LOS ANGELES          LONDON

Travel & Entertainment

Calendar

Food & Drink

Spas

Beauty & Style

MASTRO’S Choice

246 N. Canon Dr. Beverly Hills 310.888.8782

If it’s at all possible to go into a restaurant, nibble off the bread basket and still go home happy, then Mastro’s would be that place.  It’s no wonder that an establishment that has been around more than two years and holds court on the famed Canon Drive next to that other legendary eatery, worries little about marketing itself or dropping celebrity names to attract patrons.  Mastro’s talented young Executive Chef Taylor Boudreaux, who graciously posed for a much-needed publicity photo explains, “At some point, the food has to speak for itself.”

Speak? The food delivers a spellbinding aria and the James Beard-nominated Boudreaux has every right to take a bow for it. Influenced deeply by his family’s Cajun background, Boudreaux is also inspired by his nomadic Navy background which allowed him to absorb regional flavors and convey its collective magic at Mastro’s. 

Here, Rat-pack meets retro-chic.  A crooner at the piano-bar, dark mahogany walls, lights so low everyone looks twenty, and food that easily warrants a leisurely dining experience. Mastro’s is the kind of posh steakhouse that  personifies a special event and yet the experience is too vital to let it be so infrequent.  Although the latter part of the evening sees to a crowd more concerned with eye candy than culinary delight, there is something so undeniably dignified and old-school about it that one may be tricked into seeing Sinatra wafting through the packed space.

Sit back in the leather booths and start off with a showpiece Cosmopolitan.  The unbeatable presentation involves pouring the mandarin-infused concoction from individual shakers at your table onto dry ice, turning your martini glass into a little bubbling volcano.  So smooth, you’ll be sure to go through a few shakers before you realize how potent this tasty elixir is. 

Start with Chef Taylor’s signature appetizer, Maryland Blue Crab.  These are fat, all-meat patties with not a crumb in sight, served with spicy remoulade and tiny greens drizzled with lemon vinaigrette.  It’s a carnivore’s paradise and the substantial portions aim to satisfy.  The 33 oz. “Chef’s Cut” Rib-eye Chop is sure to elicit a gasp when it arrives at your table.  Firm yet tender, this formidable prime chunk - like the rare bone-in fillet - is dusted with a proprietary rub made of paprika, starch, onion/garlic powders, then cooked at 1200 degrees where it caramelizes and produces the kind of skin that perfectly balances the juiciness of its rosy pink center.

But this doesn’t mean the seafood takes a backseat.  The stately fishes, ranging from vanilla-battered lobster tails and farm-raised salmon to king crab legs, further establishes this as the doyenne of fine cuisine.  For dessert, be sure to order the apple pie in advance because it’s freshly baked, served a la mode and drizzled with caramel sauce.

-GD