Steve’s Steakhouse

May 14, 2011

Avalon, Santa Catalina Island, California – I was looking for a different restaurant to try for dinner next time I came to Catalina. I remembered a few from my previous visits but searched the Internet anyway just to see if I was missing anything. In addition to the familiar places, what came up was a highly rated steakhouse. Noting the name and location, I now had my dinner spot.

Steve’s Steakhouse has a prime location on Crescent Avenue. It is run by Steve Bray. His family has been on the island since the late 1800’s. Both he and chef Frank Blair worked for several years at Armstrong’s (see review). In 2001, Bray left to open his own place, bringing Chef Blair with him.

Steve’s is located upstairs in the same building as the Hotel Vista Del Mar. Dinner is a very popular time. The line forms outside at least a half an hour or more before dinner hours, which begin at 4:30pm during the summer. If you want a window table, you had better be one of the first few people in line or be prepared to wait a long time. If it is crowded and you are dining solo, they will not put you at a window table. You’ll be seated across the aisle from the window but you will still have a view.

Be careful when you walk up those stairs to the restaurant. They are probably steeper and narrower than what you are used to. And have patience negotiating the area around the hostess’ station.

Now that we’re inside, take a moment to notice the view of the harbor, which is nicely framed by arched windows. Then, as you are seated, notice the black tablecloths lending an element of elegance to the room. By this time, you should be relaxing and anticipating a fine meal.

My server came to take my order. There was no question I’d be having a steak today. To round out the meal I also ordered a salad and a glass of red wine.

On the menu was a section called Surf and Turf, from which I decided on the Steak and King Crab. The steak is a top sirloin, but you can upgrade it to a Ribeye, New York, or Filet Mignon. I chose the Ribeye. Upgrades are priced accordingly and the King Crab is at market price. ‘Accordingly’ and market price today was $58.95.

Surf and Turf (and all the other dinners) comes with sourdough bread, and a choice of baked potato or rice pilaf, and mixed vegetables, sliced tomatoes, or asparagus. I went with rice pilaf and mixed vegetables. Today the veggies were corn on the cob, carrots, zucchini, and broccoli.

The spinach salad ($7.95) was served on a square white plate. It was generously adorned with lots of chopped red onions. Lots of strong chopped red onions. Generous, too, were the real bacon bits and crumbed hard-boiled eggs that came along for the ride. A slice of beefsteak tomato cut in half adorned the upper corners of the plate. Large, fresh spinach leaves provided the base. Combined with the honey-mustard dressing, I was very pleased with this salad, particularly because of the ingredients I just described. It was good enough to make a meal of all by itself. Honey-mustard dressing on a spinach salad was something different for me and I liked the way it contrasted with the other flavors.

A few minutes before I finished the salad, the main course arrived. Everything was crowded onto one large white triangular plate; the rice, veggies, steak, crab, stainless steel container of melted clarified butter, and a lemon wedge all becoming close friends. This was all plated with an orchid flower at the apex of the triangle. Nice touch! There were also orchids in a vase on the table.

My wine today was an Aquinas Pinot Noir ($9.00). I probably need to get the movie Sideways out of my head when ordering a pinot noir. This one paired pretty well with the steak, though, but didn’t have any other real noteworthy characteristics.

The vegetables were fresh. I liked that they were properly cooked so that they retained some of their crunch. I dispatched most of these first. The rice pilaf was nice and fluffy. It was good but nothing else really special about it.

The King Crab legs, as you can see in the photo, were of average size and hanging over the edge of the plate. But what made me smile was seeing that they were already split lengthwise. Easy access to the succulent meat inside. You King Crab lovers out there know what

a pain (literally) dealing with those spines can be. All I had to do was drizzle a little lemon juice on them, then lift, dunk, and eat. The meat was very good, but they could have been cooked maybe a minute or two less. Nothing to mark them down for, just an observation. Having the melted butter with crab legs is always nice.

My steak was cooked medium rare. It came with a wooden flag stating that it was. It was broiled judging by the grill marks and as a result, the exterior was just a wee bit charred in some places. Other than that, it was a good-tasting, tender steak with a nice, beefy flavor. No extra fat. And it was, indeed, medium rare.

Though it looked like a substantial meal, when I finished it, I wasn’t full. Yes, Steve’s does have dessert, but I did not get any this time. I didn’t want to overdo it since I still had a two-hour drive ahead once I got back to the mainland. When I do make it back here, I’ll try to save room for their signature Key Lime pie.

If you are looking for a great steakhouse while on the island, look no further. Whether it is a romantic lunch/dinner, business lunch/dinner, lunch/dinner out with friends, everyone will enjoy their dining experience here. Again, be warned, dinnertime during the summer is an extremely popular time. Plan accordingly.

Steve’s Steakhouse – 4.5 forks. Highly recommended. A private room with its own private entrance and restroom is available to rent for your special occasion.