samer/thoughts

There are two dining areas, one to the left as you enter and the other upstairs. The decor is a nice earthy colored space with solid tables and nice looking booths. The chairs are comfortable, despite their spare looks. There is an open kitchen in the upstairs dining area, as well as a nice looking wine cellar.

The service and the steaks also made the trip from Sam & Harry's. The service at the main restaurant is second to none, and a similar -- though more laid back -- approach to service exists here. Water glasses are filled (and kept filled) and a small basket of breads (a roll, some cranberry mini-muffins and lip smackingly good cheddar herb biscuits) is brought out. There were a couple of opening week jitters (not knowing the different beers, etc) but nothing near what I've seen in other places. As for the food: steak, steak and more steak.

The steaks here are fantastic. We started off with the beef Wellington appetizer. Do you know how much work beef Wellington is? To make it as a tiny appetizer and still be able to cook it to a perfect medium rare really is astounding. The horseradish dipping sauce that accompanies it is so smooth and nice. This was so good, I was disappointed that I could not get the Wellington as a main dish.

I was also disappointed that a renowned steak house does not have steak tartar, but our waitress said she would pass along my suggestion for a special. The steak I did get, the Harry's Stuffed Steak, was an amazing meal. I asked for it medium rare, and was told that it might be difficult to get that level of doneness because of the stuffing, but that the kitchen would do their best. The kitchen came through with a perfectly cooked steak wrapped around Portabella mushrooms, fresh basil and horseradish cheddar.

I felt the accompanying vegetables to be a tad undercooked and the carrots a bit tough, but I'm not one to eat my veggies anyway. The mashed potatoes certainly did not make it from the downtown restaurant. These potatoes were rather bland with a hint of butter and little else. They were also quite thick as if they mashed them only lightly. The fried onion strings on top saved the potatoes and gave them a satisfying crunch.

While Harry's specialize in steaks, there were quite a few seafood items on menu. One of my fellow diners ordered the Trio of Shrimp which includes
the grilled teriyaki shrimp, the marinated shrimp seviche, and the Calabash fried shrimp. This was a big filling plate of shrimp and a delight on the tongue.

We decided to skip desert, but the few deserts that made it by our table on their way to someone else, looked good.

Overall, the price was quite reasonable for the quality and service. We paid about $50 per person including drinks and tip.

If this is the way this place launches, then it should get only better with age. A wonderful new addition to the neighborhood. I hope to try their burgers in my continuing quest for the great burger.