The Double D — latest incarnation of Fortuna’s legendary Parlato’s.

I have a penchant for classic American steakhouses. I appreciate how genuine the experience is. Everything is comfortably real — real wood, real potato, real beef — and the enormous portions remind me of the reasons I love being an American. Double D Steak in Fortuna (320 Main St.) is generous with everything — not just obvious stuff like ice and napkins, but important stuff, like food. The enormous amount of sides and starters you get at DD’s makes for money really well spent. I highly recommend it for hungry teenagers, or starving wolves. But go easy on the starters or you won’t have room for the entree! DD’s serves an entire little loaf of fresh-baked bread before you’ve seen the menu, and it’s a challenge to pace yourself. Whatever else one may say about DD’s, you will not leave hungry.

Double D has an unprepossessing exterior. I always thought it was a roadside bar. Back when I was in high school, it was Parlato’s, which the waitress informed us was where Fortuna kids went for prom. Inside, DD’s is wood-paneled and comfortable, with plenty of old-fashioned character. You pass through a small bar before you get to the dining area. It looks like a fabulous place to take a date, with a classic glossy wooden bar, big gold DD’s on the wall, plenty of patrons watching sports on the big TV and a warm welcome from the bartender. They put three cherries in my Shirley Temple, which always makes a girl feel special.

Wood everywhere.

The restaurant was pretty full, too, with beefy, smiling patrons. Clearly all those complimentary starters draw a loyal well-fed clientele. DD’s, refreshingly, does not pretend to be anything other than what it is — an unpretentious nice place full of good steak and people who like to eat that steak. The friendly waitress was quick on her feet and honest, extending to not lying about the origin of the cheesecake, which was Costco. The creme brulee was house-made, but not the cheesecakes. Hey, at least she told us!

Bread plate.

Everything else we ordered was delicious and well-produced, if not exotic. The aforementioned little loaf of bread was served with cheese cubes, salami, celery and carrot sticks, on its own little cutting board. It’s a genius idea, and I don’t know why every restaurant doesn’t do it. It may be old-fashioned, but everyone loves fresh-baked bread. Even people who don’t eat it love it. It’s the most appetizing appetizer there is. It’s kind of dirty pool to serve right before you are going to eat a steak, though. I had to slap my own hand to stop myself eating it.

Rocky Mountain oysters.

The entire menu is pretty classic, with only one big surprise. I have never tried Rocky Mountain Oysters ($14) before, and come on, who could pass that up? I figured, at least, that if they’re battered and deep-friend I can pretend they’re anything else. Still, when they arrived I had to nerve myself up to try one. They looked delicious — crispy golden breading still steaming from the fryer, rustling in their paper-lined basket. I am proud to say I ate one. It was not good. I don’t think it was DD’s fault; I think I just don’t like them.They have a dusky, gamey taste, like organ meat, that just isn’t for me. However, now I can check testicle-eating off the list. Andrew Goff, my dinner date, really enjoyed them, so there wasn’t much testes waste. They came with a too-mild sriracha aioli that almost, but not quite, covered the taste.

Andrew and I decided to throw moderation to the winds, which patrons of DD’s don’t have much choice about. We ordered the Steak Oscar, which at $36 comes with Dungeness crab, asparagus, lemon-caper hollandaise and mushroom quinoa. We also ordered the “House Favorite” — for $25, it’s a center cut sirloin steak topped with bacon bleu cheese compound butter, sauteed mushrooms and more bacon in case there wasn’t enough already. We also got a small order ($20) of Fettucine Alfredo, which comes with prawns, bay shrimp, dungeness and red crab, sauteed with cream, garlic, fresh herbs and parm.

Ravioli.

Post-antipasti, our friendly waitress brought some ravioli, which comes with every entree, along with soup and salad. I felt like I was back in New Jersey, eating old fashioned well-cooked ravioli, covered in red sauce and parm. Tony Soprano says two thumbs up! The soup was also pleasantly old-fashioned, a simple beef and veggie soup, woefully under-salted for my palate but with delicious, full-bodied stock. The salad, surprisingly, was fantastic. Salads at steakhouses are usually a disappointment, but the salad at DD’s is solid, with seasoned chickpeas, interesting mixed greens and plenty of veggies.

‘House Favorite.’

Steak Oscar.

Now for the steaks themselves. I am not a steak expert, but I was fairly happy. The steaks were well-marbled and delicious, not too lean. It was disappointing to be served one steak medium rare and one just medium, when we had both asked for medium rare. I really don’t like my steak well-cooked at all. I demand plenty of pink or even red in the middle. So if I hadn’t been so full and happy with my various starters and sides, I probably would have sent it back, but Andrew and I split everything so I got enough rare bits. The sauces were uniformly tasty. As is typical of an American steakhouse, there were no surprises. I for one would be happy to see a more adventurous sauce option, but the blue cheese-bacon compound butter and the lemon-caper hollandaise sauce were very good. The bacon mac and cheese I got as my side, along with a decent baked potato, had an overly-thick sauce that I thought could have used more cheese and less bacon. Don’t shoot me! I love bacon, but it could have been better balanced.

Fettucini.

The fettuccine was a mild disappointment, with a floury sauce in which only bay shrimp were discernable, no prawns. However, I doubt DD’s is the right match for the consumer who doesn’t want steak, although there are quite a few non-steak dishes we didn’t get around to trying. I’m looking forward to trying the slow-roasted prime rib they only serve on weekends.

The Costco cheesecake was predictable and delicious, just like everything else. I should have tried the home-made creme brulee, but that Costco cheesecake is so scrumptious! We left stuffed and happy, with lots of leftovers for the roomates back home. DD’s is a great addition to the Fortuna dining landscape, and next time I am looking for a well-executed generous American meal, complete with Rocky Mountain oysters, I will know where to go.

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