Smith & Wollensky, a chain of American steakhouses, began in 1977 at East 49th Street and Third Avenue in Manhattan. “Colorado Rib Steak” (32 ounces) has been one of the steakhouse’s most popular dishes. The bone-in beef rib steak serves two people. The steak, as the name says, comes from Colorado.
 
“Colorado Cut Rib Eye Steak” was printed in the Chicago (IL) Tribune on December 2, 1972. “Colorado Rib Steak” was printed in The Times (San Mateo, CA) on March 9, 1973.
 
Nick Solares wrote in “How The Rib Steak for Two Ate Manhattan—The rise of the rib steak, explained” on the Eater—New York website on May 2, 2016:
 
“But the rib steak has something that many beef aficionados prefer for its robust flavor: the spinalis dorsi, often called the cap or the deckle.”
 
     
Wikipedia: Rib steak
In the United States cuisine a bone-attached beef rib can be called “rib steak”, “beef rib”, “bone-in beef rib”, “bone-in rib steak”, “ribeye steak” or “cowboy cut”. “Tomahawk steak” has also recently become a popular term for this cut owing to its appearance being similar to that of a tomahawk axe.
 
Wikipedia: Smith & Wollensky   
Smith & Wollensky is the name of several high-end American steakhouses, with locations in New York, two in Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Houston, Miami Beach, Las Vegas and most recently opened in Taipei. The first Smith and Wollensky steakhouse was founded in 1977 by Alan Stillman, best known for creating T.G.I. Friday’s, and Ben Benson, in a distinctive building on 49th Street and 3rd Avenue (once occupied by Manny Wolf’s Steakhouse).
 
Smith & Wollensky (New York, NY)
Colorado Rib Steak (32 oz)  66
   
2 December 1972, Chicago (IL) Tribune, “Chicagoland Dining Guide,” sec. 1, pg. 7, col. 7 ad:
COLORADO CUT
RIB EYE STEAK
(Nordic Steak ‘n Pub.—ed.)
 
9 March 1973, The Times (San Mateo, CA), pg. 16, col. 3 ad:
COLORADO RIB STEAK
USDA Choice Corn-Fed
The Steak Pit introduces, for the first time, a Sunday night Special for the family at roll-back prices. It’s specially flavored for our patrons, delicious charcoal-broil Rib Steak, delivered direct to us from Colorado. It’s corn-fed choice beef. Our cost is your cost—$3.75. This includes Italian spaghetti, salad, vegetable and cheese roll.
(Martinelli Steak Pit, 1180 El Camino Real, Millbrae.—ed.)
 
10 March 1973, Chicago (IL) Tribune, “Dining Guide,” sec. 1, pg. 7, col. 7 ad:
COLORADO RIB EYE STEAK
(Nordic Steak ‘n Pub.—ed.)
   
10 September 1975, The Republic (Columbus, IN), pg. C5, col. 7 ad:
(A boxing announcer is shown.—ed.)
“McCoy is down, filks! Reynolds is in a neutral corner dreaming about the Colorado Rib Eye Steak dinners at The Coffee House!”
(The Coffee House, 12th & Washington.—ed.)
     
23 January 1976, Richmond (VA) Times-Dispatch, pg. B-12, col. 6 ad:
COLORADO RIB EYE
Specially selected from the finest choice steers, cut from the heart of the rib, charcoal-broiled, hickory-smoked ... 5.95
(Tuesday’s 1865 Eating Establishment, 2733 Park Avenue, Petersburg, VA.—ed.)
 
15 October 1979, Akron (OH) Beacon Journal, pg. B8, col. 2 ad:
COLORADO
RIB EYE STEAK
PETITE
INCLUDES POTATO AND SALAD $3.99
(Kippy’s Family Restaurants.—ed.)
 
31 March 1989, Colorado Springs (CO) Gazette-Telegraph, “Craftwood a regional taste treat; Innovative dishes featured at inn” by Linda Navarro, pg. D5:
(Craftwood Inn, 404 El Paso Boulevard, Manitou Springs.—ed.)
On the beef side is a tenderloin with green peppercorns, cream and cognac or a Colorado rib steak, which, like many of the other entrees, has a hearty from-scratch sauce or stock made from the bones of each particular animal.
       
23 June 2003, Fort Worth (TX) Star-Telegram, “Steak urbane” by June Naylor, StarTime sec., pg. 44, col. 3:
(Smith & Wollensky, 18438 North Dallas Parkway, Dallas.—ed.)
The stellar Colorado rib steak, a 28-ounce, bone-in cut ($34) that we had done with a Cajun rub, was a beautiful work that seared, crispy and fiery on the outside, and cool and tender inside.
     
25 November 2004, Boston (MA) Globe, “Where the Elite Meet to Overeat” by Alison Arnett, pg. CAL27:
TASTE DINING OUT Smith & Wollensky In the Castle, 101 Arlington St., 617-423-1112.
(...)
A Colorado rib steak has similar virtues, although its main attribute is hugeness. In two tastings, the steaks are perfectly cooked to order, which you would expect for the price: $33-$38.
     
Serious Eats (February 2013)
Steakcraft: Smith and Wollensky’s 32 Ounce Rib Steak
NICK SOLARES
It is curious that Smith and Wollensky’s signature steak was not even listed on the menu until recently. Yet the Colorado rib steak—a masterful 32 oz slab of corn fed USDA Prime beef dry aged for 28 days—has been available since the restaurant opened back in 1977.
(...)
The Colorado rib steak is made from the “107” rib section (the number assigned by the North American Meat Processors Association). A typical primal will yield nine 32 oz rib steaks. Chef Chavez is rather particular about his steaks, especially his signature item—they must weigh the right amount and have enough fat to protect them during cooking.
   
Eater—New York
Smith & Wollensky’s Danny Kissane on 33 Years of Steak
by Marguerite Preston Jul 8, 2014, 9:05am EDT
(...)
What do you sell the most of?
Our Colorado rib steak and our Cajun rib steak are our best sellers. They’re two pounds, on the bone, and it just looks very impressive.
 
Twitter 
Rory McCall
@roryjohnmccall
Colorado rib #steak @smithwollensky is great.But be warned, there’s plenty of eatin’ in it. Loose trousers needed!
5:43 PM - 6 Dec 2015 from Manhattan, NY
   
Eater—New York
How The Rib Steak for Two Ate Manhattan
The rise of the rib steak, explained
by Nick Solares@Nick_Solares May 2, 2016, 4:21pm EDT
(...)
Since the rib primal from which the rib steak cut is fabricated also contains a bone, it can be dry aged in the same way as a short loin, enhancing the flavor of the beef. And the bone also plays into the primal mythology of carnivorous eating. Now it is true that the rib steak lacks the tenderloin of the porterhouse, which is well named as it is indeed the most tender cut found on the steer. But the rib steak has something that many beef aficionados prefer for its robust flavor: the spinalis dorsi, often called the cap or the deckle.
 
Of course the rib steak — and the boneless variant, the ribeye — has always been with us in one form or another. The Delmonico cut at Delmonico’s (America’s first restaurant) is a ribeye. The house specialty at Smith & Wollensky has been the Colorado rib steak since the restaurant opened in 1977. Even Peter Luger, famous for its porterhouse,  began selling a rib steak back in 2007 during the height of a beef supply shortage (it remains on the menu, and is an excellent steak).
 
Twitter
Dave Infante
@dinfontay
gallagher’s for the porterhouse, smith & wollensky for the colorado rib steak, keens for anything https://twitter.com/JustinGlawe/status/834475236582125568 …
1:59 PM - 22 Feb 2017
 
Twitter
mmmSpecials.com
@MmmSpecials
#mmmSpecials Bryant & Cooper Steakhouse – Colorado Rib Steak: Colorado Rib Steak #roslynNY The post… http://dlvr.it/PD81xS  #food,#drinks
4:49 PM - 23 May 2017