The Liquid Muse

Hot Chicks and A Hunk of Meat

STK may not be “your daddy’s steakhouse” but the old fella is gonna want to hang out there.

Let me put it this way – would the doddering codger rather be surrounded by stuffy old men in a smoky darkened tavern, swiging whiskey and back-slapping while Vinny fires up a slab of cow flesh? Or, would he prefer to be surrounded by a stylish crowd sitting in low-rising booths so he can “people watch,” and be served by gorgeous, friendly, professional staff while tearing into tender steaks that put his old neighborhood haunts to shame?

Ok, screw dad.

STK is the carnivorous haven to ‘see and be seen’ for people of our generation. It is a female-friendly, fashionable environ which winks with seduction and satisfies a healthy appetite for flesh. Both the kind we eat, and the kind we drool over...

Every single person who works there is great looking. Yeah, yeah, I’m being shallow – but let’s face it – when dining in West Hollywood, it is almost ensured that you’ll be waited upon by a beautiful person waiting for their big break in modeling, acting or singing. And, being honest, some of them suck as waiters or bartenders because they resent the fact that "the Biz" has yet to embrace them with open arms.

This, however, is not the case at STK. The service is divine, the wait staff performs as if they want to be there, and the bartenders not only make fabulous cocktails, they also have personality! For example, Tasa (sorry in advance if I didn’t spell that correctly) hails from South Africa and came to L.A. for his artistic pursuits. But he seemed perfectly content to keep pleasant company as I waited for my dining companion. He also impressed me with a Tea Time Fix Up ($15).

Shawn Sugrue, a bartender at the original STK in New York, developed the drink recipe but Tasa made it his own. I found the Earl Grey-infused Bombay Sapphire (blended with Aperol and fresh sour) to be a refreshing aperitif. And, of course, I was relieved to hear that no premixed sweet-n-sour can be found behind the bar.

Later, happily situated in one of the white booths, I broke my diet and gobbled down one of the house made mini rolls served with a cilantro oil and butter. Totally worth it. Next, everybody knows that nothing “opens the appetite” for meat like seafood! (Uh, right?)

The jumbo lump crab served with avocado, green melon, mache greens and kaffir lime looks and tastes gorgeous but the intriguing appetizer of the evening was the shrimp rice krispies. Tiger prawns dip their tails in shrimp bisque and are surrounded by crumbled up shrimp crackers, which snap, crackle and pop.

Now, let’s get down to the real reason STK kicks serious carnivorous ass. I asked for the 14-ounce bone-in filet, rare. And, that’s exactly what I got. (There’s nothing worse than a chef who thinks the customer means “medium rare” when they specifically form the word “RARE.”) My hunk of meat was everything I could wish for. The bone was lightly charred - perfect for gnawing on later, in the privacy of my own kitchen… (“Doggy” bag. Yeah, right.)

(btw- the steak pictured here is not the bone-in filet. My photo didn't come out well so I'm using a professional shot. My filet was smaller, rounder and about 5 times thicker. Oh, and those Parmesan truffle oil fries stacked beside it are awesome! What calories?)

The meat… using a New York term… was like buttah. I figure that it must come from a grain-fed, happy cow because nothing so delectable could have been tortured and prodded like cheaper cuts of slaughter house product. (Sorry – don’t mean to be a buzz kill or "Debbie Downer" here but despite the hypocrisy of it, I think about this stuff. And, I believe it affects the quality of the food. But that’s another blog post entirely…)

So, back to the beef… it is the kind of steak that makes you both pity and scoff at vegetarians. And, here is an important secret… I paired it with a glass of 2005 Pine Ridge Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon. I have to admit that I didn’t realize it was $27 per glass until after I’d drunk it. But, I guess there is something to the concept that some wines really are worth paying extra for. Incredibly smooth, velvety, richly drenched in sunlight and ripe fruit --- that wine was the perfect accompaniment to the $44 steak. I even saved a sip to wash down the chocolate peanut butter fondue cup at the end of the meal.

I should also mention that if this steakhouse seems like a place you’d like to book for your next girls night out, there is a reason for that. It is, indeed, a steakhouse for women, by women. I’m already a fan of power player-entrepreneurial hotties Erica Cohen and Celeste Fierro who opened an outpost of their other NYC hotspot One in Hollywood, last year. One Sunset burst onto the fickle L.A. scene and the hullabaloo remains white hot, a year later. The dynamic duo have plans to expand STK to Miami and Las Vegas in coming months.

Sidenote: Erica who formerly worked in fashion (with a figure to prove it) posed for the sexy “legs” painting at the front entrance of STK (see logo above).

STK is, indeed, the steakhouse for the modern girl. And, if you’re gonna let dad tag along with you for a meal, this would be the place to do it. Just make sure he brings his platinum card.