Steak Tartar and Cigars

I'll put together two restaurants in Wichita because, as far as I know, they are the only places you can get Steak Tartar here.  On Wednesday my bud asked me to the Candle Club for cigars and drinks.  I brought the cigars.  The cigars were pretty spectacular.  They were four cigars (two pairs) I received in my Fuentes event humidor box.  One pair was a five inch 50 ring pressed box maduro torpedo Fuentes.  I saved the rings, but I didn't note the other information.  The other pair of cigars were an English wrapper four and a half inch 40 ring by a manufacturer I didn't recognize.  We had martinis and cigars then both ordered the steak tartar.  The martinis were okay--they should have been shaken longer.

The cigars were both strong, but they went well with the martinis and the steak tartar.  The steak tartar is very nicely prepared at the Candle Club.  It is not overly spicy and is served with a raw egg yoke on top.  The bread served with the steak tartar is very fresh and very nice.  It is an Italian style bread that is just the right consistency to hold up to scooping and holding steak tartar, but still soft.  The steak tartar was excellent.  It wasn't overpowered by too many spices or flavors and is just the right amount for a single meal.

On Friday, I took the usual copilot (my wife) with a couple of friends to Newport Grill.  Newport Grill also offers steak tartar as an apetizer.  We didn't have the steak tartar (I have had it many times there) but I'll report on it.  Newport Grill's steak tartar is different than the steak tartar at the Candle Club.  It is served similarly, but it is spicier and a slightly different consistency.  It is more typical to the steak tartar found in Europe and not the USA.  The flavor is consistently excellent and very meaty, but still with strong spice.  The bread served with it is very nice, but not as nice in quality as that at the Candle Club.  The different steak tartars are an excellent contrast in flavors, and I recommend both.  By the way, we usually have to order extra bread with each steak tartar, so be ready.

At Newport Grill, we did try out two new appetizers.  The first was a fillet wrapped with a date and bacon with a sweet sauce and orange sauce.  It was very nice and worth a second try.  The orange sauce didn't really complement the flavor, but the overall sauce did.  A cranberry sauce might be excellent with it.  The presentation was great.  The other appetizer was lobster deviled eggs.  For people who like deviled eggs this was a fantastic addition to the menu.  The lobster flavor was very muted, but that didn't matter, the deviled eggs were perfect.  If you like deviled eggs this is the appetizer for you.

We had the usual Newport grill main courses: fish and steak.  The fish is first rate and always great.  The steaks are perfect.  I recommend them all.  Newport is basically a "yes" restaurant.  They'll do about anything you want.

I especially need to remark on the drinks and our server.  We had a young lady as our server and she was the best and most attentive we've had at Newport.  The drinks were correctly shaken and correctly made to request.  If anything, Newport has the best martinis and the most properly done.  All in all, the evening was a success.  Oh, I should mention, we shared the bread pudding for dessert.  Their desserts don't rotate much, but they are very nice.

Go try out the Newport Grill and with a member, the Candle Club--especially if you like steak tartar.    

Cigar, Shortstory - 10 Nov 2011

My friend came over after hunting last night.  He had a chance to put an arrow in three bucks, and took one.  One of the bucks, a juvenile, took a strong liking to his decoy--he described it as deer porno at 20 feet.  His wife told him (via text message) to go ahead a shoot it--it would only grow up to be a pervert.  The perverted buck was allowed to live another day--his big brother is being processed.

In any case, I offered dinner, a cigar, and an avatini.  My wife put together a great simple meal of chicken (boneless thighs) with a slightly hot spice (jerk), broccolini, rice, and corn bread.  Great dinner.

I made avatinis with Safire Gin.  The cigars were from the Fuentes event.  They were a special darker release of the Fuente Hemingway Shortstory.  The shortstory is a small reverse torpedo cigar with a twist at the burn end and a round smoking end.  They are a great 45 minute smoke.  This was a larger version.  Usually, the larger the Hemingway the worst the cigar.  These were a darker cigar and larger. 

The cigars were sweet to the palate--both the taste of the wrapper and the smoke.  We "v-cut" them and lit them with wooden matches.  They burned very nicely.  I thought about letting the ash go as long as possible--it was very dense and might have lasted, without clearing, nearly the entire cigar as it burned.  Like your usual shortstory, the smoke was delicate and gentle with spice.  Unlike the usual shortstory, these cigars were a bit stronger and more pungent with a hint of leather and chocolate.  They also lasted longer on the pallet.

The avatinis were great.  I didn't go hunting, but the end of the day was fantastic.