Though still steeped in tradition, these modern steakhouses offer a reimagined, elevated experience
The very word “steakhouse” conjures vivid imagery of mouthwatering dishes dotted with caviar or truffles, dining rooms swathed in leather banquettes and low lighting, and glass-encased wine cellars stretching to the ceiling. The intimate spaces are usually full of finely dressed diners celebrating special occasions or securing business deals, and adept servers performing tableside preparations with panache. Some of our country’s most upscale steakhouses set the bar even higher, continually establishing their place in our culinary history.
“Steakhouses were invented in the United States,” states famed chef Wolfgang Puck, who was born in Austria but redefined fine dining in the United States by the early 1990s. “I think steakhouses are the quintessential American restaurants.”
Bone-in tomahawk steak from CUT by Wolfgang Puck (Photo courtesy of CUT by Wolfgang Puck)
CUT by Wolfgang Puck, his contemporary steakhouse concept launched in Beverly Hills, received a Michelin star within one year of its 2016 opening. Other domestic and international outposts followed, but CUT at The Palazzo Las Vegas is especially sublime. Reflecting its recently remodeled environs, the menu thoughtfully straddles the line between familiarity and surprise.
“I’ve always believed our brands like CUT and Spago are part tradition and part innovation,” Puck says. To that end, he recommends diners start with a selection of oysters or a lobster cocktail, followed by the cavatappi mac and cheese or creamed spinach with a fried organic egg on top. Then indulge in a taste of Private Reserve Hokkaido Snow Beef from Japan or any of the Prime dry- and wet-aged steaks grilled over hardwood and charcoal then finished under a 1,200-degree broiler.
Chef John Howie, who opened the upscale John Howie Steak at The Shops at The Bravern in Bellevue, Washington, says the types of wood he planned to use dictated his entire approach. “We do all of our Prime steaks on the mesquite grill, and we cook seafood, poultry, or pork products over applewood.”
Chef John Howie whips up Bananas Foster tableside at John Howie Steak (Photo by AnneMarie Zarba)
It turns out those grills also emit a heavenly aroma that wafts out and lures in diners. Howie treats his guests with an amuse-bouche to start—“from tiny little steak sandwiches that aren’t bigger than your thumb to a taste of lobster bisque,” he explains—and recommends first-timers try either the Chateaubriand or a New York strip steak topped with caramelized onions and gooey Gruyère.
For those seeking variety, he also offers a flight of four-ounce cuts cooked different ways from esteemed ranches typically located in Japan, Australia, and the United States. Grilled asparagus with Meyer lemon hollandaise and his five-cheese, twice-baked potato or lobster mashed potatoes are popular sides. John Howie Steak has earned a Festival Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator magazine every year since the restaurant opened in 2015, and many diners enjoy wine with their meals or drinks made with creations from Howie’s Wildwood Spirits Company.
Left: Whistlepig Double Malt 18-year-old 5th edition rye at John Howie Steak (Photo courtesy of John Howie Steak) Right: The bar at John Howie Steak (Photo courtesy of John Howie Steak)
Another steakhouse staple, the martini, is highly esteemed at Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille. The Martini 79, named after the year Perry’s opened its first restaurant, is made with organic vodka and a rinse of extra dry vermouth, then presented with bleu cheese-stuffed olives, a lemon twist, and a Blue Point oyster on the half shell. The drink is especially popular at the award-winning Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille at The Shops at La Cantera in San Antonio, Texas. Diners there enjoy USDA Prime aged beef cut fresh daily, seasoned with a signature blend, served on a hot cast-iron plate, and topped with the brand’s signature steak butter. Anyone familiar with Perry’s knows that the steakhouse is equally known for its seven-finger-high pork chop, sourced in Texas and carved tableside during dinner service.
Smith & Wollensky, one of the country’s most recognizable steakhouse brands, runs its ranch at Snake River Farms in Idaho and sources from Double R Ranch in Central Texas. Now celebrating nearly a half-century in business and claiming to be “the only national steakhouse brand devoted to dry-aging and hand-carving USDA Prime steaks in-house,” Smith & Wollensky continues to evolve and expand across the country.
At its location at Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian® Resort Las Vegas, diners can watch gondolas float by while they indulge in classics like tableside steak tartare or modern selections such as octopus cocktail, steaks enhanced with a gorgonzola crust or roasted bone marrow topping, and sides including potato rosti with fresh horseradish and Hackleback caviar.
Lest we forget dessert, a cornerstone of the steakhouse experience, Smith & Wollensky proudly offers tableside flambéed Baked Alaska, and John Howie Steak has tableside bananas Foster à la Brennan’s Restaurant in New Orleans. Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille has three dessert offerings licked by flames: its version of bananas Foster, a pecan delight called Nutty D’Angelo, and the tableside lemon bar. CUT keeps it cool with cheesecake pavlovas and Valrhona chocolate soufflés with chocolate ice cream.
No matter the course, each of these steakhouses offers something innovative and delicious, ensuring their diners return time and time again.
