MORTON'S
STEAKHOUSE OF CHICAGO IN DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES
By Michael
Hepworth
Arnie Morton's Steak House of Chicago opened its 62nd
venue, in downtown
Los Angeles
making a welcome addition to the burgeoning dining scene down there.
Proving a lively challenger to LA Prime at the nearby Bonaventure Hotel,
steak houses are "in" right now, with the Porterhouse Bistro and
Mastro's of
Scottsdale
having both opened in
Beverly Hills
recently. Morton's uses it's lofty reputation to keep the momentum going
with some style. All the predictable steak house staples are here, such as
Frank Sinatra music over the speakers, hordes of black and white photos on
the wall, and of course no shortage of keen and willing staff to sell the
product. The restaurant opened in early November last year just in time
for the new Basketball season, and being close to the
Staples
Center
is an obvious plus. Included in the $6 valet parking fee is a shuttle from
the restaurant to the arena for all Lakers, Clippers and Kings games.
This the only restaurant I have ever been in where a
live presentation by the waiter featured all the steaks on the menu plus
other selected courses. It has taken the waiter seven hours of practicing
to perfect this presentation, and an example of it can be found by
checking into their web site (link below). The restaurant seats 137 in the
main dining room plus 50 in a private boardroom. Like most of the other
Morton's, an open kitchen gives you a great view of the chef's at work,
and the subdued elegance of the room is just right for both business and
social meals. The tables are nicely spaced; no sense of being squeezed in
here, and for a chain restaurant, Morton's has managed to maintain the
quality control over the food and the staff. General manager Bill White
circulates, knows his customers and makes everyone feel equally important.
The well tried and tested menu is set in stone, and
for an appetizer we decided to go for the Jumbo Lump Crab Cake with
Mustard Mayonnaise sauce at $10.95 and the excellent Broiled Sea
Scallops wrapped in bacon with apricot chutney for $10.50. Other
appetizers include such old throwbacks as Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail and
Oysters on the Half Shell. It is steaks however that people come
here for and they range in price from $23.95 to $34.95. All steaks are
shipped in direct from
Chicago
and standouts include Double Filet Mignon, 24 or 48 ounce Porterhouse,
New York Strip Sirloin and a Cajun Ribeye. A giant Prime
Rib is generally available, but by mid-evening is usually sold out. We
were lucky and got the last one from the joint, and that was about eight
thirty in the evening. Tender and delicious, it sums up the quality of
Morton's and the absolute "no compromise" attitude about the
selection of the produce. A good choice of side dishes include Lyonnaise
Potatoes at $4.95, done just right, and the Idaho Baked Potato at $4.95,
which my companion adored, as it retained it's heat for a good ten minutes
after arriving at the table. Seafood lovers can also go for the Whole
Baked Maine Lobster (priced at market value), Farm raised Salmon
at $23.95, Shrimp Alexander with Sauce Beurre Blanc at $23.95 or
the Center Cut Swordfish Steak with Sauce Bearnaise for $26.95.
The wine list is very comprehensive for a chain, and
although there is not an actual sommelier on hand, general manager Bill
White knows his wines pretty well. We tried something new - a 97 Pinot
Noir from
Sonoma
's
Russian
River
Valley
and the Hanzell Vineyard. The vineyard dates back to 1957 and only
produces 3,000 cases a year. The early morning coastal fog in this part of
the world is ideal, providing a cooler growing season, especially for
Pinot Noir. This long maturing wine is very good, and for steaks, an ideal
choice. Desserts consist of such classics such as New York
Cheesecake, Key Lime Pie and an appealing sounding Soufflé
for Two, with Chocolate, Grand Marnier, Lemon and Raspberry. We went
for the Godiva Hot Chocolate Cake at $8.95, and it certainly
rounded out a fine meal. Arnie Morton's Steak House will not let you
down, they are just too experienced for that, and they will undoubtedly be
a fixture downtown for a long time to come.
Fact Sheet
735 S. Figueroa St
, Los Angeles
CA
90017
Phone: 213-553-4566
Lunch: Monday-Friday (11:30 PM-2:30 PM)
Dinner: Monday-Friday (5:30 PM-11:00 PM)
Sunday (5:30 PM-10:00
PM)
Dress: Smart casual
Valet Parking
Cost: Dinner for two w/wine $150
|
