BLT Steak: Charred
The Second Burnt Filet Mignon
Rarely, medium rare-ly, have I disliked a big-name restaurant as much as the new BLT Steak in Sunset Plaza, site of the fondly remembered Le Dome. For some unknown reason, most LA steakhouses like to completely sear an expensive cut of meat to blackness, so I always pre-emptively order it “medium rare, not charred.” I don’t mind a few grill marks, but don’t relish a filet with a burnt rind when the whole point is that a filet is supposed to be tender. After beginning solicitious service at a primo table amidst an increasingly deafening noise level, the filet was served burnt, and sent back, which seemed to throw the waiter for a loop. He insisted he told the kitchen, and wanted me to cut the steak in half to see how it looked inside. No matter….but when the second piece arrived, it was also sizzled to a crisp, although not quite to the same third-degree burn. Hey guys, turn the grill down from 800 degrees and maybe you’ll get it right next time. For $42, you really should.
