American

CUT Is A Cut Above!

Teaming Chef Wolfgang Puck and Architect Richard Meier a Brilliant Idea!

A box in the menu of Wolfgang Puck’s new steakhouse, CUT (in the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, 9500 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills (310) 276-8500, valet parking on Rodeo Drive, $7.) offers “True Japanese 100% Wagyu Beef from Nigata Prefecture, Honshu, Japan, a New York Sirloin at $120. for six ounces ($20. each additional ounce).� I questioned Lee Hefter, Executive Chef of Puck restaurants, about the authenticity of the Japanese meat, having read it was illegal to bring Japanese beef into this country. He smiled and went back to the kitchen, returning with a plastic-wrapped hunk of beef clearly marked with the Japanese inspector’s stamp. “Look at the marbling of this,� he said. “It’s phenomenal.� Later, when I had an opportunity to taste it, I knew I was in the presence of beef royalty, though I choked up at the exceedingly lavish expenditure. Is it worth it? Yes, of course, anyone can afford to indulge themselves occasionally in a hedonistic gesture for a memorable gastronomic experience.

The only book I’ve ever wanted to write was a behind-the-scenes account of the creation of this restaurant, following the worlds of famed architect Richard Meier and chef Wolfgang Puck as they struggled to mesh two disparate styles into a cohesive whole. But I was turned down flat; it seems no one wanted to have me looking over their shoulders as they gave birth to an original icon. Quel dommage…what a pity…it would have been a fascinating study in contrasts. The stately, white-haired Meier, noted for the design of the Getty Museum here and many avant-garde worldwide structures, is famed for his stark minimalistic style…and in CUT he has created just such a dining room…accentuated by light ash veneer, black leather booths, white walls, high windows and artful lighting. (He also designed the silverware and dishes.) The only wall dressings are several black-and-white ‘maritime’ paintings by John Millei, the first in a series of ninety-day exhibitions at the restaurant by international artists.

Is the room particularly to my taste? Not really, I prefer the colorful flamboyance of, say, Le Cirque, but The Four Seasons Hotel people who commissioned this new entity are exceedingly smart, successful operators and certainly thought long and hard about the mix of personalities which will, hopefully, lead to a lasting success. Actually, after several visits the decor grew on me…in the evening, with glowing lights and a roomful of attractive people, it has the happy buzz of success. The stark décor is more than balanced by the food….and the winning ways of Wolfgang, Lee, and astonishing young Chef Ari Rosenson (he started at Spago when fifteen, and has been there fourteen years) are enough to make dining here an astonishing experience. Expensive, somewhat, but having just reviewed the Robuchon 16-course tasting menu for $350. at Vegas’ MGM Grand, a delicious dinner here for around $150-200. a person is somewhat reasonable (and friends returning from London tell me horror tales of what meals there cost these days.) The presentation begins immediately upon being seated and after drinks have been served. A bread bearer offers up three kinds, two from La Brea Bakery - a dark pumpernickel and a tangy rye, but the home-baked onion foccaccio is the call. At which point a meat bearer arrives hand-carrying a platter of beef cuts (shades of Arnie Morton and their grotesque cart); he points out the amazing marbling of the Japanese meat and the intense deep red color of the prime cuts…admittedly, it’s theater, but I like the detail of it.

I’ll get to the steaks in a moment, but you’ll forgive me if I begin by mentioning a dish listed under the category ‘Slow Simmered and Pan Roasted’…Slow Braised Beef Oxtail and Veal Sweet Bread ‘Pot Pie’ ($32.). Hefter knows my predilection for offal, so he made certain our table received a sample of this, under its flaky pastry cover…and I could have stopped right there and been a happy camper. Also under this menu heading are two other superb dishes: Kobe Beef Short Ribs ($36.), with Indian spices in a ‘cocotte’ pot for eight hours of simmering…oh, my, the intense flavor of this…and Wolf’s Traditional Veal ‘Holstein Schnitzel’ with fried eggs ($42.) There’s a lobster which we ordered, Pan Roasted Maine Lobster ($55. for a two pound crustacean and $80. for three pounds). It’s taken out of the shell tableside and served with black truffle sabayon and Thai butter….if you are a lobster lover, you’ll appreciate that this lobster has never subsided in a tank, was wrapped quickly in wet parchment after landing and, still frisky, aired to the restaurant.

About ten salads and starters begin the journey, pricey, imaginative, delicious. Kobe Steak Sashimi ($24.00), Prime Sirloin Steak Tartare ($23.), this one truly enticing. My companions raved about the Lobster and Crab Louis Cocktail ($24.), somewhat bland ‘til spiced by the tomato-horseradish sauce. I’ve never met a pork belly I didn’t like, this one a Maple-Glazed Pork Belly ($16.) atop a watercress salad with a sesame-orange dressing. I enjoyed the warm, organic Asparagus ($18.) with a poached egg, crisp pancetta, drizzled with a warm bacon vinaigrette, especially when the server poked the golden egg and it soaked down into the spears. A Foie Gras Pave ($22.), creamy smooth between Tunisian spiced tuiles. Loved that Wolf went to his origins for an Austrian Oxtail Bouillion ($18.) with chive blossoms and the most delicate bone marrow dumplings.

Under the menu heading The Things We Do For Two…are a trio of intriguing items. A Sauteed French Dover Sole À La Meuniere ($36. per person) is actually quite reasonable, since last month we reviewed the Il Sole sole dish for one at $46.; the Rotisserie Duckling ($32. per person), and a Roasted Wild French Turbot ($39. per person.) done ‘French Riviera’ style. (The only style I’ve seen lately on the French Riviera was gouging money from tourists.) Other offerings are a Sashimi Quality Big Eye Tuna Steak ($38.), a Double Thick Kurobuta Pork Chop ($36.), a Sonoma Lamb T-Bone ($48.), and Broiled Santa Barbara Spot Prawns ($42.). But it is the steaks which are in the spotlight, and the quality is evident…the pricing more so. A New York chef, Tom Colicchio, pioneered the pricing of steaks according to origin and number of days of aging, a ridiculous but brilliant marketing idea accentuated by his 28, 35, 42, 49 or 56 days tier. Here they have two tiers of steaks, U.S.D.A. Prime Illinois Corn-Fed Aged for 21 days (wet aged, though they don’t specify so)…and then a second tier of a New York Sirloin, U.S.D.A Prime Nebraska Corn Fed, Dry Aged for 35 Days, which is 14 ounces for $48. or Petit Cut New York, 8 ounces ($34.). The four earlier choices of 21 day steaks include a Kansas City Sirloin, 20 ounces for $44.; a 34-ounce Porterhouse for two for $40. per person, a Bone-in Rib Eye of 20 ounces $48. (my first choice of all the steaks here)….and there is a separate category of American Wagyu/Angus “Kobe Style� Beef from Snake River Farms, Idaho…which features a New York Sirloin of 8 ounces for $70. and a Filet Mignon, 6 ounces for $55. Confusing, a bit. Fun, yes. Expensive, yes… but in today’s world of fine food, not really. Delicious? Of course.

The steaks are expertly grilled over hardwood and charcoal, then finished under a 1200 degree broiler…and they were attentive to requests for degrees of doneness. (I actually got mine charred and blue, not easy.) A dish of four mustards is served with the steaks, and I have suggested that they put little sticks in each of these – and in all of the sauces – so they can be more readily identified on a crowded table. One of the mustards was… must, I believe…it tasted musty. Think you are done yet? Head spinning? There’s a whole other world to come, under three headings: The Sauces $4.; Add to the Cuts; and On The Side $10.00. Seven sauces, of which you’ll want to at least try the house made steak sauce and the BÄ“arnaise, although my favorite was an Argentinean chimichurri. The second category features things like: Sautéed wild mushrooms, $10.; Foie Gras Rossini style $14. (it sings to you); Bone Marrow $9.; Point Reyes Blue Cheese $9.; and Fried Organic Egg $5.. The nine side dishes are French fries (my only miss, not crispy enough), Yukon Gold potato purée, tempura onion rings, creamed spinach with fried egg, and soft Parmesan polenta. My favorite: a dish of Chino Farm carmelized sweet corn. Still to be tried: potato tarte tatin ($14.), sautéed Chanterelle mushrooms ($14.) and braised Swiss chard.

You know of course that Spago pastry genius Sherry Yard is on her toes here, working with the talented Darren McGraw, and all of the $14. desserts are absolutely sublime, but I must mention the Peach Melba with pistachio gelato, and the Inside-out Profiteroles with coffee-chicory ice cream bar. My table quickly spooned down the incredible Chocolate Soufflè, which I later found was made with Venezualan and African chocolate, served with a whipped cream which had a touch of crème fraiche for tartness. Still to be tried: the Crepe ‘short stack’ and the Mille Feuille. I have problems with coffee service at most restaurants; it’s almost an afterthought, rather than a highlight, and have some suggestions about how to make it special, but that’s really not my business. The wine list of classic and boutique bottles deserves (and will get) a separate story…they have imported from New York a very experienced and personable beverage director, Dana Farner. Her choices are excellent albeit expensive, though she does have a few reasonably-priced offerings for us regular folks. (Wines by the glass are served in attractive carafes.) The service at CUT is excellent, the team knowledgeable about all of the menu items and unfailingly accommodating, a tribute to Prexy Tom Kaplan and his staff. (Interestingly, I have heard they are all employees of the Four Seasons, as Puck is on a management contract.) The assistant restaurant director, Mishel LeDoux, told me that the Sidebar, to the other side of the entrance, will be open late and showed me its separate menu: I know I’ll be here late nights for the Mini Kobe Sliders on brioche buns and Sherry’s Four Cheese and Potato Knishes.

This is a sophisticated New York restaurant in the heart of Beverly Hills. It will please all worldly eaters, people accustomed to paying fairly for the very best food and environment. In an age when ‘Steak is King,’ CUT is a bloody rare find!

CUT is open seven nights a week from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m.; later on weekends. Lunch may come in the Fall. With seventeen restaurants, including three in hotels, Wolfgang Puck is busy indeed, not to mention his revitalized supermarket items, cookware and books….a deserved success for a truly sensational guy.

© 2006 la.foodblogging.