Adventures

SFGate tears Morton’s a new one

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Michael Bauer at SFGate gives Morton’s, long one of Steak Adventure’s favorites, one star.

He called the food “barely edible” while “the service was a comedy of errors.”

He also blasted the prices (certainly not cheap when we went, way back in 2005), citing, among other things, a martini for $14.50, a Jim Beam Manhattan for $12.50, and steaks in the $50 range—without sides.

(Seriously, a Jim Beam Manhattan for $12.50? What the hell?)

And this was before he even tasted the food:

The steak was burned and acrid, and the lobster tail was mushy, as if it had been frozen and thawed multiple times.

The Chicken Christopher ($33) consisted of three huge cutlets coated with what tasted like sweetened bread crumbs, swimming in beurre blanc with bits of raw garlic, decorated with a limp sprig of parsley and a wedge of lemon. It looked and tasted terrible.

Ouch.

When the bill arrived, it was adjusted by the manager to make up for some screwups, and Bauer figures it would have been “more than $200 for two cocktails and practically inedible food.”

Practically inedible food. Wow.

I can’t help but wonder if they just had a bad night, or if it’s really gone downhill since our first trip.

Read the whole sorry tale at SFGate.

Food Chatter

The Next Steak Adventure: Bob’s Steak and Chophouse (San Francisco)

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Yes, it’s true, the next Steak Adventure is here. Tonight it’s a return visit to Bob’s Steak and Chophouse in San Francisco. We first visited Bob’s way back in 2004, on our very first official Steak Adventure.

Word has it that their prices have gone way up. The Porterhouse is now $64, and the Onion Rings are $13. Good thing we’ve been saving our pennies.

We’ll have all three Original Adventurers tonight. Stay tuned for a report (and follow us on Twitter (SteakAdventures) for possible in-Adventure updates!)

Adventures

5A5 Steak Lounge

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I, Jason, haven’t been a very good steward of the Steak Adventures site, and have completely forgotten to do a writeup of our 5A5 Steak Adventure.

Fortunately, Cathy did, and so our official review of 5A5 is written by her. Your guides on this Adventure were Cathy, Ying and me, with the inaugural outing of Guest Adventurer Kevin.

Between poor cooking methods, strange preparations, and what appears to be just bad shopping, we’d begun to think we’d have to give up steak to have an amazing adventure. You’d have to go back to our Bob’s visit in 2004 to find another five star steak group rating. So it is with great delight that we report that the steaks at 5A5 are bordering on miraculous.

We set up our own not-very-blind tasting of dry aged T-Bone, dry aged bone-in New York, strip steak (the least expensive cut on the menu) and A5 Wagyu ($16 per ounce). While the differences were noticeable, all were excellent quality and perfectly prepared. The T-Bone had the two distinct cuts and flavors one would expect (but somehow Jason never gets) set off with delicious slightly greasy fried onions. The bone-in New York had a marvelous texture and finish boosted by truffle butter and morels. The strip steak had a slightly mealier texture, possibly from being cooked longer than the others, but was perked up by a combination of miso, pesto, and ginger. And the Wagyu had that distinct melt-away texture and a finish that lingered like fine wine.

Good thing, since fine wine was one of the things that was hard to find at 5A5. The wine list ranges from pedestrian to insanely over-priced. Cathy and Ying went through it line by line and consulted the waiter twice before settling on cocktails and a $40 half-bottle of bordeaux. One can only hope that the managers will invite some of our clever wine folks from the Santa Cruz mountains, Paso Robles, and Amador to pay a visit and make suggestions.

Another disappointment was the side dishes, although here we may be partly to blame. We did not order either of the seasonal options – fresh corn and mixed wild mushrooms – which might have been better choices. The asparagus were pathetic stringing specimens and judging by the thickness (or lack thereof) from extremely old plants. Two of us also liked the fingerlings, but they were dripping in lemon which isn’t to everyone’s taste. The truffle fries were delicious, although the garlic dipping sauce was strong enough to send everyone’s taste-buds into oblivion.

It’s hard to know how to rate the atmosphere. There is a difference between ‘bad’ and ‘not our thing’ and 5A5 definitely falls into the latter category. The setting would be appropriate for Judy Jetson’s date with pop singer Jet Screamer. But the low squishy couch matched with the round modern table was just uncomfortable for someone not 21. And the pink lighting may have set a great mood, but it made actually seeing anything more challenging than we like.

Our spirits were lifted by the wonderful waitstaff. Our captain made regular appearances and terrific suggestions, but didn’t act like he wanted to join our party. And the pacing of the meal was what one would hope for at that price.

5A5 Steak Lounge

244 Jackson Street
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 989-2539

Steak [rating:5/5]
Side Dishes [rating:3/5]
Service [rating:5/5]
Ambiance [rating:3/5]
Wine & Bar [rating:3/5]
Overall Experience [rating:4/5]
Price $90
Food Chatter

The next Steak Adventure is set!

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More than a year after the last big Steak Adventure, a new one is set. This time, we’re trying 5A5 Steakhouse. A friend of Original Adventurer Cathy recently attended an event at the brand new steakhouse and said the steaks were very good and the room had a “groovy vibe.” (Cathy’s first reaction to that was “I to want to take a nap”.)

SFGate’s food critic Michael Bauer has already reviewed the place, and calls the service as “unfocused as the space itself – a hybrid of white-tablecloth restaurant and lounge”, but suggests the food, particularly the beef, has some potential. The dry aged T-bone steak, which is likely be my choice, was “loaded with flavor”, he says.

(Before we even go for the first time, the menu already makes it clear we’ll have to go again; they have three cuts of Wagyu style beef, “World Wide Wagyu”, on there, 12 total ounces for $125. Clearly I’ll also need to save up for that return visit.)

Original Adventurers Cathy, Ying and Jason will be the guides for this Adventure. Tune in after August 15 for our recap.

Mini-Adventures

Perry’s-Embarcadero

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I was never fond of the Perry’s on Sutter Street. Not as a restaurant. Not as a pick-up joint. But something amazing happened when the owner moved his downtown presence to the Embarcadero and put his son at the helm. No, the quality of the men didn’t improve; but the menu sure did. Perry Fils (as the French would call him) has narrowed the selection and focused on the classic items Perry’s does best. As a result, Perry’s-Embarcadero pulls up the quality of just about everything on the table.

The space inside the Hotel Griffon has always been on the awkward side. It’s long and narrow, light on each end and dark in the middle. Perry’s has been more successful than previous tenants at making the room look inviting from most angles. And on a warm night when they open the doors to the Bay you can forgive them just about anything. The waitstaff is mostly well trained and extremely friendly. They keep things moving at a pleasant pace.

But this site is called Steak Adventures and so it is the steak on which I will concentrate. Specifically, it is a 14-ounce New York strip and in my opinion it is the best thing on the menu. The meat is tender, juicy and tasty with just the right balance of fat. And it has the wonderfully lingering finish of a New York that hasn’t been played with too much: just a little salt from what I can tell. I always say I’m not going to finish it and then I wind up bringing home a slice so small I’d be embarrassed to give it to my neighbor’s Chorkie.

At $29.95, the steak is the most expensive item offered, but that price also covers two generous sides. While not a traditional side like, say, baked potato, the corn bread is my favorite. The vegetable of the day is often a pleasant combination like peas and cherry tomatoes. The creamed spinach topped with cheese is another good option for those who like green things. But I’d skip the fries, which while titled ‘Crispy’ aren’t.

The one thing I would wish for Perry’s-Embarcadero is a better bartender. The house concoctions are simply strange. One involved strawberries and basil and tasted the way I imagine one of those graduated Glade air fresheners would. In the interest of public safety, I should say that I discourage you from drinking both this cocktail and Glade. The classics don’t fair much better. With the new popularity of small-batch bourbon and the importation of superior sweet vermouth, the Manhattans all around San Francisco have reached new heights. At Perry’s they are merely ‘eh.’ Fortunately, the wine list has taken a turn for the better since the opening of this location. The Tempranillo is a particularly good match for the steak.

All in all, if you are looking for a good Steak Adventure that is in no danger of breaking into the three figures, I recommend the New York at Perry’s-Embarcadero. Throw in an Apple Brown Betty and a good friend and you’ll have a great evening.

Perry’s Embarcadero

155 Steuart St. (near Mission)
San Francisco, CA 94105
415.495.6500

Steak [rating:5/5]
Side Dishes [rating:4/5]
Service [rating:4/5]
Ambiance [rating:3/5]
Wine & Bar [rating:3/5]
Overall Experience [rating:4/5]
Price $60