The name Surf and Turf, which refers to a combination of steak and seafood served on one plate, first appeared in the 1960s.  The combination wasn’t new. Carpetbag Steak, steak stuffed with oysters, had been around since at least the 1880s and combining lobster with steak was fashionable for the well-to-do in late 19th century America. The catchy rhyming name wasn’t new either, having previously been applied to fashion, sporting events and even an air mattress.

As a menu item, Surf and Turf originated in the USA.  There are suggestions that the original version, which consisted of a prime steak accompanied by a grilled lobster tail, was first served at the Eye of the Needle restaurant in Seattle during the World’s Fair of 1962. However,  Jim Mount’s Happy Hollow in Los Angeles pre-empted the no doubt more prestigious Eye in 1961, advertising Surf & Turf for $3.95. What’s more, at the Happy Hollow, you could enjoy it with “organ music for your dining pleasure”. Even earlier, in the 1950s, there was a restaurant in Binghampton, New York, named the Surf ‘n Turf – but whether it served the eponymous dish is unknown.

Before the end of the 1960s, the dish had traversed the Pacific. According to Wikipedia, it was first served in Australia at the Lithgow Hotel (now known as the 7 Valleys) in 1965 but I have so far been unable to confirm this. (If you can, please contact me). However, Surf ‘n Turf was definitely on the menu for the cabaret night at the Viking Restaurant at Roselands Shopping Centre in western Sydney in 1969. The Sydney Morning Herald advertisement described it as an American dish – a steak and lobster medley. There was no organ music but, at the Viking, diners were to be entertained by “International artists, Israel Itzhaki and Claus Widman”.

Every dish has its day. By the 1990s, foodies were deeply scornful of the poor old Surf and Turf. David Dale, writing in the Sydney Morning Herald did not have a kind word to say about it:

Some of these abortive couplings still appear occasionally on menus as vestigial reminders of our embarrassing past. The prime example is surf ‘n’ turf, aka beef ‘n’ reef, land ‘n’ sand and other cute titles with apostrophes around the middle letter. Traditionally it manifested itself as a lump of beef with a lump of lobster on top, glued together with gooey gravy – conspicuous consumption at its most vulgar, saying “Look, we’re so rich we can put the two most expensive forms of protein together on our plate. Only peasants eat vegetables!”

We must be constantly vigilant against the resurgence of surf ‘n’ turf.

It may be bad news for Dale, but the dish survives.  The seafood component can be anything from rock lobster to prawns, oysters, scallops or a combination of any or all of the above. It may not be on the menu at the Lithgow Hotel but you can still find one at the nearby Zig Zag Motel’s restaurant. The Great Western Hotel in Rockhampton, Queensland, will do you a Surf & Turf consisting of a rib fillet, king prawns, scallops, creamy garlic sauce, slaw and chips for a tidy $50.

Are you likely to see it on the menu at a fine diner? No. But find a gastropub with pretensions and you might just get lucky.