Besha Rodell Prefers the Rum & Stew at Steak & Whisky

This week, Besha Rodell heads south to the beach cities to pen a review on Blackhouse Hospitality's (Little Sister, Dia de Campo, Abigaile, Wildcraft) newest venture, Steak & Whisky. The LA Weekly critic has an exceptional meal of cioppino and a tiki cocktail on her first visit, but was let down with the experience that followed:

A few salty dishes aren't a huge deal. The bigger disappointment at Steak & Whisky is that the steak is very expensive (ranging from $42 for an 8-ounce flat iron to $120 for a 42-ounce tomahawk rib-eye to $18 per ounce for Japanese Wagyu) and also slightly underwhelming. There's nothing wrong with these steaks — they're prime beef, dry-aged (mostly for 30 days) and cooked well. Yet these hunks of cow aren't particularly tangy or meaty or memorable in the way a great steak is. Add on $10 for a small plate of tasty but otherwise unremarkable sautéed greens, and the price starts to seem not just decadent but possibly unreasonable. [LAW]

Ultimately, B. Rod wishes the restaurant's name didn't set the expectation for a "great whiskey cocktail and an amazing steak," and suggests renaming it "Rum & Stew." Steak & Whisky receives two stars.

---

The Elsewhere: The Offalo enjoys a pre-Tacolandia meal at Broken Spanish, Refined Palate indulges in premium kaiseki at N/Naka, and Eddie Lin tests out McDonald's taste kiosk.