High Steaks
You might think a steak is a steak— until you try one at Parq in the Montage Beverly Hills. The chef’s coffee-crusted New York strip (yes, coffee!) with wild arugula, Fourme d’Ambert and bourbon caramel is so to die for, we just had to get the recipe. You’ll still be dreaming about this plate the next day.—SARI ANNE TUSCHMAN
Coffee-Crusted
NY Strip Steak
4 eight-ounce New York strip steaks
1 cup freshly ground coffee
1 cup salt
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 pound butter
1/2 pound sugar
1/2 cup bourbon
1/4 cup parsley
2 cups garden arugula
Salt and pepper
2 table spoons olive oil
4 ounce. bleu cheese, crumbled
Combine the coffee, salt and brown sugar to make a dry rub. Coat each steak with the rub, covering it completely. Grill the seasoned steaks over medium-high heat (2-3 minutes per side for medium rare); allow meat to rest away from heat for fivr minutes to avoid juices running out.
In a saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter and sugar together and stir. Once caramel has formed and turns golden brown, remove the saucepan from the heat and add the bourbon. Place pan back on stove and continue cooking until mixture begins to soften. Add parsley and cracked black pepper to the pan and blend well. Season arugula with fresh-cracked black pepper and salt; dress with olive oil.
To serve, ladle sauce onto each plate and add steak. Top with arugula and crumbled bleu cheese.
Delphine Eatery & Bar
In case you’ve been calling the underside of a rock your home and don’t know about the new W Hollywood Hotel & Residences on the not-so-discreet corner of Hollywood and Vine, perhaps you also don’t know about its restaurant, Delphine Eatery & Bar. The eatery has all the ingredients of a French brasserie with the surprise of Mediterranean influences mixed in through a focus on seafood and items such as pizza making an appearance on the menu. “We wanted to have something for everyone,” says Lee Maen, partner of Innovative Dining Group (IDG), the parent company that owns the restaurant and seven others in the LA area, including BOA Steakhouse and Sushi Roku. “We wanted to create a communal place where people could come and hang, not a destination. Having something for everyone on the menu is part of that.”
Even the décor strays from the usual look of a brasserie: There’s the customary tile floor, but the darker tones so often seen in Parisian bistros are cast aside for light colors that evoke a coastal feel. Large ceiling fans and wicker chairs help to create an indoor/outdoor vibe. Open for breakfast through dinner (and serving until midnight on weekends), Delphine menu staples range from traditional bistro fare to Spanish and Italian plates. Signature dishes include the Delphine salad with escarole, red onions, walnuts and grana padano in a lemon-truffle vinaigrette; trout meunière with sautéed shrimp, potatoes and lemon in a parsley brown butter; macaroni gratin with Gruyère, onions and French ham; and gigantic seafood platters. The restaurant also boasts 50 bottles of wine priced below $50, so you don’t have to empty your wallet to drink well. 6250 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, 323-798-1355; restaurantdelphine.com—SARI ANNE TUSCHMAN
