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…
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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).
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Our first smattering of dishes arrive. Apologies for the picture quality. These pics were taken with my old camera.
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Flatbread. I believe this featured manila clams and spanish chorizo. Nice. Nothing special.
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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.
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Our first order of sliders. My tablemates and I each took one. Mine was dry. In fact three out of the four were dry.
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“I know you’re not trying to serve me no dry sliders.”
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All is forgiven with a tasty oyster.
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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).
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I believe this is someone else’s Moscow Mule. It was well-received.
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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.
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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.
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Braised beef short rib skewers. The best dish of the night. Skip the sliders and go for these.
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After the meal, we received a nifty tour of the restaurant’s meat locker.
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These cuts have been aging away for weeks.
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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.
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A vat of something bubbles away. I’m sure it will be delicious whatever it is.
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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.
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So much meat. I’m salivating.
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Each cut gets its own tag that identifies when it goes in, and when it comes out.
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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.