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Not many people may claim to have heard of Dan Christensen until today. He’s not a famous movie star but to all of us at Morton’s The Steakhouse, he’s an A-List celebrity. We might even go as far as calling him a mascot but we wouldn’t want to make him blush (too much). A Salt Lake City-based psychiatrist and professor at the University of Utah, Dan has dined at more Morton’s restaurants than you can shake a Mortini at and tonight officially ends “The Quest” to visit every Morton’s The Steakhouse worldwide with dinner at Morton’s Boston Seaport.

A Family Affair: Dan Christensen (left) and his Morton's-loving clan in 2002

After nearly a decade and countless meals, Dan will bite into his first Morton’s prime steak. Christensen’s journey began in 2002 when a simple craving for Morton’s salmon evolved into an extravagant goal of dining in each of Morton’s 77 worldwide outposts. From a “one night-only” dining extravaganza where he transformed his home in Bountiful, Utah into a Morton’s restaurant (featuring Morton’s salmon and a celebrity photo wall) to re-routing travel plans to hit all of Morton’s Pan-Asian locations, Christensen’s fondness for Morton’s top-notch cuisine and unwavering commitment to guest service speaks for itself.

Here, Dan breaks onion bread with us and offers up some delicious insight about his secret Morton’s pleasure and whom he’d share a memorable meal with.

Full name and occupation?
Daniel D. Christensen, M.D.

What is your hometown?
Chicago, IL

Which is your favorite “on the road” Morton’s?
Shanghai, China

What has been your biggest challenge in life?
Attempting to raise three happy, mature, accomplished beautiful daughters.

What do you consider your greatest success?
Raising three happy, mature, accomplished beautiful daughters.

What is in your glass at Morton’s?
Ice water.

What is the oldest wine you have drunk?
I’ve never liked wine.

What is your secret Morton’s pleasure?
Morton’s shrimp cocktail sauce on the beefsteak tomato salad (my own recipe).

Who is the person you would most enjoy dining with at Morton’s?
Morton’s CEO, Chris Artinian.

How many Morton’s have you visited?
77 including Boston Seaport on May 27.

An excerpt from “The Quest” (a heart-warming, chronological account of one man’s personal mission to dine at every Morton’s restaurant in the world):

“During these early Morton’s years, I became increasingly intrigued by the possibility of discovering the secret of their amazing salmon. Maybe I could discover and perfect Morton’s process of salmon preparation, somehow pilfer their beurre blanc sauce recipe and enjoy Morton’s salmon at home as often as I chose. I never asked, but was certain that the key to Morton’s salmon was top secret.

Numerous evenings were spent at home in earnest experimentation. I eventually settled on the best local vendor for fresh salmon and developed a reasonable grasp of the broiling process. Beurre blanc was much more challenging. By early 2004 my “Morton’s salmon” was good, far from perfect and not getting any better. I figured it was finally time to open “Morton’s of Bountiful”. I was the GM, chef and a server. My wife, Jan, was decorator/designer, hostess and our second server. Frank Sinatra crooned in the background.

This was among the first Morton’s to be above ground with view windows. My lack of artistic talent rendered our “Morton’s of Bountiful” logo only a rough approximation of the authentic – no judge would ever rule it an infringement. The false wall we erected to separate the dining table (only one) from the kitchen was covered with photos of famous people who, we implied, had been previous guests – Marilyn Monroe, Ernest Hemmingway, Abraham Lincoln. Most intriguing was Salvador Dali whose eyes eerily followed as you moved around the room.

We had accepted two reservations for parties of two – a good fit for the table. A major challenge was how to have our guests only order the few things I knew how to cook. Our approach worked perfectly. Jan’s parents (reservation #1) wouldn’t order anything expensive and Mandy & Shawn (reservation #2, aka our daughter and her boyfriend) couldn’t. Menu pricing was the key. It pays to know your clientele.

Regrettably, Morton’s of Bountiful closed later that night, never to reopen, though we went out with pride and fond memories. It had been a great meal with impeccable service and a charmed ambience – the closest Bountiful will ever get to the real thing.”

Stay tuned for next week’s blog which will feature photos and feedback from Dan’s 77th Supper at Morton’s in Boston Seaport plus more excerpts from his tasty tome, “The Quest”!

As the nation celebrates its military veterans, Morton’s also honors the brave men and women who have served and protected our country for generations. We join the rest of the nation on Veteran’s Day in remembering the sacrifices of America’s 25 million veterans and expressing our gratitude for your service and keeping our country safe!

Around the nation, Morton’s The Steakhouse is a gathering place for heart-warming reunions and special events that cater to the freedoms that we enjoy every day due to our veterans’ sacrifices.

In San Antonio the organization called Draft has bought out the restaurant tonight for its 3rd Annual “Segs4Vets” dinner tonight! As part of their mission, Draft gives soldiers the opportunity to lead a more mobile life by using a Segway, versus a wheelchair. These Segways are given as gifts to soldiers during a special ceremony at The Alamo. Afterward, military dignitaries, supporters, and soldiers dine at Morton’s to thank them for their service. Over 140 guests are expected to attend this very moving event.

Dallas also hosts a celebratory VIP Marines reunion that grows more popular every year. Marines and their guests kick off the evening mingling in the bar and sharing their heart-warming stories. Then the party continues in the dining room for a tributary Veteran’s Day dinner. The evening always ends on a sweet note when a “Marine Cake” is served, but is first cut by the 1) the youngest marine and 2) the oldest marine.

Last Friday, Boca Raton was the place to be for military-spotting. The Honorable Men in Uniform Bartender charity event took place in Morton’s private boardrooms where our very own Assistant Manager Brian Faeth (and a former Marine), along with Boca Raton’s Chief of Police and the Chief of the Fire Department, served up beer, wine and a specialty cocktail – the “Off Duty Double” – to over 100 friends, family and guests. The festive event, which featured a silent auction and raffle, raised over $5,000 to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Mr. and Mrs. Christensen recently visited our Morton’s in White Plains, NY and their story is one that has taken them throughout the world, linked together by their visits to Morton’s The Steakhouse! The Christensens started 10 years ago at our Morton’s in Downtown Denver, and the Zagat brochure-sized burgundy piece in Mr. Christensen’s pocket is our Morton’s location directory (where he listed check marks next to each of his 70-plus dining visits). Pictured with the Christensens is our General Manager in White Plains, Jim Monaghan. Mr. Christensen was very excited when Jim told him of the new location we will open soon in Shanghai, and he said he will be traveling to China within the next few months and certainly plans to add our new Shanghai Morton’s location to his dining list. The Morton’s White Plains team presented the Christensens with their Morton’s photo and an inscription: “Congratulations, you’re in the homestretch!”. And on the same night, Rutgers Unviersity football legend and current Baltimore Ravens superstar running back Ray Rice dined at the White Plains restaurant as well. The restaurant team say he’s a very nice young man, very polite. On each and every night at your favorite Morton’s, you never know who you will bump into!