Bay Area Foodie

For Mike’s birthday we decided to try Alexander’s Steakhouse. I had read numerous positive reviews despite it’s obscure location next to the dilapidated Vallco mall. Alexander’s is all about the meat so if you’re a vegetarian don’t bother. When you enter you are greeted by beef in large glass display cases. As we took our seats in the dining area we saw that the recession has not effected Cupertino. The place was packed. It was dimly lit, loud and kind of chaotic with servers running around. I was really surprised to see a restaurant where you can order a $200 piece of steak so busy.

While looking over the menu we were given complimentary glasses of bubbly (nice touch) as well as an amuse-bouche: celery root custard with shallot marmalade. Mike enjoyed it, I was glad it was free. For our first course I chose the tomato soup with basil oil and Mike had the caesar salad. The soup was the standout dish. Before the main courses came out we received a pallet cleanser: a small square of passion fruit gelee along side a raspberry and blueberry. A delightful bite.

Finally it was time for the beef — you will find a diverse selection of US, Australian and Japanese. Mike ordered the “Beef three ways” (filet, shortribs, kobe patty melt) and I chose the 6 oz. filet mignon. We shared two side dishes — beets & greens and creamed spinach. I was not impressed with the beets, they lacked seasoning. The spinach on the other hand was downright delish. After taking a taste of my steak I knew why the joint was jumpin’. The filet was seasoned and cooked to perfection and the accompanying sauce was on point. Mike started off with his kobe sando as instructed by the server. He enjoyed the filet the best, but the rest were just so-so. One gripe about the menu was that the majority of the meat entrees ranged from 14 oz.- 2 pounds! Who can eat that much? We wanted to try the featured dry aged cuts but they started at 24 oz. Now that I think about it we should have just shared one.

On to dessert… I was stuffed but the birthday boy wanted his sweets. Along with coffee Mike chose a basil panna cotta with blueberry sorbet and coconut tapioca pearls. We also received a complimentary slice of chocolate cake with a candle. Mike devoured the basil concoction. We were pushing maximum capacity but the treats kept coming. Along with the bill we were given a large helping of grape flavored cotton candy and 2 small bags of caramel corn to take home. The owner must be an ex-carny. In all seriousness they were wonderful surprises and a sweet way to end the night.

If we go again it will be on a weeknight to try and obtain a more quiet and relaxed environment. After 2.5 hours of eating we departed at 9pm and there were 8 people in the lobby waiting to be seated. Alexander’s is a cash cow (pun intended)!

Note: even though Alexander’s is a upscale establishment don’t worry about the dress code. We saw folks in sports coats and heels to sweatpants and pumas.

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Website: http://www.alexanderssteakhouse.com/

Filed under: Silicon Valley (all cities) | Tagged: alexander's steakhouse, Cupertino, food, kobe beef, review |