A great steakhouse is all about balance. Bread and butter. Steak and potatoes. Cake and cognac. Smith & Wollensky nails the “and” by artfully bringing together all the elements for the perfect steakhouse experience.

Kick off your meal with one of the seasonal batched cocktails or a new twist on an old favorite. Try the Mexican Old-Fashioned with 1800 reposado tequila and just the right touch of smoky Vida del Maguey mezcal to balance the bitters and sweet agave.

If you’re looking for a more fruit-forward concoction, the blueberry gin sour is another representation of Smith & Wollensky’s mastery of balance. The botanicals of the Gunpowder Gin blend beautifully with blueberry syrup and lemon juice for a cocktail that’s both sweet and tart.

It’s hard to go wrong with the starters that include top-notch versions of steakhouse staples such as the shellfish tower with chilled lobster, Alaskan king crab, jumbo shrimp and raw oysters or steak tartare. This raw steak starter is a textural treat for your tastebuds as diced filet is coated in egg yolk with capers, onions and a touch of dijon. Again, the “and” comes into play as this dish features both traditional egg yolk and cured dried egg yolk flakes on top, adding another layer of richness to an already decadent dish.

Smith & Wollensky

Burrata View Gallery

 

The classic burrata is enhanced with roasted tomato, a sweet balsamic reduction with honey and flash-fried basil that melts in your mouth just like the creamy burrata. If you need to mop up that extra balsamic drizzle, don’t sleep on the delicious rosemary-topped, pull-apart bread.

When it’s time for the main event, twin-stuffed lobster tails will satisfy a seafood craving, but any of the tempting cuts sourced from the Pacific Northwest via Double R Ranch and Snake River Farms are safe bets for entrées. They’re hand-butchered then wet- or dry-aged in-house to enhance tenderness and flavor. Popular cuts include the signature filet mignon, New York strip, like the wagyu tenderloin, and the prime porterhouse, but the real pièce de résistance is the swinging tomahawk ribeye.

The insane presentation is dinner and a show as the steak that started in the kitchen’s broiler is rolled out swinging from a hook before it’s charred tableside with beef fat, which drips onto a bed of crispy Yukon potatoes. While the magnificently marbled steak is clearly the star, the flavorful potatoes soak up the beef fat for the perfect accompaniment.

Whether you saved room or not, order the aptly named gigantic chocolate cake. Saying this dessert eats like a meal is an understatement but with smooth Baileys Original Irish Cream-infused milk chocolate mousse between five layers of dense chocolate cake and a side of fresh berries, it covers fruits, grains and dairy. Heck, it even has a cow-shaped cookie on top for the meat group.

Pair dessert with a taste of pure elegance as Smith & Wollensky is one of the few restaurants to serve smaller 1/2- and 1-ounce tastes of the legendary Louis XIII cognac to cap off your meal.

 

The Grand Canal Shoppes at The Palazzo and The Venetian, opens at 11:30 a.m. daily. 702.637.1515