Recently I enjoyed a media comped Happy Hour experience at esteemed downtown LA steakhouse Nick & Stef’s. I’d never eaten at the trendy establishment, but when I saw a glimpse of the cocktails on display, I was more than intrigued. $5 Moscow Mule? Drop EVERYTHING (although, ironically I didn’t have one).
Anyway, I didn’t get to try any of the steak, but I did sample quite a bit of the Happy Hour menu. Results after the jump…
First off, I just had to get a spicy margarita, extra chiles pls. I’ve been on a major jalapeño / serrano margarita kick, and lately I’ve been sipping them down wherever I can find them. I was quite happy with this offering; although, Supperclub LA still has my favorite (made with prickly pear).
Our first smattering of dishes arrive. Apologies for the picture quality. These pics were taken with my old camera.
Flatbread. I believe this featured manila clams and spanish chorizo. Nice. Nothing special.
Another flatbread, this time with prosciutto and arugula. Not as good as the other flatbread. And the other flatbread was, as I stated, nothing spesh. I think I’m over flatbreads in general though.
Our first order of sliders. My tablemates and I each took one. Mine was dry. In fact three out of the four were dry.
“I know you’re not trying to serve me no dry sliders.”
All is forgiven with a tasty oyster.
Drink #2: Fizzy Stef’s. Grey Goose Pear, fresh cucumber, fresh lime juice, pasteurized egg whites, topped with ginger beer. My kind of drink. Approved. (But be warned: it receives no special Happy Hour pricing).
I believe this is someone else’s Moscow Mule. It was well-received.
A second round of sliders (which I randomly shot in black and white) arrives in search of redemption. There was none. Nothing worse than a dried up slider.
Enormously tasty bruschetta descends on the table. The flavors are all spot-on. But look at how thin that bread is. Pick up a slice, and it all falls apart. A functional misstep. Thank goodness for forks.
Braised beef short rib skewers. The best dish of the night. Skip the sliders and go for these.
After the meal, we received a nifty tour of the restaurant’s meat locker.
These cuts have been aging away for weeks.
To get into the locker, we must first saunter through the kitchen, which is actually pretty cool. I had serious concerns that I’d wipe out on the slick floors.
A vat of something bubbles away. I’m sure it will be delicious whatever it is.
The meat locker is very cold. I forget the temperature it’s kept at normally, but it’s safe to say that it’s far less amiable than typical Los Angeles weather. I should also mention that it stinks in there.
So much meat. I’m salivating.
Each cut gets its own tag that identifies when it goes in, and when it comes out.
Additionally, the restaurant ages its cheese in the locker too.
Yes, there were a lot interesting things decomposing away into soon-to-be delectable offerings. I’ll have to go back to have a proper meal there, but in the meantime, I’ll have fond memories of the braised beef short rib skewers and my drinks. Thanks to Nick & Stef’s for having me.