BLT Steak DC

*Post by Mark.

First with the disclaimers: Neither Angela nor I paid a single penny for any of the things we ate or drank. Knowing full well that free food always tastes just a little bit better, feel free to take any of this with a serving of sodium. To celebrate Bastille Day, we were invited by 2911 Productions to attend a social media "social" at BLT Steak DC. 

 

 

 

 

BLT Steak DC is part of a chain of upscale steakhouses, with outposts in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Hong Kong, San Juan, and Honolulu, among other locations, and holds the #22 spot on Washingtonian's Top 100 Restaurants. The invite promised "an exclusive French wine tasting with Sommelier Nicole Saladyga, of which will be paired with a sampling of Chef Victor Albisu's celebrated seasonal dishes." The interior (below, left) served up a quintessential Washington D.C. steakhouse experience: a long bar, simple lines, dark wood, and suede-backed benches. The jovial Chef Victor (below, right) was on hand at various points throughout the night to make sure we were doing okay.

 

 

The night started off with a number of complimentary treats. First up, the chicken-liver pâté (below), with shallots, port, thyme, duck fat, and brandy. Luxurious, creamy, and silky. Angela loved it (it might have been her favorite part of the meal) and will probably try making it herself sometime, as Chef Victor graciously disclosed the recipe to the Washingtonian's Recipe Sleuth.

 

 

Next up, we were brought a the fontina, bacon and truffle toasts (below). The flavors were more subtle than I expected.

 

 

We also got a charcuterie plate (below), featuring sopressatta, chorizo, prosciutto and bresaola, and a bowl of pickled vegetables. 

 

 

Then came these insanely good Gruyère popovers (below), flaky on the outside and warm and doughy on the inside. Again, the restaurant was kind enough to share the recipe (included with each plate), so you may see them pop up here sometime soon (with our own spin). Hands down, these were one of the most popular parts of the entire meal.

 

 

For our actual appetizers, I started with the grilled double-cut smoked bacon (below). True to its name, it was very smokey, but in a good way. It was topped with what seemed to be a persillade (a finely chopped mixture of garlic and parsley), with a light drizzle of vinegar for acidity to cut through the richness.

 

 

Angela ordered the hamachi crudo (below), with avocado and yuzu pickled peppers. It was a beautiful dish, simple, clean and elegant. All the flavors melded together really well.

 

 

We also got to try the much-touted tuna tartare (below), with a base of mashed avocado and soy-lime dressing. It was beautifully plated and served with a side of nicely seasoned, house-made potato chips.

 

 

I really enjoyed the bites I tried of the crabcake (below), served with Meyer lemon and a radish salad.

 

 

For my entree, I got the bone-in ribeye (below) and went with the server's suggestion to pair it with a horseradish sauce. The wet-aged steak was nicely marbled and Angela couldn't help but notice all that bone marrow ("meat butter" as she likes to call it) hanging out alongside my dish, so she devoured it.

 

 

Angela got the double-cut rack of lamb (below), with a peppercorn sauce. The lamb was perfectly cooked, rich and succulent. She didn't love the peppercorn sauce, but the lamb was great enough on its own that she was happy with her dish- a motion that I was happy to second.

 

 

Some of the other items ordered were the Maine lobster with a cognac jus, the saffron mussel risotto (below, left), with tomatoes, Jambon de Bayonne, and herbs de Provence, the braised short ribs, and the (massive, mountain-shaped) 12 oz. filet (which was served in a cast iron skillet, but plated almost professionally as seen below by Lisa of Dining in DC.)

 

 

 

If you can believe it, we also ordered side dishes. I got the parmesan gnocchi (below) and Angela ordered the jalepeno mashed potatoes (not pictured), which were addictive - creamy and dark green, with a nice show of heat.

 

 

After our entrees hit, the group looked completely defeated by all the food. That's when these delicious, complimentary chocolate brownie cookies strolled out- with a layer of sugar on top like you'd expect in a sugar cookie.

  

 

Angela was way too stuffed for dessert, but I had smartly saved room for a sweet bite to finish the meal. Within seconds, I had decided on the peanut butter chocolate mousse with banana ice cream. Angela had a small bite, then dropped her fork - way too rich for her. She had no idea what she was missing. 

 

 

 

Normally, this is the point in the meal where the check arrives and provides that final shade to an experience. The value factor is always the final test before my impression is cast in stone and the great meal that cost $50 might become somewhat disappointing at $200. In this instance, we were lucky enough to go to town on the menu and didn't have the shock of seeing any lofty bill.

 

Everything we ate at BLT was fantastic and I'm glad we are able to sample it all, because it's a place we probably wouldn't have gone to on our own. Rarely do we eat at steakhouses (usually we'll try to go more adventurous for a special occasion if we're going to be dropping a lot of money), and BLT is no exception to that rule - the food is a la carte and the entrees run between 30 and 50 dollars. However, while the prices are pretty comparable to DC's other top steakhouses, it's some of the finer points like those addicting popovers or the chocolate brownie cookies than make BLT a standout. 

Comments

[Evan]

holy eff that risotto looks good. And that hamachi grudo, holy crap.

[Lisa Shapiro]

Great research on that pate recipe! I loved the write up. I am still working on mine. The photos are top notch. Thanks for the shout-out. ;)
Best,
Lisa

[Morgan]

So lovely dining with you all at BLT Steak, thank you so much for attending the "social media social"...I hope to see you all again soon!

P.S. The photos are delicious

[Angela]

Evan-
Everything was so beautiful. And that hamachi just melted in my mouth. Even Mark loved it. I feel like a tool blabbering over a free meal, but it really was very, very good.

Lisa-
I can't wait for yours, I went to look for it today and see you've got a lot of reviews in the works. I do think I'll make that pate sometime soon.

Morgan-
It was so nice to talk with you! You should definitely join us on a future food adventure, we'll be in touch.

[FrenchTwistDC]

Sad I missed it. The spread at the embassy was definitely not as nice as this... that lamb looks heavenly!

[Angela]

Laetitia-
We were definitely not expecting all of that (I thought we might just have some tasting trays passed around). The lamb was as perfectly cooked as I've ever had lamb. Wish you could have been there!

[Anita]

It was great meeting you both at the BLT event! My spotlight is now up at www.gregslistdc.com. Hope to see you again soon!
-ANITA
food editor
www.gregslistdc.com

[Angela]

Anita,

It was nice to meet you, too! Great write-up. You should come to more food blogger happy hours!