so for the first time in 2015 i find myself sat at the laptop, listening to the ramones, yes they are a band, not a clothing line (the kids really don't get it sometimes) and trying to think of a pithy introduction, but i am struggling.
i should just take a leaf out of steak's book and keep it simple. i'd like to think that there wasn't an expensive pr company involved when the owners sat down and had a conversation something like
“lets open a restaurant that serves mainly cow derived dishes”
“what like lots of different cuts of beef?”
“yes just like that and different breeds too, for more variety”
“i like it, but if we are being that simple we will have to do it brilliantly”
“exactly. we will be the best in edinburgh”
“sounds great, but what will we call this restaurant”
“ooh that's a tough one, what will we call a steak restaurant, that serves mainly steak and assorted steak accoutrements”
“hmmm..... i dunno!?!”
“hmmm me neither.....”
once they settled on steak i would imagine the conversation continued:
“what do we need to make our restaurant successful?“
“agoodlocation?”
“directly opposite the playhouse that'll be agoodstart.”
“decor?”
“chic, modern, trendy but relaxed.”
“staff?”
“chic, modern, trendy but relaxed, oh and friendly and efficient. a telephone call confirming the internet booking, taking coats at the door and carrying customers drinks from the bar to the tables, allgoodindicators of quality service.”
on the day we went this is exactly what we experienced andgoodindication that we would be well looked after. however the three musketeers didn't go to steak for thegoodservice, oh no no no we went for the food, so we skipped the starters and went straight to the carnivore course. i do regret not trying the haggis soup or the beef haslet or the smoked haddock pate, but i was saving myself for something special.
once athos and porthos had decided they would not be sharing food and wouldn't split a chateaubriand or beef wellington i knew that the only thing i wanted was the t-bone. 500 grams ( or 17 ½ ounces in old money) of medium-rare cow was duly ordered. i could have chosen further extras such as prawns, mussels or even a fried duck egg, (porthos thought about saying something about quails eggs, but after the brea argument thought better of it!) but kept it simple ordering just a peppercorn sauce that is included in the price.
although not prepared to share their meat*, the guys were happy to split some side orders, so we ordered mash, creamed leeks, peas and bacon and the intriguing combination of cauliflower, apple & hazelnuts.
*tut tut if you had a wee childish giggle at this, you know who you are!!!
we didn't have long to wait for our food, ordering medium rare helps reduce the cooking time, but our attentive waiter had time for a chat and to check our glasses were full.
the t-bone when it arrived was as you would expect perfectly cooked, lets face it if they can't cook a steak right they may as well shut up shop now. a beautifully tender piece of beef pulled away from the bone and melted in the mouth. the accompanying peppercorn sauce was lively, but smooth and a great complement to the steak, although sometimes it seemed a sin to be dipping this sublime steak, especially when the flavour of the seared meat alone was so sensational.
the side dishes made the meal though, the mash with a touch of shallots was creamy and light, the peas were fresh and sweet, the bacon and leeks balancing the flavours nicely. the cauliflower though is awesome, the sweetness of the apple and the crunch of the hazelnuts just hit every taste-bud in the mouth, the flavour, the texture, the smell, wow.
service remainedgoodthroughout, the first check that the steaks were cooked to our satisfaction was met with nodded heads and thumbs up as it was perfectly timed for when the three of us had tucked in to our first bites. our drinks were kept full and the table was cleared with no fuss soon after we finished our last mouthful.
despite the best efforts of the waiter to tempt us into desserts, not that the mixed berry jam doughnuts really needed much selling, we remained strong and resisted. although we did take a ten minute break before revisiting the menu one last time, just to check we really did want to skip dessert.
i'm not going to say dinner was cheap, £33 for the steak alone, my cut of the sides and drinks and a healthy tip left little change from fifty pounds, just for a main course! however that was my choice and i could have had a sirloin for twenty pounds, or one of the other main courses for £15, but that would be like going to alton towers, just to look at the gardens. ultimately you get what you pay for and i was quite happy with my choice and the price i paid, especially as the service and ambiance of the restaurant commands a premium price. if you want agoodsteak in edinburgh, you know the name of the place to go to...