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The days of the affordable steakhouse are officially gone. (note: by saying this, I am not qualifying Sizzler or Bonanza or Outback as real steakhouses).
That’s right. If you want a great steak… the way you want it… at a good price… you need to hop in your car, go to Whole Foods or the local butcher and buy it yourself (still not dirt cheap mind you, but if bought in bulk, portioned and frozen, can be a great deal).
Having succumbed to this fact, I now approach high-brow, mahogany-clad steakhouses with one simple attitude. Bring it on.
Having spent the last year and a half in New York, I’ve been schooled on tried and true steak palaces. From Lugar’s to Quality Meats to The Palm, Too… New Yorkers love their steak and will pay premium prices for the good stuff.
That’s why my recent trip to Mastro’s was one I was really looking forward to… and it didn’t disappoint. It is a big, dark, sophisticated, expensive “joint”, and they know it. (smirk☺).
Now, having this chip on your shoulder can be hard to manage for some establishments,… but not Mastro’s. They wear it well. And why not? With a top shelf bar upstairs to accompany two floors of steak swilling floor space, they make more than their share of dollars… so, if you’ve got it… flaunt it.
This might have been a harder review if I would have found the food at Mastro’s fair to average… but it’s not.
The problem at Mastro’s is simply deciding what to eat.
The apps range from loads of fresh seafood to steak sashimi, to specialty salads, to stuffed mushrooms to caviar.
We opted for a “create your own” seafood tower that included lobsters, stone crab claws, jumbo shrimp and blue point oysters. It was spectacular.
At this point, dinner is the focus… and with a great menu of seafood items available (tuna, salmon, lobster, etc) focus on the beef. Mastro’s is one of a handful of places where you can enjoy a bone-in Ribeye, a veal porterhouse or even a lamb porterhouse. Of course, the filet, NY Strip, bone-in KC strip, Rack of Lamb and Prime Rib don’t look so bad either… giving you a tougher-than-you-though decision. All in all, you can choose from over 15 cuts.
Loving side dishes as I do, I went with the slightly smaller but delicious Petite Filet… hoping to save room.
It was a tender, juicy cut… perfectly prepared and not in need of a sauce of any kind. Just enough.
The sides are another story. You can go hog wild here… and I swear I will return to this restaurant and have a cocktail and nothing but side dishes.
I won’t list the entire menu, but a trip to Mastro’s without their famous Lobster Mashed Potatoes would be a mistake (think massive bowl of buttermilk mash topped with sliced, fresh Maine lobster and butter…. damn).
What else? Well, Gorgonzola Mac and Cheese, potatoes every way you can prepare them (fried, creamed, shoestring, au gratin, wasabi mashed, baked, lyonnaise… you get the picture) and veggies like sugar snap peas, spinach, corn, broccoli and asparagus.
As you can guess the dessert menu is equally as decadent, but who has the room? I opted to sip on my unfinished glass of perfect Pino Noir, which made for the perfect ending of a terrific meal.
Yes, it’s a celeb scene, high priced and slightly cocky… but with food this good, what the hell. I’m in.
Advice: Make a resrvation. If you decide to just “drop by”, chances are you’ll be eating at the Johnny Rockets down the street.
Mastro's Steakhouse
Steakhouses, Seafood
246 N Canon Dr, Beverly Hills 90210
Btwn Dayton & Clifton Way
Phone: 310-888-8782
Fax: 310-858-7036
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