king prawns with mango-papaya salad.

But enough with the wimpy stuff, time for the beef.

I had a great New York cut sirloin steak, which the waiter recommended, and opted to make it "surf and turf" by added several king prawns to it. It was cooked the way I like it, although the same helpful waiter didn't ask how I wanted it.

The only black mark that I could note about the Panorama BBQ is that the service I experienced was not at the same level as the food on offer. To be fair though, I was there on their opening night and would like to think that things have since improved.

With the location of Panorama, it won't be too surprising to mention it's a little on the pricey side. The buffet costs 17 leva as a starter (29 leva as a meal), while my steak was close to 50 leva after surfing and turfing it (29 leva without).

But I guess it's cheaper than flying home for a good steak.