Bourbon Steak: Power Lunching at The Americana by Michael Mina (Yes, in Glendale!)

Suburbia: a 'safe haven' typically for those who find predictability and conformity comforting.  In the food & bar space, this usually means chain restaurants serving familiar, passable middle-of-the-road fare, consistently.

The Caruso group, whether or not you're a fan, has undisputedly done a lot to disrupt the concept of a shopping mall and its potential to be a shop/eat/play destination at a much higher quality than we'd  seen in most other complexes in California.  The Americana at Brand is one example where management has strategically brought together global brands, and better diversity in sit-down dining options.

Bourbon Steak is one that I would say I am most excited about, and the biggest reasons are right there in and behind the name.  Their craft cocktail / bar program is sophisticated, especially those featuring a well curated selection of lesser known bourbon and whiskey.  And their steaks are dry-aged and I would say among the best that I've had in the city, but they don't stop at the one thing - other dishes on the menu take popular staples and elevate them to a new level with unexpected combinations of flavors, and clear pride in quality of ingredients (befitting of renowned chef Michael Mina, owner).

The first thing we encountered when seated in the elegant dining room was the Bourbon / Whiskey cart, from which Bourbon Steak offers tastings, right there tableside.  But, since we were there to check out the new lunch menu, and hadn't eaten anything that morning - we forced ourselves to wait, and do the tasting for dessert.

That of course did not stop us from checking out their cocktail list.  When our hostess (who is also the sommelier there) heard that I'd been getting into Japanese whiskys, she recommended one of the seasonal specials: Golden Crane ($18) with Akashi white oak Japanese whisky, honey, lime, and True Roots smoked ginger syrup.  A light, refreshing and instantly addictive take on the classic Penicillin.  I  loved the gorgeous, perfectly balanced smokiness that draws the nose more than the palate with the carefully controlled sweet and tart.  All in a smooth delivery that is all about levity.  If there is any another place that serves cocktails of this caliber in Glendale, they've hidden it well.  I couldn't get enough of this one and already decided we'd be back soon for another round, before we'd even gotten to the food.

As an amuse, a trio of fries came to our table with three different toppings and dipping sauces: this is a signature tray from Michael Mina, and I loved the truffle parmesan fries the most (without the sauce). (They serve a lunch-sized portion for $5)

Then there was Michael's Tuna Tartare ($19) another signature dish of the chef's, which is not your regular old found-on-every-trendy-restaurant-menu tuna tartare.  His is served with asian pear, quail egg, scotch bonnet, pinenuts, and sesame oil: an unexpected combination of spice (from the scotch bonnet chiles) and subtle sweetness (from the pear) with savory, tender yet structured morsels of fish, and crisp crunch from the pine nuts  The plate is mixed again tableside, and served with toast points. Definitely one of our favorites from the meal, and a favorite take on the dish vs anywhere in the city.

The Duck Spring Rolls ($14) at first, we were skeptical as to whether it would just be a western take on the Chinese staple, with a simple substitution of protein, but this dish was SpEcTaCuLaR.  Using a french technique, feuilles de brick, with the wrapper - that repelled fry oil - they were able to achieve a cleaner crunch, which was perfectly balanced with the freshest lettuce wraps the rolls were wrapped in.  Ginger-chili dipping sauce brought just the right amount of heat to the whole umami / subtly sweet dish.

The Chilled Crab Soba Noodles ($22) similarly mixed cuisines, with Japanese soba served with thai chili and asparagus, carrots, tomato, peanuts.  This one was pretty, and a good option for those looking for a bit of a lighter healthier dish, but not as wake-up-the-next-day-craving-seconds-good as the other appetizers.

While Bourbon Steak also offers an affordable 3-course prix fixe business lunch for $28 that allows office workers to do quick ins-and-outs, it was the Wood-Fired Grill section that really drew our attention: the Ribeye 18oz ($54 - picture to the left is just half of the steak, as I split one with  @foodventure to allow us to taste more dishes) was dry-aged in house, beautifully marbled and seared perfectly to smokey char outside, and juicy, tender, gorgeous medium rare inside.  This was definitely the best steak I'd had in the SFV, and one of the best in LA.

For those not on corporate cards / client lunches, the burger section offers relatively more affordable quality a la carte: The Blue Burger ($19) with blue cheese, caramelized onion, truffle aioli, mushroom.  The patties in Bourbon Steak's burgers are mixed with A5 wagyu, so they are super packed with luscious fat and flavor! 

This wagyu and blue cheese fan was definitely satisfied.

Aside from steak and burgers, pastas are also on the menu. We loved the flavorful Duck Bolognese ($26) with black pomodoro, fresh house made tagliatelle.

We tried the Chocolate Pot de Creme to sample a dessert (tasty), but all the anticipation had been building towards the bourbon cart for the finish! 

And yes, the bourbon cart is available for both lunch and dinner!  They will regularly put three bourbon / whiskeys on rotation, and you can get a tasting flight of all three for $30. The cart is brought tableside, with silver platters of ingredients to pair with each drink.

As you can see in the video below, each one is torched to release aromas designed to accentuate corresponding flavor profiles in each spirit.

Here are the pairings from our tasting:

• Larceny with orange peel

• Templeton Rye with cinnamon

• 1792 (aged 9 years) with sugar cubes - this one was my favorite with caramel notes and the smoked sugar evoked the tops of creme brulee

To help customers discover / learn more about top shelf whiskeys, Bourbon Steak runs a special promotion, Whiskey Wednesdays, where you can taste three featured labels for $5 each. Can't think of a better way to get through hump days.

All in all, a fantastic spot for a real Mad Men style power lunch, or just a highly indulgent one when mere mortals have the occasion to splurge.  And for those who want to learn more about whiskys / bourbons from very knowledgeable, world class service staff.  Happy Hour is daily from 4-7pm which is a great time to get access to the fantastic cocktail program as well.

With Hollywood heavyweights like Disney, Warner Bros, Universal and Technicolor all in the surrounding neighborhoods, I could definitely see Bourbon Steak being a go-to for power lunches, client dinners and elevated happy hour.

Deals alert: 

• every Monday, all bottles of wine are 50% off 
• every Wednesday, three featured top shelf whiskeys are available for $5 each

*Disclaimer: this meal was hosted.

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Bourbon Steak
237 S Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA 91204
Ph: 818.839.4130

Website: michaelmina.net

Parking:  Structure at The Americana at Brand

Look for reservations (and rewards points!) at OpenTable.

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dineLA 2012: The Capital Grille

I never really crave steak.  It's one of those foods that I don't constantly think about having, but when I have a great one I would truly enjoy it and think about why I never think of having things like that.

For dineLA my friend 'Lindyhopper' - an uber carnivore - sold me on the amazing deal at The Capital Grille (which she goes to every time dineLA rolls around) which offers for $34, a 3-course meal that features a cut of steak that is normally $45 on its own on the regular menu! (The total estimated savings for everything is about $39!!!!!)

We had been at The Capital Grille just before the holidays for an event, which left us with two learnings: (1) we needed to go back for steak asap (their steak sliders were almost life-changing) (2) events like the one we went to were good for takeaway gifts - we paid $10 and each got a $50 gift card to The Capital Grille!  The dining room was wonderfully old school steakhouse - dark woods, dark booths, white linens...

As for the food - we weren't about to waste a course on salads, so we both went for the Clam Chowder.  This soup really highlighted how different Lindyhopper and I are (and still able to be friends for this long - love it!) - we both noted how there were "so many clams" in the soup, but for Lindyhopper this really meant "too many clams" while for me that's what made the soup wonderful (are you crazy Lindyhopper?  You can never have too many clams!)

For our main, we both went for the big ticket item, Bone-in Kona-Crusted Dry Aged Sirloin with Shallots and Butter ($45 on regular menu). Was this the best cut of beef I've ever had in my life?  No - and it was no Kobe nor Wagyu beef either.  But, I had mine cooked medium rare, and when the plate arrived I think it was nearly the size of our heads!  Aside from size, we were also impressed with the flavors of this dish - the shallots and creamy butter sauce was instantly addictive - I wanted to pick up my plate and lick it.

With the meal you get to choose one side each - but they do not skimp on the portion size - we had enough of the mashed potatoes and creamed spinach to get stuffed and then to take the remainder home! 

For dessert, they didn't have the flourless chocolate espresso cake that night, so offered a gigantic slice of Chocolate Hazelnut Cake instead.  The cake and cream were both lovely - tasted like nutella with cake, perfectly paired with the calmly flavorful creme anglaise. Fun to see a Pirouette stick for decor.

Lindyhopper got the creme brulee. The picture doesn't do it justice, but it was a relatively large custard with perfect and delicate sugar crusting that tasted freshly torched.

All in all, a nice meal in a classic joint, with a fab deal that we wouldn't have been able to afford outside of dineLA.

It was also fun checking out the towering wine lockers at the lobby as well - for a moment we imagined what it would be like to visit a place like The Capital Grille so much that you would pay for your own space to store your own wines - so highroller that you get a bronze plaque with your name on it.

Then we came back to reality and were grateful that we had such a great deal on dinner, and were able to not only use one of our gift cards to knock $50 off the bill, but to stack the $5 Amex statement credit, hotel points on my credit card, and points toward an OpenTable certificate.  All that AND FREE valet parking!!! 

I'm not sure I would crave this, but enjoyed it very much while I was there - overall the 3 courses were fantastic and at a great deal!

[For more of my dineLA picks and deal breakdowns, see my post here.]

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 6 bites
Presentation - 5.5 bites
Originality - 5.5 bites
Ambience - 6 stars
Service - 6 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $$$$ (4 bite marks)
Probability of return visit - 90% (for next dineLA) 
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The Capital Grille
8614 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048
Ph: 310.358.0650

Parking: Complimentary valet parking next to restaurant

Website: .thecapitalgrille.com
OpenTable: Look for reservations
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1MB Travels: Las Vegas: Craftsteak at the MGM Grand - Viva Top Chefs in Las Vegas!

In a city notorious for 'excess' - Tom Colicchio's Craftsteak stands a cut above the rest as much for its noble restraint from over-the-top showmanship, as the art and skill subtly yet unmistakably exhibited in its take on classic steakhouse dishes. 

Located in the heart of the MGM Grand, Craftsteak is both a mecca to which foodies find themselves making pilgrimmage, and an 'accidental' find for tourists coming through its illustrious "Grand Garden" arena.   Though the MGM Grand itself, like the city it calls home, is not really known for subtle sophistication - it does boast a lion's share (had to do it, sorry!) of restaurants within its "Grand Garden" arena that offer fine dining in tasteful settings.  Craftsteak can be found, after a long hike through the casino, among the serenity of this row - with the lights and noise thankfully dialed down to an ambient level. 

On this particular occasion, we were at Craftsteak to celebrate a friend's birthday - commandeering a coveted table in the semi-private dining room (which we ended up sharing with a Jonas Brother!).  The decor is rich, warm and welcoming, with its dark wood furniture and wall panels.  The room fit four tables of eight to ten people, affording a cozy space for an intimate, yet lively, dinner.

As we were a large group, the birthday girl had mapped out our three-course meal in advance - so some of the items I will attempt to capture for you below may not be on the regular menu (though most appear to be, as noted).

Heirloom Tomato Salad ($12-$14)

Our dinner was served family style - the better for everyone to get to experience multiple dishes during each course.

We started with three different types of salad:
Heirloom Tomato, Baby Beets with Pickled Egg, and Warm Frisee.

The Heirloom Tomato salad was unbelievable - beautifully designed to showcase the perfectly ripened tomatoes for the eyes and the palate.  Plump tomatoes of varying colors and sizes are brushed with olive oil and topped with thai basil.  The simplicity in the preparation of this dish allows the natural sweetness and juicy-ness of the tomatoes to shine through.   

Baby Beets with Pickled Egg ($13)

Next was the Baby Beets with Pickled Egg - which was impressive in its originality.  The creamy/slightly rubbery texture of the single pickled, hard-boiled egg served as a nice counterpoint to the abundance of softly crunchy multi-colored beets in the dish, punctuating it with a provocative extra kick of acidity.  Fresh sprigs of herbs are thrown into the mix for good measure, adding pops of contrasting color, texture and savory flavor.  This is probably the best beet salad I've had outside of L.A.

The third and final entry in the salad

Warm Frisee Salad ($13)

sampler is the Warm Frisee Salad, with a deliciously runny egg and shamelessly fat-addled pieces of bacon strewn through the spiny leaves of frisee. I'm very glad I got to experience this dish before the whole egg scare broke - I'm a big fan of barely cooked eggs - and in this dish, the smooth 'liquid gold' of the lightly poached egg yolk nicely offsets the unruly spines of the frisee.  The saltiness and grease from the bacon flavors the dish and brings the otherwise disparate elements together.

After grazing on the feast of salads and very reluctantly letting servers clear the few remaining scraps away, we set our sights on the main course - Wagyu beef, cooked medium rare and served in beautiful copper cookware.

Wagyu Beef ($130-$285 per person
depending on domestic vs. Japanese "A5" beef)

Words failed me at first taste of these steak strips - gorgeously balanced portions of muscle and fat, perfectly seasoned to let the texture and natural flavors of the meat serve as testimony to its quality.  If not for the need to maintain some semblance of decorum, I would have picked up the pan and licked every last drizzle clean. 

Side dishes:  Gnocchi, corn concoction (not on regular menu)

Though the steak was such pure joy to experience, and did not need any accompaniment, our wonderful hostess made sure we had a plethora of side dishes to stimulate our taste buds.  One of these dishes was potato gnocchi - giant, soft, light and gently flavored pillows that provided a nice contrast to the texture of the beef. 

We also had asparagus and some sort of corn concoction that I regret not hounding the waiter until he provided all the specifics for.  The plate of 'corn mix' was like no other corn focused dish I had ever tasted - it was hard to identify all the layers of flavor in it, though it did not look complicated - but suffice it to say it was simply incredible.
All in all, those who appreciate great food, in a nice atmosphere, with attentive yet unobtrusive service - and without the pretentiousness - would fall deeply in love with Craftsteak at the MGM Grand.  Kudos to Tom Colicchio for showing Top Chefs who's boss!  Now, if only you would open a location in Los Angeles, so that we can indulge in the magnificence of your culinary coup with greater frequency!

On a 7 point scale:

Flavor - 6.5 bites
Presentation - 5.5 bites
Originality - 5 bites
Ambience - 6 stars
Service - 6.5 stars
Overall experience - 6.5 bites
Price - $$$ (3 bite marks)
Probability of return visit - 100%

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Craftsteak
3799 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV, 89109
Ph: 702.891.7318
Website: craftrestaurant.com
Twitter: twitter.com/tom_colicchio
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