BLT Steak October 2009

Friday evening we headed to BLT Steak by Laurent Tourondel.  I’ve been interested in going here since last March while investigating restaurants for my birthday.  I was reminded of my interest while perusing Washingtonian’s 100 Best Restaurants list during trip planning.  

The restaurant is in a great location and was a very easy walk from the hotel.  The atmosphere was pretty laid-back and relaxed; the tables just had placemats, no tablecloths.  The chairs were comfortable and the noise level was low enough that we never had a problem with our conversation.  

Our meal started off with some house made chicken liver pâté and toasted bread.  If I think about pâté too much the idea sort of squicks me, so I tried not to think about it while trying it.  The pâté was great and had a very rich flavor.

And then the popovers came.  Freshly made, with gruyere cheese, and that little card in the picture had the recipe.  They were light, eggy, and perfectly puffed.

Tuna Tartare / Avocado / Soy-Lime Dressing

For the second night in a row, my appetizer was the star of my meal.  It was served on a plate set on ice.  The soy-lime dressing had a hint of wasabi.  I wish they had given me a spoon instead of a fork to eat this with since I had a hard time getting all of the dressing up with a fork.  In the cup on the right you can see some of the waffle potato chips peeking out.

Butternut Squash Ravioli / Candied Walnuts / Foie Gras / Sage

Art continued his ravioli trend and ordered this special.  He’d never had a good foie experience but I assured him that, when done correctly, foie just melts away into deliciousness.  This was definitely done right.  The foie was rich and buttery, the ravioli were perfect, and Art enjoyed reinforcing his newfound love of butternut squash.

American Wagyu Skirt Steak / Horseradish Sauce

Since I was at a steak place, I felt obligated to order steak.  I have recently discovered a love of skirt steak, so I opted for their Wagyu Skirt.  Every steak comes with a choice of one of nine sauces and, being in a spicy mood, I went with the horseradish.  The steak was extremely flavorful; it was topped with tarragon and some crouton bits.  The horseradish paired very well with the steak.  I like skirt steaks.  They’re similar to flank steak and have a nice meaty flavor.  Both of our steaks were sliced into manageable pieces which was a nice touch.  It’s hard to cut a steak in one of those cast iron serving dishes!

Adobo Marinated Wagyu Flank / Oregano Lime Vinaigrette

This was one of the evening’s specials and, when our server told us about it, Art had no other options.  He loves southwestern flavors and this really hit the spot.  The meat had a great chipotle flavor and was topped with a compound butter and some thyme.  The sauce was extremely flavorful and Art found that a little went quite a long way.  I thought the little plastic cows to indicate degree of doneness were a cute little touch.

Stuffed Mushroom Caps / Potato Skins

We ordered two sides to share and, while both were tasty, neither were awe-inspiring.  The potato skins were served with crème fraîche which was a nice touch.  The stuffed mushroom caps were a bit soggy and not as flavorful as I would have liked them to be.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Mousse / Banana Ice Cream

My dessert was ridiculously rich.  So much so that I was only able to eat about half before giving up.  The ice cream tasted of fresh, not quite ripe, banana.  Just the way everyone in my family aside from me likes them.  The peanut butter and chocolate flavors in the mousse were both strong, I enjoyed it quite a bit, and I would have been content with a portion half the size!  It was topped with a praline flower.

Carrot Cake / Ginger Ice Cream

Art is quite the lover of carrot cake and he was very thrilled with this dessert.  Unlike the ginger ice cream I’ve made in the paste, this one had a very subtle flavor.  The carrot cake was full of great flavors and he ate every bite.

And with our dessert we were given a pair of these little chocolate caramel pastry things.  I have no idea what they are; I just know they were also very rich.  I had one bite of mine and Art was happy to eat the rest!

Overall I enjoyed our BLT Steak experience.  Our waiter was knowledgeable and friendly and the service was perfect.  When either of us got up from the table a server would immediately come over to fold our napkin correctly.  The recipe card for the popovers was also a very nice touch.  

My only disappointment was our seating.  I had requested a table with nice lighting for photography in my reservation and, while there were clearly open tables for two with better lighting in the restaurant, we were not seated at one of them.  This made me sad and resulted in me needing to use a flash while taking pictures – a solution that is never the optimal one.  

Aside from that minor point of contention, everything was fantastic and I’d be happy to dine here again!

Total price, no alcohol, including tip: $207.08

BLT Steak
1625 Eye Street NW
Washington, DC 20006

Reservations:  202.689.8999