The Dreaded Steakhouse: Cut Beverly Hills

A visit to a steakhouse is the ultimate nightmare for a vegetarian, and one that ends up recurring quite often, especially when it comes to work events. I'm not sure I fully understand why, but the steakhouse is definitely the bastion of corporate dining. Maybe it's the aura associated with an expensive steak dinner or maybe it's just the fact that it is the safe choice to make (no one really wants to have to make a client pick between "pad thai" and "pad kee mao" now, do they?). I have seen many a good vegetarian give in and go along for the ride - some actually even blame the constant required visits for their ultimate switch over to eating meat. I, however, am not too fond of making a meal out of mashed potatoes and creamed spinach and have diligently avoided any steakhouse excursions, regardless of who was doing the inviting.




That all changed on a recent trip to Los Angeles. My friend, WH, had received a strong recommendation for Cut Beverly Hills and had been looking forward to trying it out. Considering that it was conveniently located and that the menu surprisingly showed a little vegetarian promise, I gave in and we made our way down to my very first steakhouse meal.

Cut is located in a sleek space in the lobby of the Beverly Wilshire hotel. It what I imagine most nice steakhouses look like - wood, glass, and all very modern chic. However, Cut has nothing in its aesthetic that makes it stand out from most other modern restaurants. The open kitchen in the front as you walk in definitely didn't appeal to me though the large bay windows and the openness of the whole space added a nice touch. I imagine most of Cut's clientele, though, come for the quality of the meat and as long as the space doesn't come in the way of that, I doubt most would care.

I ended up being the first to order and, as is customary, on pointing out that I was a vegetarian, our server happily started recommending all their fish options. Staying away from those as well, I drew his attention to the three course tasting of farm fresh vegetables and fruits that was prominently displayed on the menu (and what had made me agree to go there in the first place). I think I should have been worried when he proceeded to inform me that NO ONE had EVER ordered that before and therefore, he needed to go check with the kitchen what it was exactly that they would be able to put together. I didn't really have much of a choice though, so left myself at Mr. Puck's mercy (or whoever it was that was cooking for him that day).

Surprisingly, what came out of the kitchen wasn't altogether bad - in taste or variety. The first course of sweet pepper and almond soup was absolutely delicious. The creamy soup was poured out over a bed of tomato salsa that added a perfect acidic balance and really complemented the slight spiciness of the soup. I pretty much wiped the (very large) bowl clean and would have been quite satisfied just with that. There was more to come, however, with the main course of vegetables four ways. Fresh corn with shaved summer truffles, sauteed haricot beans with morel mushrooms and onions, roasted artichokes and fava beans, and cooked plums with a mint raita were each tucked neatly away in their own quarter of a large square plate. The plums really outdid themselves - I had been expecting them to become a sweet, gooey mush in my mouth, but they maintained a crispness while the raita did a great job of balancing out the dish. The sauteed haricot beans were also very good and full of flavor. The other two dishes, however, ended up being a little bland and felt like many other plates of vegetables I have had the "pleasure" of being served. All in all, however, the course was much more imaginative than I would have expected and more than I could have asked for when I walked into the restaurant.

As can be expected, Cut also has a large number of side dishes that one could eat as well. Besides the staple of the mashed potatoes and creamed spinach, the menu also includes onion rings, mac-n-cheese, mushrooms with shisito peppers and even a potato tarte tatin. The helpings of my courses were sufficiently large enough that I could not put away another bite, but it was nice to have those additional options available as well. If anything, I was disappointed to not be able to try any of the desserts, with a valrhona chocolate souffle looking especially enticing.

Cut didn't really change my opinion of steakhouses - given a choice (and for the price), I would much rather go almost anywhere else. However, it did break the mold in that the restaurant definitely put some thought and effort into my meal for which I commend them. It is all too easy for a steakhouse to simply ignore the vegetarian customer but Cut ensured that the next time I am asked to "eat steak", I might not have to endure many sleepless nights.

Cut is in Beverly Hills in Los Angeles, at 9500 Wilshire Boulevard. Very Expensive. Veggie Accommodating. Not Recommended. 

www.wolfgangpuck.com

Photo Credit: Cut