enoSTEAK

enoSTEAK – Ritz Carlton, Laguna Niguel
By Beth Fhaner

For steak and wine lovers, there’s no better way to kick off 2015 than with a visit to enoSTEAK, a chic steakhouse located at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel. The intimate space features a floor-to-ceiling glass tower in the center of the restaurant, showcasing approximately 375 bottles of wine, along with several hundred others lining the back wall.

Executive Chef Pedro Contreras’s modern steakhouse menu focuses on seasonal fare and locally sourced ingredients, including prime beef from local farms committed to raising the highest quality breeds. Appetizers such as a fresh crab and avocado salad, or the asparagusIberico salad with poached egg, Iberico ham, and caviar crème fraîche make outstanding starters to your meal.

As for an entrée, you’ll have a difficult time selecting from one of the many mouthwatering, handcrafted meats and seafood dishes that will certainly tempt your taste buds. All of enoSTEAK’s beef is served with house-made signature compound butters to put the proverbial cherry on top. I favored the black truffle butter to complement my outstanding 9-ounce grass-fed beef tenderloin, while my dining companion raved about the Point Reyes blue cheese butter. Sustainable seafood options include a 9-ounce pan-seared sea bass and a butter-poached lobster. To accompany your entrée, enoSTEAK offers several “enhancements,” including the Toma White Cheddar Truffle Mac and Cheese, American wagyu fat steak fries, and sautéed organic mushrooms in a sherry cream, among others.

Diners seeking a sweet ending to their meal will be pleased to learn that the restaurant’s decadent desserts change every few weeks. The ultra-popular chocolate bread pudding—with a warm molten center—is a highly recommended offering that will properly cap off your main course.

Service at enoSTEAK is top-notch—friendly and attentive, without being intrusive. The overall dining experience is worthy of the five-star resort, although you don’t need to be a hotel guest to indulge. For epicureans seeking superb food and wine in a contemporary, elegant setting, enoSTEAK delivers on all levels. Bon Appetit!

enoSteaK located at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel
1 Ritz Carlton Drive,
Dana Point
949.240.2000
enoSTEAK.com