Celebrating Restaurant Review Number 1000 at Bourbon Steak

 

Bourbon Steak

1 Monarch Beach Resort North

Dana Point, CA 92629

As my restaurant reviews began piling up, especially in the early days of this blog, I started to think about where I'd like to review for my 1,000th different restaurant. I wanted to pick a place that was fitting for such a milestone. I wanted it to be something other than the latest hot chicken spot or a run-of-the-mill chain restaurant. Even though there are no guarantees, I wanted a place that I believed would be memorable and one of the better restaurant experiences in Orange County. Around a year ago, I decided my 1,000th restaurant would be Bourbon Steak. 

Bourbon Steak is located inside the Waldorf Astoria Resort in Dana Point. It's been open for five years and comes to us from celebrity chef and restauranteur Michael Mina. His website lists 14 restaurant concepts spread across the US and one international location in Dubai. This is one of seven Bourbon Steak restaurants operating today. Bourbon Steak is Chef Mina's riff on a traditional steakhouse. He strives to elevate his steak and seafood offerings to a new level with his technique and creative flair.  

We arrived at the Waldorf Astoria at 8pm on the Saturday of my birthday week. We usually do not eat so late, but this was one of the few time slots available when I made my online reservation. Parking is valet, and the Bourbon Steak entrance is to the left as you pass by the front desk in the lobby. If you were familiar with Stonehill Tavern when this resort was St. Regis, that's where you head for Bourbon Steak. 

Bourbon Steak's dining room is much brighter than other high-end steak restaurants in OC. The lighter wood walls blend nicely with the tan booths and chairs, and even though we were seated as the sun dipped into the sea, the natural light streaming in through the numerous windows added to the brilliance of the space. We sat at a booth towards the back of the restaurant, just adjacent to the patio overlooking the pool area, golf course, and the magnificent Pacific Ocean. 

Every Bourbon Steak has a different menu based on their locale and because they are chef-driven. The menu at this location is led off with shellfish platters and a caviar selection. There are then five appetizers and salads to select from. Entrees include Angus and Wagyu steak options, seafood, and four highlighted entrees shown prominently in the menu's center. Eight signature sides close out the menu. Prices for appetizers and salads range between $21 to $45. Entrees, of course, only come ala carte and will set you back anywhere between $41 to $294 for the 50-ounce Wagyu tomahawk. A little rich for my blood, but let's see if Bourbon Steak was an excellent pick for restaurant review 1000. 

When eating at Bourbon Steak, you will be presented with some extras throughout your meal. Amuse Bouche and the much-raved Duck Fat Fries. The amuse-bouche offered this evening was a mushroom truffle soup, which was rich and flavorful, and a foreshadowing of what we had in store for us later in the evening. The duck fat fries are brought to every table right after your order. They come out hot and crispy and are all explicitly seasoned to correspond with the sauce in front of them. The dipping sauces included a green goddess with tajin, a parmesan truffle aioli, my favorite, and rosemary thyme ketchup. I was astonished to see that the couple next to us had barely touched their fries, and I fought back the urge to ask them for theirs until they were taken away by their server. 

We went without any appetizers and dove straight into the salad portion of our meal. Katie selected the Baby Artichoke Hearts ($21). This mini tower was full of flavor, with the artichokes complimented with creamy avocado, puffed quinoa, Marcona almonds, and a subtle red wine vinaigrette. This was delicate but still packed a punch. I loved how the other ingredients played nicely with the artichokes but did not overpower them. Katie called this one of the best salads she has ever had. Very high praise. 

While reviewing restaurants on this blog, I've eaten my fair share of Caesar Salad ($21), so it was appropriate to have at least one more, as this was our 1000th restaurant. This upscale Caesar utilized baby gem lettuce, a garlic streusel, and plenty of parmesan reggiano sprinkled on top. The muted dressing was evenly distributed on each piece of lettuce like it was applied leaf by leaf. The garlic streusel added a nice flavor boost, but I did miss the absence of croutons, which would have added a bit more texture to this salad. 

Another treat from the kitchen was the Roll served with our salads. It was pillowy soft, and filled with rich truffle butter that I ate way too quickly. The top was salted just enough to not become a distraction. I should have asked for another one, but I had a big meal coming up.  

It pained me to not get a steak here, but we were celebrating, so I decided to treat myself to this Lobster Pot Pie ($140). This Michael Mina signature item was finished tableside with a staff member removing the top part of the buttery crust and placing it on the plate. He then completed the brandied lobster sauce and mixed it with the seasonal vegetables before expertly separating the lobster meat from the shell. It was quite the performance. 

The lobster was one and a half pounds and was very tender. The sauce was unusual, as it was less rich than the drawn butter that has become commonplace when eating this crustacean. The seasonal vegetables on this evening resembled more of a crab boil than what you'd consider for a pot pie. I spied large chunks of red potatoes, celery, pearl onions, and some sliced carrots instead of the more traditional peas and smaller cuts of carrots and onions. Placing the top crust on the bottom helped let the lobster shine even brighter. A rich meal, but one that was very well balanced. 

Katie went the more traditional route at Bourbon Steak when she settled on the 8 Ounce Filet Mignon ($76). Our server did not even bristle when she asked for this medium well, which has happened plenty of times at other steakhouses in OC. It might have been because she also upgraded to the optional Blue Cheese Crumble ($8), but this was delicious, even though the steak was cooked to a medium well. Something that only happens sometimes at other spots. When I asked how she liked her steak, Katie threw out adjectives like delicious, perfectly cooked, and unforgettable. 

As is the case at all high-end steak places, sides must be ordered separately. We chose the Brussels Sprouts ($19) and the Black Truffle Mac and Cheese ($19). Both were adequate but did not make me swoon like the lobster mashed potatoes at Capital Grill or Fleming's Potatoes. The Brussels sprouts were crunchy, but more gastrique was needed to liven things up after my initial forkfuls. The truffle mac and cheese was better, but I expected a bit more richness, and while the truffle was present, I had wished for a bit more. A little more cheese would have helped things out here. I might have better luck ordering the baked fingerling potatoes and the mushrooms in a soy glaze.  

The pastry chef at Bourbon Steak is brought to us by Rebekah Eastman, who also worked at the St. Regis Resort and Bottega Angelina. The most mentioned item out of the four on her dessert menu is the Spiced Beignets ($15). This was two desserts in one, as you get four beignets and a small bowl of vanilla creme brulee. The beignets were light and fluffy and dusted with plenty of powdered sugar. A more grown-up version of the ones at Disneyland. The creme brulee was good but could have been a tinge sweeter for my tastes. I also received a special birthday dessert, bagged caramel corn, and a piece of salted dark chocolate for each of us. A lovely touch. 

Our visit to Bourbon Steak was like being on vacation for the three hours that we were here. Our every whim was catered to, service was first-rate, and the food was delicious. I must mention our fantastic server Jaci, who kept things moving without making us feel rushed. Lyle, the captain of the restaurant, was quite the character and is definitely someone that made sure our visit was as memorable as he was. The food at Bourbon Steak is just as good as what you get at the big chain steakhouses but might be even better due to the techniques they use in the kitchen. Bourbon Steak is the ultimate special occasion restaurant and was the perfect spot for our 1,000th restaurant review. Here's to the next 1,000.  

Out of five pillows (because the world's most expensive bottle of bourbon is Old Rip Van Winkle 25 Year Old, which now sells for $50,000 or more, and it's named after a character in a story that sleeps for 20 years, and if you are going to sleep for that long you better have a good pillow), five being best to zero being worst, Bourbon Steak gets 4.5 pillows. 

For more information about Bourbon Steak, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.michaelmina.net/restaurants/bourbon-steak/orange-county/