Where’s the Steak at, Y’all?
THE QUESTION: Lien of FAQ-LA (that’s me!) loves steak. Like, ever since she could meet her steak at eye level at a French restaurant and chew rare meat (age: four). But steak is a funny thing to hunt down in L.A. because there is the issue of the price tag (unless someone else is paying) and the old-folks “scene.” So, where will it not be a snore and WORTH the pay?
Photo: KevinEats
THE ANSWER: Angelini Osteria, as heavily praised by Woogene and Jeffrey (my wine schoolmates), serves the “Harvey’s Guss” — grilled Bistecca alla Fiorentina for two, finished in the wood oven with grilled radicchio and roasted potatoes — which the description alone is better than, “Yeah, I’ll have the filet, please.” It’s a simple prep — as steak ought to be — and served with sea salt. A secret like this is meant for sharing.
If the bill is a non-issue, Woogene recommends Cut (pictured above) — and I can think of many others that would agree. Like Keanu Reeves. Get a big group together and order every piece of prime beef available, and the cutters will serve you a slice of everything — from Porterhouse to Kobe to Japanese Wagyu Sirloin, and oh, yes, a 21-day-aged bone-in Rib Eye weighing in at 20 oz.
I fell in love with ordering bone-in Rib Eyes at Taylor’s Steakhouse in Koreatown — my spot for steak, if I had to say. It’s an off-the-menu cut of beef, but the old-school hangout seems to always have it in-house all the way from Kansas City. It usually weighs in at 16 oz. — and I usually eat all of it. I love Taylor’s. The crowd is old, yes, but it’s dark, classy, and interesting — and will never go out of style the same way The Godfather wouldn’t.
The same cannot be said of Pacific Dining Car or even Mastro’s. And have both gone south, like everybody says? (My PDC experience was personally mediocre.) Perhaps, because of Mastro’s’ new neighbor across the street …
Bouchon — the signature dish of Thomas Keller’s being Steak Frites. I mean.
Also Worth Mentioning: Dan Tana’s, BLT Steak, Morton’s, Lucques
Angelini Osteria, 7313 Beverly Blvd., Fairfax District, 323-297-0070
Cut Steakhouse, 9500 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310-276-8500
Taylor’s Steakhouse, 3361 W. Eighth St., Koreatown, 213-382-8449
REVIEWS:
KevinEats | Angelini Osteria
LA Times | A brilliant steakhouse indeed
Mattatouille | Cut: Beef HEAVEN in Beverly Hills
L.A. Food Crazy | Taylor’s Steakhouse: What Amurricans Do in Koreatown
