The Good Life: Steakhouses
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The mission was simple: Navigate through the cornerstone steakhouses of Austin in search of the perfect meal. I knew the dangers that I would most likely encounter: a quick transformation into food snobbery, an inevitable double chin, and yes, lurking along somewhere might be the two-martini cougar ready to pounce. Regardless, I was ready to see if these perennial powerhouses of carnivorous delight were really worth the sticker-shock menus. I set out not just looking for the best steak, chop or cocktail: what I wanted to examine was the dining experience.
Why? Any man that is worth his boot leather should have some knowledge around a grill. Living in Austin, we have access to Whole Foods, Central Market and a few top-notch butcher shops so locating prime cuts of meat isn’t a problem. If we can pop the cap on a cold Shiner while we hear the meat sizzle on the grill, why then dine at a steakhouse? Destination dining. Not only are you allowing the best chefs in town to present to you a decadent dish, but also stepping outside your culinary comfort zone.
With that modus operandi, I set out to try what each steakhouse had to offer. The restaurants toured were all given the same directive: Show me what you take pride in. The menu was then closed and slid across the table. I had no clue what they would bring out, but I knew that from a culinary perspective, I was on an adventure. I was like a kid sitting at the top of the stairs waiting to hear that it was time to slide down and see what Santa brought at Christmastime. When was the last time you felt like that, gentlemen? Excitement? Intrigue? Life is too short for pleated khakis and mild salsa.
Eddie V’s
9400 B Arboretum Blvd.
- The night you’re going: Friday for date night
- The Location: The Arboretum
- Server You’re Requesting: Philip Bartholomew.
Close the menu and let Philip bring out the house specialties. He has a deeper food knowledge than Zagat, and will not only offer the perfect wine pairing, but will help educate you as to how each entrée is constructed.
What you’ee having: The house Caesar salad, the crab cakes, black truffle mac and cheese, and sharing a New York strip
The Experience: Grab your date and get away from it all.
Eddie V’s House Caesar salad was the initial eye-opener. Often Caesar salads fall victim to being either a soggy mess of wilted greens, or on the opposite end of the spectrum, far too dry to enjoy. Eddie V’s not only found the sweet spot, but also raised the bar with the addition of anchovies marinated in sherry. A very nice touch.
The tang of the Caesar was then met by the rich, creamy decadence of the black truffle mac and cheese. Normally this
Steakhouse staple utilizes just truffle oil; here I was delighted to see that the dish actually contained truffles. Costly for the kitchen? Sure. These are some of the most expensive ingredients they have to source. The flavor that it brings to the dish will knock your socks off. Worth every penny.
We opted for a New York strip and you should as well. Why? How many times have you ordered the same cut of meat when you dine out? If you are like most people, you become “cut loyal” and miss out on the different flavor profiles that each prime cut offers. Close your eyes and sample the strip at Eddie V’s and I guarantee you’ll discover thinking outside the filet is quickly rewarded. Nice job, fellas.
Fleming’s Steakhouse
The Domain, 11600 Century Oaks Terrace
- When You’re Going: Sunday night dinner, anytime that your sweetie is shopping, for cocktails after work.
- What You’re Having: Anything from their new small plates menu, the Fleming’s potatoes, a wine flight, homemade carrot cake for dessert.
Being a Large chain what I am looking for here is consistency. I’ll trade my local instincts for spot-on service and an impeccable product. Sure, I am genuinely more critical of larger chains, but the GMs at these establishments realize that and make even the average guy feel like Tony Soprano walking into his favorite Italian haunt. I like that.
I immediately notice Darryl White, managing partner, and Bruce Hamilton, manager, both impeccably dressed, running the main floor of Fleming’s like two pit bosses overseeing a perfectly orchestrated casino—each patron feeling like Frank, Dino or Sammy, even if just for the evening.
Black napkins. Know their importance? Neither did I. When you or your date are wearing a black ensemble, white napkins tend to leave lint on your lap. Your waiter quickly deduces this and brings you the appropriate napkin. I’d never notice that. Now, I take pride in expecting it. Nice touch.
The idea of tapas generally leaves me hungry and I always joke that a rough Spanish translation of “tapas” is “go home hungry.”
Obviously you’re supposed to order several of these, but guessing the approximate number is generally more difficult than the Calculus 4 class that I failed three times in college. Fleming’s solutions? Small plates. These truly are the perfect size and offer you the chance to try several different flavor profiles. Invite your significant other and order the following: lamb small plates, ahi tuna, Fleming’s potatoes for a side, and then ask the server to recommend a wine flight. Inside scoop: These small plates are featured during happy hour from 5 to 7 p.m. for a mere six bucks.
Parents, my advice to you for your high school kiddies going to prom or homecoming is sliding them a $75 gift card for the evening. Easy parking, safe environment, top-notch service, and with the addition of small plates and a well-selected side to share, you have the perfect meal.
Vince Young Steakhouse
301 San Jacinto Blvd.
- Night You Are Going: Friday or Saturday
- Server You Are Requesting: Jim Kasprzyk, an industry professional that knows just how to engage each diner and enhance the meal.
- What You Are Having: Pork belly appetizer, sharing a Tomahawk steak, and anything that contains their own bacon. I mean anything.
- The Experience: Perhaps the perfect launching pad for the sexiest night out downtown
I was initially biased when I walked into the Vince Young Steakhouse. Too often athlete-owned restaurants rely too much on the prowess and fan base of the athlete than the food.
The Vince Young Steakhouse is done right and the suspects to blame are husband and wife Executive Chef, Phillip Brown and Laura McIngvale-Brown, who are running the show.
Draped in a sexy chocolate interior complete with crystal curtains and a serpentine seating arrangement that ensures guests a cozy booth, you soon realize that this is very much a high-end Vegas-style steakhouse without the two-month reservation waitlist. If you are starting an adventurous night out on the town, this place quickly sets the perfect tone.
Start off with the pork belly appetizer. Lean back. Close your eyes. Admire the fact that despite sitting in an open room, the only noise you hear is the conversation with your date and the delicate sound of live jazz emanating from the bar. Allow the pork belly to melt in your mouth. Exhale.
The steak selection was the Tomahawk cut that resembled something straight out of the Flintstones. Have your wait staff slice this Peter Luger-style to make this immediately enjoyable without the pressure of having to perform field surgery on what looks like half a side of beef. This cut is meant to be enjoyed together and I am hoping that after you admire the shock value of such a unique cut of meat, you’ll appreciate its flavor profiles.
Living in Austin, I heard the Vince Young Steakhouse touting their own house-cured ba- con. Gimmicky? No. I never joke about bacon. This is the star performer on their steak house wedge salad, but allow me to give you the inside foodie scoop: Step outside your comfort zone and create the ultimate decadent sundae. You guessed it: small-batch maple syrup artisan ice cream topped with crumbles of their ever so delectable bacon. A pregnancy craving? Perhaps. But take my word; this off-menu Frankenstein creation will have you wondering just why you never thought about this at home.
Bacon does make everything better.
Sullivan’s Steakhouse
300 Colorado St.
- The night you’re going: Thursday
- What you are Having: A cocktail in the lounge, then the bone-in filet in the dining room.
The New Experience Next door, “Sully’s,” a Mexican fare brain child of Executive Chef Carlos Garcia and GM Shane Lambert. The smoky Gouda guacamole will absolutely change your thoughts on the perfect complement to chips and salsa. Try this.
The best scenes for a young professional start at Sullivan’s for happy hour on Thursday night. The moment you walk in the door, you realize that you are on the edge of a well-dressed, beautiful crowd of people enjoying martinis and gently swaying to some of the hottest piano I’ve heard in Austin. It’s times like these I wish I had an Aston-Martin to roll up in out front. Sigh.
Step away from the cosmos and glasses of scotch to the back dining area and you’ll find Shane Lambert, GM, zipping around the back like a busy worker bee amongst business men and large groups toasting to special occasions. I certainly respect a man that hustles, and one common thread you will find in these establishments is that management clearly wants you to have an enjoyable experience.
You’ll find that the bone-in filet, albeit a rather unimaginative choice, takes your traditional notions of filet mignon to a new level. I’ve found that filets tend to be so processed that you lose the true flavor of the meat. Not here. This crown gem of the Sullivan’s lineup did not disappoint. Admittedly, there is a keen sense of satisfaction in seeing a well-cleaned bone on your plate as you lean back in your booth with that perfect full sensation.
Perry’s Steakhouse
114 West 7th St.
- Day you are going: Anytime
- What you are Wearing: Dress code encouraged: business casual. Jacket not required, but if you wore one, your mom would be proud. server you’re requesting Ask for Kate Debolt, a passionate foodie that returned to the industry and who clearly knows the menu. I would have no qualms about closing the menu and following her recommendations.
- What you are having House-made log cabin of Polish sausage, paired with the symphony kebab, or the Chateaubriand, a thick cut of steak that is taken from the tenderloin and prepared tableside. Of course, as an Austinite, you HAVE to try that pork chop.
Experience the perfect combination of foodie paradise, carnivore delight and progressive cool factor – you’ll quickly be impressed.
Perry’s sits nestleD on West Seventh Street like a Texan leaning against a hill and overlooking the sights of downtown Austin. The building actually used to be an old bank, and the owners have paid homage to its old Texas roots. You may have heard of the near cult following that the restaurant has over its pork chop lunch special, and having tasted the dinner portion of this entrée, I can only weep with sorrow for anyone who doesn’t eat pork – you are clearly missing out. Walking in the door has a different feeling than the other places we visited. Why?
Immediately you notice the delicate aroma of meat smoking in the kitchen. Despite the gorgeous refined art deco interior, the notion that somewhere racks of meat are slowly being smoked with pecan wood awakens an inner caveman. I was giddy by the time I sat down.
The layout of Perry’s is amazing: a dark chocolate labyrinth of stairs, lofts, secret vaults and woven stone walls. You’d be hard pressed not to envision a Texas pageant queen slowly making her way down the spiral staircase. A gorgeous interior can seduce the eyes, but what about the food? The place has a pedigree unlike anything else in Austin. Bob Perry started off as a butcher and then transitioned to a restaurateur. Who better to know cuts of meat and proper food preparation than the man who was raised overseeing the raw cuts each day? Try a sampling of the house-made Polish sausage and you’ll agree that life as a butcher should be a prerequisite for a steakhouse owner.
Impressive notes: Bar 79, a lounge located within Perry’s, actually offers a “Mixology Creation” martini flight. You can sample three of 14 unique creations the same way you would sample wine. They arrive chilled at your table awaiting your taste buds; the perfect way to start off dinner or relax after work.
I like the fact that Perry’s truly takes pride in items that you wouldn’t normally find in a traditional steakhouse: the Chateaubriand is a rare cut of steak that is said to have been created for a French diplomat to Napoleon. What you’ll savor is a buttery soft medallion that will blow any filet you’ve had out of the pasture. This truly is my favorite cut of meat and I’m glad to know it’s now obtainable in Austin.
What I didn’t know was just how progressive Perry’s actually was. Complete with hidden flat screens and the down-tempo jazz of St. Germain quietly playing through the in-house speakers, I was blown away. Come to find out Brandon Quinn, Perry’s GM, worked his way up the ranks from a busboy to captaining the ship. There is a determination and pride within that and clearly this is easy to see at Perry’s.
Inside scoop: Arrive early to admire the magnitude of such a beautiful interior or book the “Vault Room,” the actual vault of the old bank that has been refurbished into an intimate dining room. Put simply, this menu knocked everything out of the park.
Enjoying Steakhouses
Make an evening of it. Relax. You are about to sample some of the best comfort food on the planet. There’s no sense in being in a rush. If you are, you’re better off eating at home and saving the experience for another day.
Have an open mind. Close the menu. Slide it across the table and tell your server what you’ve historically liked and what you may be in the mood for. Let them pick. These establishments are staffed by a professional wait staff that knows food and wine. Allow them to show you what the kitchen can do. Sure, it’s going out on a limb and involves trust, but remember, without a bit of adventure in the culinary world, we might never have tried oysters, or better yet, milk.
Share. I know your mother and every elementary school teacher told you that you need to work on this, but here is where it counts. It easily eliminates the awkward silences and forces you to be a gentleman. You’ll try new things together and be able to sample a wider range of entrees. Why are you on a date anyway?
Try Wine or Cocktail Flights. These are small samples of wine (or in the unique case of Perry’s Bar, 79 martinis.) Again, once you hit the perfect pairing with wine and food, you’ll instantly understand why this is a $10 billion per year industry. Again, you are sharing. See above.
Throw on a jacket, gentleman. You are going out. Dust off the sport coat that you wore to graduation or to your nephew’s bar mitzvah and help elevate the race. Never underestimate the power of a sharp- dressed man in a blazer, crisp shirt and perfectly shined boots or appropriate shoes—an immediate smile from your date and respect from the hostess. It’s time to raise the bar, guys. Besides, your Affliction T-shirt has quickly become a joke. It’s time to grow up.
Never order the same thing twice. If you could test-drive a new sports car every day on your way to work, would you? Then why fall back on old stand-bys? Step outside your comfort zone.
Insist on a booth. I spoke to the cow and the cow said it’s fine for you to comfortably sit on his hide as you enjoy his tenderloin. The animal gave you a delicious steak; the least you can do is grace him with your derriere. Besides, you have a kitchen table at home. Do you have a velvety soft kitchen booth? Didn’t think so.
If the food and overall experience are exceptional, tell your friends. If not, tell your waiter.
You are paying a premium for your meal and the beauty of the recession is that you are now the boss. Don’t feel bad. Each place needs this feedback to grow and get better. What would happen if no one ever told you about that spinach in your teeth?
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