A Sizzling Steakhouse

STK San Diego

Andaz San Diego’s vibrant offering is a delicious restaurant and chic lounge

Posted on October 12, 2018

In July, the One Hospitality Group grew its international family of luxe STK restaurants, installing its latest ultra-lounge/steakhouse hybrid, STK San Diego, at the base of downtown’s Andaz hotel. In doing so, it tapped a veteran of the Gaslamp with a mastery of meat, executive chef David Burke. A decade-plus spent at Fleming’s Steakhouse has served him well in developing a menu replete with steakhouse classics that’s modern enough to hold up to pink and violet uplighting plus beats emanating from the dining room’s DJ booth.

Mainstays abound: shrimp cocktail, a wedge salad with Nueske’s bacon and Point Reyes blue cheese, beef and tuna tartare, and chilled seafood platters, the largest of which includes a whole Maine lobster, Alaskan king crab, and a geographically-significant daily ceviche. Quality product is key in them all, as well as a luscious carpaccio with Wagyu beef so well marbled that it’s nearly creamy in texture, allowing it to seamlessly intermingle with fried capers and truffled Parmesan rounds. Meanwhile, a grilled octopus starter offers nice contrast — the thicker part of the tentacle is tender while the ends are more heavily charred. Both taste excellent run through a dab of black garlic aioli.

A variety of composed entrees are available, but fittingly, steaks are the stars here. Ten cuts of grass- and corn-fed USDA beef are available, ranging from a six-ounce filet to a 34-ounce tomahawk steak. The 14-ounce Delmonico is a well-marbled masterpiece, especially when rendered extra decadent with a topper of bone marrow or truffle butter. Regardless of the cut, steaks are hard-seared to produce a brilliant, salty crust without depleting the meat of its nutty, earthy, dry-aged nuances. Key sides include gargantuan asparagus and creamy corn pudding flecked with whole, naturally sweet kernels.

Desserts like a silky lemon curd cheesecake with a whimsical side of carnival cotton candy and a chilled jarful of marshmallow-topped s’mores goodness offer a reason to linger a little longer. It’s unlikely you’ll have room, but even chic, NYC-style meat markets have to-go boxes. 619.354.5988, togrp.com/venue/stk-san-diego

Photo by Vincent Knakal