Bourbon Steak Americana at Brand 237 S Brand Blvd Glendale, CA 91204 Dining date: 7/24/14 I first dined at Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak in March during its opening. The meal was a unique one, hosted by Bon Appetit to promote the upcoming Vegas Uncork’d, where a custom tasting menu was served. I’ve been intending to return…
The Royce The Langham Huntington 1401 S Oak Knoll Ave Pasadena, CA 91106 Dining date: 7/10/14 The Langham Pasadena’s main restaurant has gone through a number of changes since I first dined on Craig Strong’s food at The Dining Room. Since then, Michael Voltaggio and David Feau have taken the helm for relatively short-lived chef-driven…
Carnevino The Palazzo 3325 Las Vegas Blvd S Las Vegas, NV 89109 Dining date: 6/28/14 Many of the celebrity chefs with a presence in Las Vegas have a steakhouse (burger shops & pubs are also a common offshoot). Carnevino is the creation of Mario Batali & Joe Bastianich and one of their four LV restaurants…
Chi Spacca 6610 Melrose Ave Los Angeles, CA 90036 Dining date: 3/14/14 Chi Spacca opened last year and is the latest restaurant to join the Mozza corner at Melrose & Highland. It replaced the Scuola di Pizza, yet in a way is a permanent extension of the restaurant. Chad Colby, who used to helm the…
Gordon Ramsay Steak Paris Hotel 3655 Las Vegas Blvd S Las Vegas, NV 89109 Dining date: 5/11/13 Gordon Ramsay Steak has been high on my list of Las Vegas restaurants to try since it opened last year, when I sampled Ramsay’s delicious beef wellington at the Vegas Uncork’d Grand Tasting. Ramsay has more than two…
Dining date: 4/13/13 While the most profound sous vide application may best represented in long-duration braises of the tougher cuts, breaking down connective tissues while keeping meat a medium-rare temperature, its applications for “simpler” cooking can be just as rewarding. For example, a steak can be prepared very well either on the stove top or…
Alexander’s Steakhouse 448 Brannan St San Francisco, CA 94107 Dining date: 11/25/12 I’ve wanted to try Alexander’s Steakhouse for some time. I love a good steak and Alexander’s is one of the more highly regarded steakhouses on the West Coast (and perhaps country). The original location, in Cupertino, garnered a Michelin star in the inaugural…
Kaika Kojun Building 4F 6-8-7 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061 Dining date: 11/13/12 Teppanyaki is a style of Japanese cuisine centered around an iron griddle, where chefs prepare a number of courses right in front of the diner. It’s not exactly a style steeped in tradition (it began in the 20th century), often incorporating a number…