STK brunch fare includes waffles with berries and a vodka enhanced
whipped cream. (photo by Jill Weinlein)
At the Summer Solstice preview at STK Steakhouse Los Angeles, I watched a cloud of towering pink cotton candy transform into a scoop of strawberry ice cream, with crispy meringue wafers and fresh berries inside. It’s one of the most spectacular desserts in Los Angeles. “The Cloud” comes out of the kitchen as a one-foot-high swirl of pink cotton candy on a plate. A server dribbles a little Grand Mariner on top, fires a culinary torch and melts the confectionary swirl right before your eyes to reveal the heart of the dessert. It’s one of many fantastic menu items created by corporate executive chef Robert Liberato and his team. The Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts graduate revealed his new Happy Hour and brunch steakhouse fare with a modern twist.
My friend and I tried out many of the new Happy Hour and brunch menu items at the al fresco bar, which is located near the pool and has a tropical vacation vibe.
In 2015, W Hotel completed a multi-million-dollar transformation updating the former Westwood Marquis Hotel into a high energy destination with ambient lighting, lively music and eye-catching art. STK became its signature restaurant.
Servers strolled around the terrace with trays of signature cocktails and menu items priced at $3 and up during happy hour. We sampled oysters on the half shell, little juicy wagyu slider burgers, short rib quesadilla, beef tartare, tuna tartare on a taro taco shell and STK steak with frites.
One of our favorite new brunch items included the cinnamon brioche French toast topped with fresh berries on cream cheese and a swirl of vodka enhanced whipped cream on top. We also enjoyed the fried hot chicken thighs slicked with maple barbecue sauce on buttermilk waffles.
We sampled a few wagyu beef sliders topped with sliced tomato and a special STK Bold sauce.
The long, thin, cooked shrimp arrived in containers of red jalapeño-enhanced cocktail sauce, and we sipped bubbly wine from flutes to help calm the heat of the extra spicy sauce.
I thought the best item on the menu were the tender strips of beef filet with a delicious béarnaise sauce on top of large steak fries. The crisp and thick warm potato with a savory steak on top is a winning combination with a pleasing fragrant tarragon and shallot sauce with a wine reduction.
STK is known for its sauces to accompany its beef selections, including New York strip, wagyu flat iron and Cowgirl ribeye. They make eight different sauces that include their own STK sauce, STK Bold, au poivre, chimichuri, horseradish and blue butter to enhance a meal.
A beef tartare mixed with chives on black and white sesame seed toast was paired with micro greens to enhance the earthy flavors.
A shell fish platter was brought out with two tiers of oysters on ice, impressing everyone at the restaurant. There were small containers of cocktail sauce, mignonette and a lemony Dijonnaise.
During weekend brunch, the restaurant also serves an array of salads that include a Point Reyes blue iceberg salad and baby gem Caesar salad. For heartier fare, they make two different eggs Benedicts – a pork belly and a lobster with caviar hollandaise on a toasted English muffin.
Be sure to order the Instagram-worthy pink cloud dessert before leaving STK Los Angeles. $$-$$$. Happy hour is Monday through Friday from 3 – 6:30 p.m. Weekend brunch is 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Dinner is nightly from 3 p.m.-closing. stksteakhouse.com/venues/los-angeles. 930 Hilgard Ave., (310)659- 3535.
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