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A guide to steak in Pierce County
by Paul Schrag
Aug 16, 2007
Steak is a splendorous thing. With the right cut and a skilled chef, a good steak ranks among life’s great pleasures. There are few places that can properly coax true, transcendent glory from a hunk of USDA Prime. If you want the best, go to Peter Luger in Brooklyn. If you want to stay closer to home, there are a number of spots in the South Sound that manage to treat meat right.
But first, a steak polemic.
Don’t eat steak medium-well or well done. It’s just dumb. You do not diminish your chances of contracting a food borne illness, and the flavor and texture is ruined by the time it leaves the grill. Next, don’t put ketchup, steak sauce or cheese on a steak unless you are drunk and made it from ground beef at home.
Seriously.
Finally, order the small one. Eating more than 16 ounces of red meat is pointless and expensive, unless you are trying to prove something.
So first, the easy one — El Gaucho at 21st and Pacific Avenue. Arguably among the best steakhouses in the nation, El Gaucho does steak proper, but it can be pricey. A 12-ounce New York will set you back $42, but is accompanied by world-class service, flair, a stellar atmosphere and extensive bar selection.
If you’re not into meritorious material achievement in all things, there are alternatives.
Take Goodfella’s Steakhouse, for example, at 10117 S. Tacoma Way. The atmosphere there isn’t as mob appropriate as El Gaucho, but the steak is done well. I mean good. Try the Madagascar Pepper Steak, which consists of a New York strip loin, grilled and flamed tableside with brandy, green peppercorns and shallots for $32.
Pacific Grill at 15th and Pacific Avenue serves a mean rib eye, and Executive Chef Aaron Valimont likes his Tuscan style. At PG, that’s 16-ounces of rib eye, seasoned and grilled, served on a bed of arugula salad with lemon and shaved Reggiano. The steak is topped with a sort of loose tapenade comprising black olive oil and smeared with blistered tomatoes. Valimont is very good at what he does, and my guess is you will be amazed by this special, which is available through October.
As an aside, I have to mention another delicacy at PG called, and I’m serious now, Meat Candy. Blame “Beavis and Butthead,” but I embarrassed myself and laughed out loud the first time I heard someone utter the term. Meat Candy consists of a date stuffed with melted Parmesan and wrapped in smoked bacon.
“The first bite is smoky and salty from bacon, with a burst of sweetness from the date, and a slightly salty, creamy gooeyness from the cheese,” says Valimont.
Stop snickering.
Finally, Stanley and Seafort’s at 115 East 34th St. has a legendary view of the city and still cooks up a wonderful cut of beef. Prices are moderate at Stanley’s, and the baked brie is so nice. For dinner, try a peppercorn crusted steak, which is seared with peppercorn-brandy sauce, served with roasted garlic, asparagus and mean mashed potatoes. This killer runs a mild $24.95.
