» BEST
STEAKHOUSE 2. Ruth’s Chris Steak House
Anaheim, Irvine; ruthschris.com By now, every steak aficionado knows the story behind this now56-year-old franchise. In 1965, single mom Ruth Fertel mortgaged her house to buy a small New Orleans steak house named Chris Steak House. After a fire destroyed the original location, Fertel’s contract did not allow her to take the Chris Steak House name to a new location. And Ruth’s Chris was born. Now, more than a half-century later, Ruth’s Chris is a publicly traded company, with restaurants in 21 countries. The formula is the same: USDA Prime cuts across the size spectrum, served on a 500-degree plate. Ruth’s Chris offers two sizes of filet mignon, a 16-ounce New York strip, 22-ounce rib-eye, 24-ounce T-bone and specialty cuts, led by the 40-ounce Tomahawk rib-eye. The restaurants also offer a limited non-beef menu, featuring a stuffed chicken breast, garlic-crusted sea bass and a crab cakes entrée.
LEONARD ORTIZ, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
The porterhouse steak with shoestring potatoes at Mastro’s Steakhouse in Costa Mesa.
1. Mastro’s Steakhouse 633 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa; 714-546-7405; mastrosrestaurants.com The definition of “special occasion destination” once again seizes the day as Orange County’s top steakhouse. And given the competition in this category, Mastro’s presence here bears testament to its mastery over not only the steak, but the sizzle. Make no mistake. A dinner at Mastro’s is not an inexpensive experience. Everything is à la carte, from the expansive selection of side dishes that include delicacies like lobster mac & cheese, garlic mashed potatoes, rosemary sautéed mushrooms and Alaskan king crab black truffle gnocchi, to bread service. But it is a culinary experience. Mastro’s offers a myriad of cuts and sizes designed to satisfy even the most demanding steak Sherpa. Each cut is a 28-day, wet-aged USDA Prime order, prepared in a 1,500-degree broiler and served on a sizzling plate
coming with the requisite “don’t touch” warning. Carnivores have their pick of sizes and cuts ranging from the 6-ounce petit filet to the 33-ounce “Chef’s Cut” rib-eye chop. Mastro’s offers one of the harder-to-find cuts: the 12-ounce bone-in filet. There are two strip cuts: the New York and the Kansas City, along with rib-eyes and Porterhouses. It also offers four cuts of the Japanese Wagyu. Two of those are the 32-ounce and 40-ounce Tomahawk chops, good for two appetites. For non-beef eaters, Mastro’s offers a 24-ounce, herb-roasted chicken, a 22-ounce rack of lamb and a hearty, 16-ounce, double-cut pork chop. Mastro’s also serves such aquatic delicacies as blackened swordfish, Chilean sea bass, twin lobster tails and a New Zealand salmon fillet.
— Brian Robin
3. La Cave 1695 Irvine Ave., Costa Mesa; 949-646-7944; lacaverestaurant.com How can you not take to a restaurant with $10 Sinatra Martini Mondays? Or a locally owned restaurant simply saying it offers “retro underground dining?” Founded on Valentine’s Day 1962, La Cave comes to you straight out of “Mad Men” 1960s flair. You may not see Don Draper or Roger Sterling holding court, but La Cave did serve the likes of John Wayne and other celebrities. It’s not hard to understand why. La Cave’s minimalist menu doesn’t overwhelm you with numerous cuts. But it does overwhelm you with the quality of those cuts. La Cave’s beef offerings include a 9-ounce filet, 11-ounce New York, 16-ounce boneless rib-eye, 24-ounce Porterhouse or medallions of beef. Unlike its high-end steakhouse brethren, La Cave stays to its retro roots by including cheesy garlic bread, soup or salad, rice or baked potato and a choice from three vegetables: steamed broccoli, sautéed mushrooms or grilled asparagus with entrees.
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