Totally Twitterpated

Somehow, when we plan our girls holiday dinner, we always seem to end up at a steakhouse.  I guess we just all like a big slab of meat in the winter.  Usually wanting to stay on the Eastside we go to either Ruths Chris or Daniel’s.  I am {very} partial to Daniel’s Filet Mignon & creamed spinach.  *Very* partial.  I am also {very} partial to Ruths Chris lamb chops & creamed spinach.  *Very* partial.  I would have been perfectly content at either of our usual haunts.  I don’t remember who suggested that we try somewhere different, but the next thing I knew we were headed to John Howie Steak.  I had been to JHS earlier this year, but it was new to my girlfriends.  They are always up for a new dining experience.

Finding your way into the Bravern parking lot is an experience in itself.  Finding your way out of the Bravern parking lot & into your restaurant or store of choice is another experience all it’s own.  We totally & unknowingly parked at exactly the wrong end of the underground parking garage & had quite the walk from one end of Bravern to the other, winding our way through a maze of alluring storefronts & delicious smells wafting out of neighboring food establishments.  We decreed that there was to be no drinking since we would clearly need every last ounce of sensibility to retrace our steps & find our way back to the car afterwards.

JHS is HUGE.  It just keeps going & going.  And going.  But finally we were nestled into a little corner table out of the way except for a rather nosey bunch of noisy suited types sharing our little alcove.  They were fascinated that I was making images of the food.  I am not sure why…the food was beautiful.

It all started out with an adorable little cup of cold potato soup, which was entirely delicious.

 Next up:  Oysters-on-the-Half-Shell and Wild Greens & Arugula Salad

Then onto the main deal:  Filet Mignon all around please.  But it was the sides that had us all twitterpated.  Really twitterpated.

Hedgehog Mushrooms with Kurobuta Bacon & Shaved Brussel Sprouts (are you kidding me?)  ~  Maine Lobster Mashed Potatoes (ridiculous)  ~  Beecher’s Flagship Reserve Cheddar Mac & Cheese (speechless)  ~  Asparagus Spears braised in brown butter with Meyer Lemon Hollandaise (but this still counts as a vegetable, right?)

Brandan did try (in vain) to steer us away from having 4 shareable sides between the 3 of us, but we were not to be deterred.  We weren’t concerned that we might not eat every last scrap, we just wanted to taste all 4.  I must say though, we did a fine job of polishing it all off. 

 The service was awesome.  Not quite a match for Canlis, but exceedingly good.  Brandan was extremely attentive & despite being swept off his feet by tablefuls of hungry diners, he found time to squeeze in some pleasant conversation rather than just the usual waiter pitter-patter.  I am not sure that Canlis would approve of this approach, however, for us it added a whole extra dimension of dining delight to our dinner.

Two of us  had already decided pre-dinner that we were going to share Cherries Jubilee, which was created by Auguste Escoffier for one of Queen Victoria’s jubilees over in England.  Tart cherries, brown sugar, butter, Courvoisier Cognac, Chambord & cinnamon.  All flambeed & then served with vanilla ice cream.  Yeah, sounds horrible doesn’t it.  The making of the Cherries Jubilee was quite the tableside production.  Luckily for everyone involved, our cherry chef set nothing on fire except the cognac, which he did rather expertly.  Somehow, setting things on fire before you eat them adds a whole new je ne sais quoi to a meal.  Despite the alcohol being flambeed off I could still sense myself going weak-at-the-knees as I ate it.  Wow.

Our girlfriend in crime decided upon the Salted Caramel & Chocolate Ganache Tarte.  Great ganache, shame about the base of the pastry case. It was altogether too thick & made the whole tarte seem rather cumbersome.

The whole evening was rather splendid.  We were, understandably, stuffed by the time we were done.  And remarkably, the long walk back to the car proved to be a rather enjoyable hidden blessing as none of us were capable of rushing anywhere.

Thank you, Mr. Howie, for a {very} fine holiday dinner.