They say Butcher’s Table is the swankiest new steakhouse in town, with tasting flights of different grades or different cuts of beef. It’s trendy and it’s a bit of a extravagance, but if you’re going to have steak, you might was well go all out. We were celebrating a birthday afterall, so no expense was spared. And that’s how I like it.
uni – lardo, seeded bread, jalapeño. Considering that Butcher’s Table specializes in beef, this uni had a delicate sweetness and creaminess that paired well with the bread and the spice of the jalapeños. It’s always fun to see how uni is used outside of sushi and they did quite well with this fun bite of appetizer.
If you wanted to know what the difference in cuts tastes like, this is how you do it. If you can’t taste the difference between the cuts, then your best bet is to get the cheapest cut and stick to it. This happens to be the 5-star tasting – filet, new York, cap of ribeye and eye of ribeye. All the pieces had a lovely beef flavor, the filet was the most tender (as expected), though none of them had any issues with gristle and chewiness. This is about as good as it gets.
Ultra rib-eye cap – the most marbled cut of beef, a hint of sweetness, a cut that few people order because they think the filet is the ultimate. No so – filet’s tend to be a little chalky and lacking in fat, which brings out the flavor of the beef. This is the ultimate. And in my mind, there’s no need to compare, because everything else is just going to fall short. I did have the opportunity to compare it to the 5-star and there is a noticeable difference in the richness. Some people don’t like their food that rich – I think they might want to re-evaluate their life choices. 🙂 This cut, even though only 8 oz. is going to fill you up. Savor it while you can.
Broccoli with croutons – sautéed with onions. This sadly was a bit oily and the broccoli limp. It was as if the croutons were added to take the place of the original crunch of the broccoli.
Beef Fat French Fries – potato planks with light breading and fried. Sadly, they retained all of the oil in the potato, though the outside was crispy. They were heavier than what fries should be and could have used a little salt or more herbs to brighten the flavor.
Seattle Sazerac – absinthe and espresso among other things, or so that’s what I heard… It was good enough that 2 of these were ordered and this is now a favorited bar.
Pascilla pepper donuts – with dulce de leche, fluffy donuts with just a hint of savory from the pepper and plenty of cinnamon and sugar if you’re worried that they might be a bit weird. Maybe drink the dulce de leche, though that’ll definitely cause some raised eyebrows. YOLO!
This is a purist’s steakhouse. All their beef is Waygu. There is nothing that covers up the true flavors of the beef, so that it’s able to shine. You won’t find any hollandaise recommended here (though they have it, along with a mole) – you don’t need it. Maybe that’s why the sides are a little underwhelming, but that’s really not what you’re here for. The service is excellent and friendly and the cocktails amazing. There’s a bar upstairs that would give any craft cocktail bar a run for their money.
Overall, I’d recommend this place if you’re looking for something less stuffy than El Gaucho and more fun than Metropolitan Grill. But just know, that your steak is not going to come with mashed potatoes and all the sides are extra. Still, you won’t find a better cut of beef than the Ultra ribeye cap anywhere else in Seattle.
SUMMARY:
Overall – happily ever after
Highlights: steak cut 5-star tasting flight, ultra ribeye cap
Footnotes: a trendy steakhouse, not a swanky one – thought prices are even higher than competitors due to the grade of beef they’re using.