Bazaar Meat by Jose Andres

I finally got around to checking out Bazaar Meat after meaning to go here for over a year, and I'm so glad I did! The first thing that drew me in was the overall atmosphere of the place. It's dark with really bizarre decor and a huge fire pit right in the middle of the dining room. I really love the multiple kitchen concept here and as a true foodie, it was super entertaining to watch the chefs busy at work preparing my meal.

The best tip I can give you is that if you come here, BRING MONEY. I mean serious amounts of it. This is NOT a bargain restaurant but I thought the high price tag was worth it. This was not just a meal, it was a very memorable experience.

The service was leisurely paced with just the right amount of friendliness. We decided to go all out with this meal so we ordered multiple courses and brought our own wine ($35 corkage fee). I took a pic of the wine menu since it was surprisingly heavy on big California reds. Worth noting since it's a faux pas to bring a bottle of wine that's already on the menu! The menu is heavy on Spanish influenced cuisine, with a focus on cured meats and giant steaks. This is not the place for picky eaters either, I'd classify most of the menu items as not only adventurous, but downright strange. Get out of your comfort zone and try some of the more wacky menu listings!

The serving styles are pretty inventive too -- the chicken croquetas are served in a fake glass Converse shoe! My favorite menu item of the evening were the cauliflower steak (roasted cauliflower in a very tasty romesco sauce). Yep, delicious! The asparagus were a huge let down and our plate was comprised of mostly the hard, woody stems. Yuck. Nobody likes that part and most of what we were served should've been thrown out. I was also not a fan of the crab and shrimp cocktail and would not order that again. The Chateaubriand was absolutely perfect. It took a while to cook but we were having a blast relaxing in the intimate atmosphere of the place. Since Bazaar Meat specializes in steaks, it goes without saying that the kitchen knows how to cook meat perfectly. We had both medium and medium-rare meat and both were absolutely perfect.

I loved the dessert menu concept (go for the "Chef's Sampler" box of mini desserts). They were almost too pretty to eat and tasted great. My favorite thing? The mini cookies, yum! My $6.00 espresso was more than acceptable and was a great way to round out our dinner.

While I'd love to be able to make dining here a habit, the prices will make it only reserved for special occasions. Ask to see the daily tasting menu options too, but be warned: the prices are EVEN HIGHER THAN THE FRENCH LAUNDRY! Yikes!

If you only order one thing here, make it the Robuchon potatoes. They were like eating mashed potato butter icing! Smooth texture and tons of creamy butter-ness!