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What's New At Alexander's Steakhouse

Published on Thursday, January 17, 2019 | 1:19 pm
 

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It has been a few years (FOUR!), a new chef (Chef Travis Flood), and a changing seasonal menu since I’ve visited Alexander’s Steakhouse. It was high time for another visit.
 
If you are not familiar with Alexander’s Steakhouse it is an East-West fusion of decedent steaks, not steaks, appetizers, sides, and desserts. It also has a full bar and and an extensive wine list.
 
Eating at Alexander’s is not just a meal but an experience. Expect to wile away a couple of hours while you dine on their wide assortment of inventive and delicious food and sip a glass of wine or two.
 
It’s always fun to get a little treat you’re not expecting, Chef Flood’s amuse-bouche of crisp bread, goat cheese and marinated beets made a nice little introduction to the meal to come. As did the assortment of fresh baked breads.
 
On the advice of our server we started with the Fritto Misto, a selection of seafood and vegetables all dipped in a light tempura batter and fried to a crispy-golden brown. Succulent shrimp and calamari was enjoyed as was the sweet Japanese sweet potatoes and tart slices of lemon. A wasabi aioli accompanied the dish for dipping. Both my companion and I really devoured this dish.
 
A pair of Hamachi shots came next, topped with dashi, avocado, fresno chili, ponsu, negi and arare. The best way to eat these flavor-packed goodies is to stir them up, shoot them back, and then wait for the flavor explosion.
 
Not on the menu, but available for the asking, a diver scallop drizzled in a Meyer lemon sauce came next. Fresh slices of apple and shaved celery completed the dish. The scallop was cooked expertly with a crisp caramelized crust and a tender-sweet interior. Two of these would make a great entree for non-steak eaters.
 
Steak is in the restaurant’s name, so steak we had. For my companion a thick slice of prime rib, and for me a Flannery hangar. The Prime Rib was as big as the plate, thickly sliced, none of these whimpy thin slices. The edges were covered thickly with cracked pepper and served simply with horseradish and natural jus. I could tell from the look on his face that the prime rib was just fine and cooked to perfection.
 
My hanger steak was nicely charred and sliced on the diagonal with mashed potatoes with a heavy topping of herbs and a sprinkling of chimichurri. Even though the steak had a topping I choose to add an addition of buttery-soft bleu cheese that I had served on the side to add as I desired and I desired!
 
We also added sides of mashed potatoes, roasted caulilini, and fried rice. The mashed potatoes were topped with a bit of dry-aged gravy and some crispy potato skin chips. The potatoes were silky-smooth with a touch of cream, the gravy was sinfully rich and and crispy potato skins added a nice little crunch.
 
Caulilini is a hybrid vegetable of cauliflower and broccolini. It had a sweet flavor and tastes just unbelievable the way it is prepared by Alexander’s. Roasted to a charred tenderness, the Caulilini was bathed in a spicy sweet and sour sauce (beyond good, I want the recipe) and topped with pine nuts and a touch of garlic. I ate the whole dish, it was so delicious.
 
Alexander’s fried rice is a tasty combination of lap xuong (Chinese sausage), egg whites and chives. You can get it with the addition of King Crab, dry-aged filet, or a combo of both. Ours was filled with sweet crab meat. It’s a great dish for people who don’t want potatoes or just want something different.
 
For dessert (yes, after all that we had dessert) we had a delicate orange souffle with a saffron-honey crème anglaise. With a slash of a spoon the waiter split the souffle in the middle and drizzled in the creamy goodness of the crème. The souffle was light and perfumed with orange, it was luscious. If you plan on ordering the souffle you need to give your waiter at least a fifteen minute heads-up.
 
There was also a special dessert; melt-in-your-mouth tutti-fruity cotton candy! It was the chef’s treat and it was a fun, sweet, flavor bomb. It made me feel like a kid again. What a fun ending to a tasty meal.
 
Alexander’s Steakhouse is located at 111 N. Los Robles Avenue, Pasadena. For reservations or question call (626) 486-1111 or visit www.alexanderssteakhouse.com/pasadena.
 
 
 
 
 

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