STK - LA Style

Dear STK,

How I love thee.  I apologize for considering not visiting you just because we visited your sister in NYC.  You delivered...

OH!!! Sorry, everyone, I was having a moment.  Well the One Restaurant group delivered another great version of STK in West Hollywood.   Sol and I went to speak to the concierge at our hotel telling him we had reservations at STK but were thinking of visiting somewhere else.  He said, "you couldn't have picked a better spot".  With that we held our reservations at 9:30 and went up to the room.

After a few getting ready drinks we were on our way.  We pulled up to the valet and what we saw was a very posh, trendy establishment.  It's one of those places in LA where all the pretty people are, pffshhh after we arrived that is.   Our table wasn't quite ready so we strolled on over to the bar.  It was packed already!  We figured if this place was going to see some business it would be around the 11 0'clock hour.  So I maneuvered my way to the counter and ordered a couple drinks for us. 

great gatsby
hennessy black, cointreau, lemon juice, orange juice

la cienega
corzo silver, lime juice, cucumber slices, mint leaves

 Both were quite tasty.  They held us until we sat down.  We were walking to our table when...oh wait...is that?  Yes it was.  Luke Walton from the Lakers who we'd just seen live the night before.  Not a big star sighting but kinda cool.  We were seated in a very comfy booth with a great view of the restaurant.  The decor was and open loft style with black and white accents.  The A/C system was visible and there was white brick covering the walls.   Large purple floral arrangements gave the room some "pop".  Enough already, let's talk food!

We looked at the menu's and I looked at Sol, "So, are we going to drink a lot or are we going to eat a lot?", I should've known the answer, "Why can't we do both?!?"  And were off!  We ordered a smorgasbord of appetizers a couple at a time and started enjoying a great night.

lil’big macs
wagyu - special sauce - sesame seed bun  - add truffles

 We started with the lil' big macs because that was what we had in NYC and they were some of the most mesmerizing sliders I ever put in my mouth, and though the picture above looks fantastic, they didn't quite deliver here, the special sauce wasn't so special the truffles weren't very strong and the meat was kind of tasteless. But, after this dish everything was fantastic and we didn't turn back.  But STK-LA if you read this call New York and ask them what it is exactly they are doing.



foie gras french toast
green apple - almond brioche - sherry gastrique



Next, we had french toast.  Not just regular french toast but Foie Gras French Toast.  For those of you that know Foie, this was every bit as good as it sounds for those of you that don't click the link and keep an open mind, it's a delicacy.  One I hadn't come to embrace until this night.  The bread was lightly toasted, french style (get it?), very soft.  It melted in my mouth.  The syrup was perfectly sweet.  I cut a small piece of Foie Gras and it added the most brilliant flavor to this dish, it was so rich and so hearty.  The consistency was so smooth I could barley differentiate what was what in my mouth.  This was definitely the highlight of the meal.

jumbo lump crab
green melon - avocado - mache greens - kaffir lime

For the following dish we chose a crab dish, since we had missed it at the Lobsta Truck and STK didn't disappoint.  The crab was noticeably fresh, and the accompaniments were wisely chosen.  What I found to be the most interesting was that the thinly sliced honeydew melon, first of all I thought it was cucumber, secondly it added a great bit of sweetness to the dish.  The avocado with some salt was a good contrast to that.  Definitely would order this again.

Another great treat of this meal was the Shrimp rice krispies.   Sounds weird right?  Shrimp with cereal?  Oh how smart these chefs are.  Or maybe inventive is a better word. 

shrimp rice krispies
tiger prawns - shrimp bisque - cilantro

The shrimp bisque was french served (poured over top at the table) so as not to douse the rice krispies and have them soggy upon arrival to the table.  Smart.  First of all these were not rice krispies like 'snap crackle pop but more like puffy crispy white rice.  This absorbed the hell out of the bisque and made for one hell of a compliment to the tiger prawns.   Tiger Prawn=Big Ass Shrimp.  This was a nice rich, wintery dish.  It was scrumptiously yuuuuuuuumy.  Highly recommended and I wouldn't change a thing.

Finally as this comes to a close I must add that we had Mac n' Cheese, and some great bread in a chive oil.  Mac & Cheese was worth ordering if you are going to get an entree, creamy & rich.

 Oh I'm not Done people.  You know as much as we ate, we all have that little bit of room that we save for dessert.  Yes we did...

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That is Puff marshmallow Cream on top of Cinnamon and sugar donut holes sitting on top of Chocolate.  Need I say more??? 

This is a place where you can feel like one of LA's elite.  Where you dress up, drink well and eat better.  The food is creative, amazing,  and inventive.  It's flavorful and well thought out.  Guys if you want to impress take the ladies here.  Hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed eating!