Last night, I had an absolutely amazing dinner at Smoque Steak with my cousin. Over the years, I've gotten kind of cynical about steakhouses - I love them, but are they really worth it? I don't just mean the financial cost - there's an opportunity cost to spending over a hundred per person on a steak dinner versus going to a different restaurant. How much better is one steakhouse really versus another?
Well, Smoque has proved to me last night just how exciting steakhouses can be. First off, the ribeye: this was absolutely the most tender ribeye I've ever had, and the smoke flavor was just enough to actually enhance the meatiness rather than cover it up. And the fat - oh my God, the smokey fat - was absolutely delicious.
We ordered four sides: the broccolini (pretty good, but not exceptional), outstanding (potatoes gratin), and perfection (charred carrots, sauteed mushrooms). And, really, the gratin moved into the perfection category when we added the fried shallots from our steak to the top of the gratin. It's hard to describe why they tasted so good, but the best explanation I can come up with is balance (more on that later): the mushrooms were nicely meaty without being overseasoned; the carrots had just the right amount of char and just the right level of sweetness. The gratin was executed perfectly, with the potatoes still being a bit firm and the sauce complementing the potato flavor instead of covering it up with cheese & salt. I do wish it had a bit more of a crust on top, but simply sprinkling the fried shallots from our steak did the job, adding both the crunch and some extra flavor. The broccolini was very good, but overshadowed by just how great the other three were; it's exactly the kind of side you'd expect from a steakhouse, no more or no less.
The steak tartare was very good, but not exceptional; this is mostly a matter of personal taste, but I think it needed a little extra punch from horseradish, spicy mustard, or hot sauce. I did like that it was served with house made chips, as the potato flavor worked really well with it. The spring salad was kind of meh - the tomatoes and cucumber were very fresh and tasty, but the overall composition was not especially exciting.
The desserts were probably my favorite desserts I've had in ages. My cousin and I have particular tastes, and it felt like they were made specifically for us: the cherry basil sorbet was nicely tart, but still perfectly balanced - you tasted the real fruit flavor and not just sugar or acid, and the basil was just enough to complement the fruit instead of fighting with it. The cheesecake was light, tangy, and savory, which worked perfectly with the lemon curd and white wine macerated berries. To over-use the word once again, it was balanced - less sugar in the cheesecake meant you could taste the cream cheese in it, and appreciate the lighter texture, which worked beautifully with the fresh berries, the wine, and the lemon.
I haven't been this excited about a restaurant, let alone a steakhouse, in ages.
"I've always thought pastrami was the most sensuous of the salted cured meats."