Read More - Shanahan`s Steakhouse

A
Legendary
Feast
Shanahan’s recasts the
steakhouse experience
by Jeffrey Steen
38
Restaurants—like football greats—come and go. But legends remain.
In 1999, Mike Shanahan celebrated his second consecutive Super Bowl win with the
Denver Broncos. Ten years later, he opened his eponymous steakhouse in Denver. Both
have become the stuff of legends.
But Shanahan’s wouldn’t have been without the genius of Managing Partner Marc
Steron. A veteran of Denver’s restaurant scene—with tenure at Avenue Grill, Creekside
Grill, and Del Frisco’s Steakhouse—it was Steron who thought to pair the modern edge
of a new-age steakhouse with the classic flavors that call on memories of American
steakhouses decades past.
“First and foremost, we wanted to offer an alternative to the classic steakhouse—
a departure from the no-window, low-ceiling clubbiness of steakhouses of old,” he
explains. “We wanted to appeal to both a younger and an older crowd.”
You see, Shanahan’s isn’t quite what you’d imagine a steakhouse to be. It’s elegant
because it’s simple; it’s memorable because it’s accessible. Designed to mirror the
balance of the menu—that perfect melding of classic taste and culinary inventiveness—
the building itself seamlessly blends angles and curves, light and dark, hush and buzz,
warm and bright. Amidst diffused chandeliers, a flickering fire beckons, capped by
white brick. In the center of the dining room sits a glass-sheathed bar; on its leather-
It would be a lie to say we have
had better, more tender, more
flavorful cuts of steak.
topped stools, a clientele as dynamic and engaging as the restaurant itself: lawyers
from London, doctors from Israel, tourists from Boston. It is this brilliant meeting of
opposites that Steron envisioned when the Shanahan’s concept was born.
But the constant buzz of conversation and the ring of laughter are not the only draws
to this south Denver catch. There is a remarkable hospitality here, a genuine concern
for every patron’s dining ideal. The night we walked in—what I expected to be a slowmoving Wednesday—my date and I were greeted with the happy rush of servers, the
excited chatter of guests waiting for tables, and a team of eager hostesses ushering
us into the dining room. Past a floor-to-ceiling glass wine wall—one of the signature
hallmarks of the contemporary steakhouse—we were nestled into a corner table.
It was evident at the outset that there are two qualities that set Shanahan’s apart
from other steakhouses—and countless other restaurants. The first is unparalleled
personalized attention. Two sommeliers are always on hand to address wine and
cocktails needs; waiters and kitchen staff float by periodically to check on the status
of your meal; and everyone understands the sacredness of private conversation.
The second hallmark is the uncanny un-steakhouse-like offerings. Sure, our appetizers
paid homage to Wagyu beef in a succulent satay (a feature of the enticing and eminently
affordable bar menu), but the seafood is what engaged us the most. Flaky, buttery
Dungeness crab claws were simply matched with the gentle tang of a mustard
sauce. Its companion, a bowl of white wine-steamed garlic mussels from
Prince Edward Island, broke the boring boundaries most steakhouses are
wont to follow—those whose trademark begins and ends with steak.
Executive Chef Keith Stich, the driving force behind the menu and an
advocate for the deft pairing of classic and creative, has long extolled the
virtue of Shanahan’s steak offerings. But there’s more: “I like that we can
offer prime beef and all-natural cuts. But there are other things we’re known
for—traditional desserts with a twist, like the lemon shortcake that our
guests are quickly turning into a number-one seller.”
Then, there’s Stich’s favorite part of the menu—the fish. “Being out here in
the middle of the country, I make an extra effort to fly in the freshest fish
available. We’ve really focused on our fish offerings, both on the core menu
and in the features. It’s all top-notch.”
And lest the focus be entirely on Stich’s inimitable offerings, I cannot forget
the wine pairings of Sommelier Andrew Brandwein. The first demonstrated
without a doubt that Shanahan’s takes its wine program as seriously as it
does its food. There could not have been a better pair for steak, mussels,
and crab appetizers
(an admittedly difficult
collection of dishes
to pair with) than the
choice Merry Edwards
2009 Sauvignon Blanc—
a crisp, smooth example
of everything the Russian River Valley can
produce.
Our entrées carried on the quality and elegance without pause. The plating
was simple but marked by evident finesse—a chargrilled Kansas City strip
topped with buttery lobster scampi sided by peppercorn demi, and a thinly
sliced, fanned tuna sashimi with citrus soy. Paired with a self-assured
Syrah and a gentle-sweet sake, the richness of that course outshone any
other of its ilk. It would be a lie to say we have had better, more tender,
more flavorful cuts of steak; it would be foolish to claim we have ever
appreciated sashimi as much as we did at Shanahan’s.
And if a perfect, sweet cap to a satisfying meal were possible, the kitchen
executed it brilliantly. Dynamic twists on classic flavors (as heralded
by Stich himself ) appeared in the Orange Blossom Crème Brûlée—a
decadent indulgence sampled alongside the Lemon Custard Shortcake.
Sipping a 20-year tawny port by their side as the dining room hushed
and the fire flickered, we basted in the full, well-rounded character of a
superb meal.
Word has it Stich is envisioning sous-vide preparation for some of the
restaurant’s premium meats in the near future and Steron is planning
a concert series for the gorgeous patio come July and August. There
is no doubt that these
new introductions will
draw in even more
attention and an evermore loyal clientele.
In the center of the dining room sits a
glass-sheathed bar; on its leather-topped stools,
a clientele as dynamic and engaging as the
restaurant itself.
40
Can we expect anything
else? Shanahan’s is,
after all, the stuff of
legends.