CUT by Wolfgang Puck - Dinner [Thoughts + Pics]

I remember when an outback opened in my hometown that was a big deal!!!

2 Likes

The first big deal restaurant opening in my town was Olive Garden. It had lines out the door for years.

2 Likes

I feel ya’. I grew up in a place that didn’t allow commercial restaurants (except one Dairy Queen, but no Golden Arches ever!). But we had really good restaurants, so…

[quote=“hungryhungryhippos, post:74, topic:5703”]
The first big deal restaurant opening in my town was Olive Garden.
[/quote]Yep, those were the kind of towns our oldest (especially) has spent a lot of time in. O.G. was his favorite restaurant. Thankfully, his palate has improved considerably :relieved:.

Lol same here I grew up with Applebee’s, Olive Garden, and Red Lobster being fine dining staples…

1 Like

Update 1:

Catching up on a few reports, sorry for the delay! :sweat_smile: We were lucky enough to revisit CUT by Wolfgang Puck around Christmas, with a few friends in town for the holidays. :slight_smile:

The Beverly Wilshire Hotel was beautifully done up in Christmas decor…

This time, we “only” spotted 1 Lamborghini, 1 Rolls Royce, and a few other exotics, and we even saw 3 or 4 cars that were under $100,000 (so that we didn’t feel so out of place). :sweat_smile: (I guess @Porthos @J_L and @ipsedixit were out of town and didn’t bring their fleet of baller cars). :grin:

As before, CUT has a modern, minimalistic decor, but still maintains an elegance about it.

I decided to start off with their…

Samurai Sword (Nikka “Miyagikyo” 12 yr, Wild Flower Honey, Lemon, Ginger):

This was delicious! :blush: Nicely balanced, the Nikka Miyagikyo 12 Year Single Malt Whiskey was present, but never overpowered the drink, with a nice floral note from the Wild Flower Honey, refreshing citrus from the Lemon and the spiciness of fresh Ginger.

PĂŁo de Queijo (Cheese Bread):

OK, the first time we had this complimentary offering, it was just awesome. Now for this visit, as soon as the basket appeared, I was hoping against hope that it would be as good as before.

It was even better! Chef Puck & crew’s take on Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de Queijo), it was served piping hot (fresh baked), with a fragrant crust on the outside, and a little bit of gooey Cheese on the inside. It’s so simple, but SO GOOD! :heart:

I was so tempted to ask for another basket, but we knew we had our actual dinner coming soon. Sigh. I regret not asking for more, though. :sweat_smile: :stuck_out_tongue: :cry:

Complimentary Bread Service:

They had the same 3 offerings as last time, but there were no complaints, because their fresh-baked Breads are excellent (well 2 of them). Everyone’s favorite was the Seeded Sourdough, with their Housemade Butter. :slight_smile:

And the Baked Onion Ciabatta was also quite tasty.

Dungeness Crab (Louisiana Shrimp, Horseradish, Avocado, Tomato):

Delicious. Fresh, sweet Dungeness Crab, this was so much better than the old-tasting, prepackaged stuff we had at NoMad recently.

Big Eye Tuna Tartare (Wasabi, Ginger, Togarashi Crisps, Tosa Soy):

First, the plating was just gorgeous. The Big Eye Tuna Tartare was fresh-tasting and nicely balanced. We liked their Steak Tartare more, but wanted to try some other appetizers this time.

Roasted Bone Marrow (Salsify, Brioche, Agrodolce, Parsley Salad):

There is something really elemental and satisfying with scooping out Roasted Bone Marrow, spreading it over Brioche Bread and just smiling and enjoying the lusciousness. There was maybe a touch too much Agrodolce for this evening’s version, just a touch sweeter than I had hoped, but still very good, and delicious! :slight_smile: A huge thank you to @A5KOBE @Pomsmoms @Jase and others for this recommendation.

Snake River Farms Porterhouse Steak:

CUT’s signature cooking method involves grilling their Steaks over charcoal and hard wood, and then finishing it under a 1200 degree broiler. The last couple of Porterhouse Steaks I’ve had (at other restaurants) have been pretty underwhelming, so I didn’t really want to order this, but we let the group decide on which cuts to order and this was voted in.

It arrived a perfect medium-rare, and the Tenderloin side was truly tender, with a gorgeous crust and just delicious as is (no seasonings needed). :blush:

The Strip Steak side of the Porterhouse was still quite tender, beefy and excellent as well.

Mustard (3) and Fleur de Sel:

The 3 types of Mustard and Fleur de Sel were a nice touch, but really unnecessary for any of our Steaks this evening (that’s how flavorful they were).

USDA Prime, Nebraska Corn Fed, Dry Aged 35 Days - New York Sirloin 14 oz:

Since we had a larger party, our server offered to have the kitchen cut the Steaks for us, and they arrived perfectly portioned out. A beautiful medium-rare, with a tantalizing crust and nice beefiness (a real beefy taste!), this was an excellent Steak! :slight_smile:

It was tender, not chewy, but still meaty and I think at this point, I liked the Snake River Farms Porterhouse a touch more, but it was good either way. :slight_smile:

Kennebec Potato French Fries (Perigordine Truffles):

So when you first read the words “Fries” and “Truffle” together, you might think upon all of those cheap bar / pub appetizers that try and upsell you “Truffle Fries” (made with Truffle Oil). :expressionless: Not so at CUT:

The large holder of French Fries arrives, and the server proceeds to freshly shave a lot of Perigordine Black Truffles on top, at the table. It smells incredible! :heart:

Thankfully the taste matches the alluring scent: These double-fried, handcut Kennebec Potatoes were just as good as last time, with a beautiful crunch on the outside and fluffy Potato on the inside. :slight_smile: And with wonderful Black Truffles accentuating each bite.

Japanese Pure Wagyu Beef, Hokkaido Prefecture - Grade A5 New York Sirloin:

And then we got my favorite cut of the evening, their Japanese Pure Wagyu Beef, at the highest Grade A5, in New York Sirloin cut form, only this time it was from Hokkaido, Japan. :slight_smile: Recently, it seems Miyazaki Grade A5 Wagyu has been prevalent at many restaurants around town, so it was great seeing CUT get in some Hokkaido Grade A5 Wagyu this evening.

I thought it was more flavorful, a little beefier, but still having that ridiculous melt-in-your-mouth, lush quality that only true Grade A5 Wagyu can offer. We made the mistake of eating our A5 Wagyu Steak before finishing up the last few bites of the USDA Prime Nebraska Corn Fed Sirloin. Because when we finished up the last few pieces of the Nebraska Sirloin after eating the A5 Wagyu… there was no comparison. :sweat_smile:

The A5 Wagyu from Hokkaido, Japan was just pure happiness, so tender, so perfect. Highlight of the evening! :heart:

Brussels Sprouts (Sesame Yuzu Aioli, Glazed Shallots):

These were quite good, with the Sesame Yuzu Aioli providing a nice creamy, citrusy and nutty component to balance the Brussels Sprouts.

Cavatappi Pasta “Mac & Cheese” (Quebec Cheddar):

This was a pretty good Mac & Cheese, a nice balance of creamy and cheesy, yet more elegant, and a little bolder and funkier with the Quebec Cheddar instead of the usual Cheese blends you might find locally. :slight_smile:

I have no idea how we had room for Dessert, but somehow a few Desserts appeared at our table at this point. :sweat_smile:

Sticky Toffee Pudding (Bourbon Pecan Sauce, Earl Grey Ice Cream, Lemon Tuile):

This had a nice nuttiness from the Pecans, and had a bit of the salty-sweet facet going on. Delicious. :slight_smile:

Pink Lady Apple Crumble (Almond Streusel, Rosemary - Honey Ice Cream):

This was OK. Not bad, but not anything we felt like we wanted to order again.

Baked Alaska For Two (Meyer Lemon Ice Cream, Cassis Sorbet, White Chocolate Buttermilk Cake):

I think I might’ve had a Baked Alaska once, when I was little, but I remember hearing about this retro-dessert from some cooking shows on TV.

Prepared tableside, it is a spectacle as the Dessert is set on fire, and then it toasts the edges before it gets cut into individual slices to enjoy. The alcohol burns fast enough that it doesn’t melt the Ice Cream.

I don’t really have a frame of reference for a good Baked Alaska, but this was just OK. The Meyer Lemon Ice Cream is citrusy and tart, and then the Cassis Sorbet adds more piquant-sweetness to it, while there wasn’t enough sweetness from the White Chocolate Buttermilk Cake to balance it out. So it felt a bit off-balance and too tart.

Mignardise:

Complimentary, Housemade Sweets to end the evening. :slight_smile:

Service was outstanding at CUT, with multiple servers making sure our drinks were restored, or plates / utensils cleared away between courses and more. They were attentive, but never hovering.

With this latest visit, CUT by Wolfgang Puck in Beverly Hills is now easily our favorite Steakhouse in L.A., deftly delivering the best Steaks we’ve had locally by a long shot (with some tasty Appetizers like their Steak Tartare, Bone Marrow Flan and Dungeness Crab to boot).

Full caveat: I don’t really like eating Steak (I find it’s tiring, there’s too much red meat, even with petite cuts, and my palate gets desensitized after halfway through a typical Steak).

But CUT by Wolfgang Puck in Beverly Hills is something different: In both of our visits, I never once got tired of eating the Steaks we tried. The crust and smokiness on the exterior, giving way to truly tender (not chewy) slices of quality Steak that actually tastes beefy, makes me appreciate what a great Steak can be.

From their stunning, and cost-effective USDA Prime, Illinois Corn Fed, Aged 21 Days - Bone-In New York Sirloin, to their Snake River Farms Porterhouse, to their outstanding, luscious Japanese Pure Wagyu Beef, both the Miyazaki Prefecture and Hokkaido Prefecture versions of Grade A5 New York Sirloin, CUT is a special occasion place that we’d be happy to return to anytime.

CUT by Wolfgang Puck
(inside the Beverly Wilshire Hotel)
9500 Wilshire Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Tel: (310) 276-8500

15 Likes

Nice report! It sounds like you ordered all the right things. :wink:

1 Like

That is one elite meal, jealous af

1 Like

I wonder what fresh shaved black truffles would taste like on McDonald’s fries well done.

I mean is there anything else going on or is it just truffles on amazing fries? Can I BYOT to Connie and Ted’s, for instance, and sprinkle some on top of their fries?

7 Likes

Thanks @Bookwich, @skramzlife. :slight_smile:

I’m guessing there might be a few things on the menu that might be misses, but other than the OK desserts this last visit (Apple Crumble and Baked Alaska), the rest of the meal was delicious.

I wonder if anyone has tried CUT’s Organic Rotisserie Poussin (Chicken) and if it’s worth ordering. Then again you probably don’t go to a Steakhouse for Chicken. :stuck_out_tongue:

I do want to try the American Wagyu Filet / Rib Eye / Sirloin from Snake River Farms that @TheCookie really liked the next time we’re able to go.

1 Like

Hi @Ns1,

That sounds awesome if you showed up at Connie & Ted’s and just added your own truffles. :slight_smile: For CUT, there was also a subtle shaving of cheese (I forgot what type) which added to the deliciousness of it all. But otherwise, yah it was simple, well-executed, and just great.

1 Like

lmao, lost it at BYOT

How reasonable is the wine list these days? Last I checked the corkage was a pretty hefty $50 (among highest in LA), indicating they really don’t want you to bring your own wine, or if you do, it ought to be a nice bottle.

Do not get this. You will yearn for the chicken that you had at Nomad. No joke.

For poultry, try the rotisserie duck (for two).

1 Like

Hi @ipsedixit,

Thank you for the warning and savings. :slight_smile: Rotisserie duck sounds amazing! I’ll keep an eye out for it next time.

Hi @DTLAeater,

Looks like it’s still $ 50 corkage. The wine list is on their website (I linked it at the bottom of my review), so you can browse and see what the list looks like. Thanks.

They have this. It’s been on my “best budget bottles” list for a while. Even marked-up it’s still a better deal than the $50 corkage.

1 Like

What would y’all say is a sufficient truffle shaving serving for a large fries? 5 grams? 7 grams?

Thanks guys, should have checked website! That Daou bottle is $50-60 retail,
CUT charges $30 / glass and $120 / bottle for it. 2.5x retail seems pretty
typical in LA, even for more expensive bottles (whereas in other cities,
more expensive bottles might only be 1.5x or less, but that is less common
in LA for whatever reason). Anyway, it all depends on how much effort you
want to invest and how much wine you intend to drink.

Cut is the best steakhouse I’ve been to (Luger’s is 2nd). You nailed it on the head with your review. The steak is fantastic but Cut is the one steakhouse that has consistently great side dishes, appetizers and excellent service. The only reason I haven’t been to Cut more is because steak is one of the things I can cook relatively well for considerably less money. The sides are another story. Access to great steaks and dry aged steak in LA is much better than 5-7 years ago.

3 Likes