Last week I had the opportunity to experience John Howie Steak in Belleuve at the Bravern for the first time. Everything I'd heard up until I walked into the place was excellent, so you had to understand how excited I was to finally have the chance to try the food. In the end I found that it wasn't as good as everyone had said.
Please don't get me wrong. Most of the food was excellent. The deviled eggs with the crumbled bacon were deliciously creamy with the perfect amount of smokey crunch. The crabcakes were fresh and crispy on the outside. And the steak. Oh the steak. I ordered the 8oz petite fillet. Ordered it medium rare and I have to tell you that it was perfectly cooked. Cooked so well that the steak practically melted in my mouth. So flavorful, so jucy, so tasty. I have to say that I think this steak rivals my previous opinion of The Met. In fact I think, if it's even possible, that this steak is better then the one I ate at The Met and that one was fantastic.
The issue here is the Beecher’s Flagship Reserve Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese.
It was made with elbow pasta, an onion cream sauce and a herbed bread crumb crust. The top tasted baked, although the inside was still saucy without being soupy. It tasted as if the cooked noodles were mixed together with the sauce, topped with the breadcrumbs and put under the broiler to finish the dish and bake the top.
I found that first and foremost the breadcrumbs didn't really do anything for the dish. They tasted good, but it didn't really add anything or take anything away from the dish. The sauce was okay, but I didn't really taste any of the onion that was supposedly in the sauce. Most of the flavor was the Beecher's cheese, but unlike the original Beecher's mac'n'cheese in Pike Place, this mac was not as rich. The worst part of the dish were the noodles. Don't get me wrong. I like my noodles to be a bit al dente. Unfortunately the noodles in the dish we were served were a little too undercooked. Sadly I was a very disappointed.
Do I like this restaurant? Absolutely and I would recommend it highly to anyone who loves steak and is willing to pay the high price. The only thing I wouldn't recommend is the mac'n'cheese. It's a great effort, but unfortunately it just doesn't cut the mustard.
One important thing to note. If you are interested in trying this restaurant go for lunch or happy hour. The prices are much more reasonable.
