Thursday, August 10, 2017

The Playground and Steak

Wednesday,  August 9, 2017

Time to go the the Playground again for their Ultimate Steak dinner which is their bread and butter dinner. www.playgrounddtsa.com,  They feature 5 cuts of Wagu beef.  4 cuts from a Wagu beef from a cattle grower in  Nebraska which butchers 20 Wagu beef cattle a month and the Playground takes 10 of them. The ribeye at the end of the meal is Grade 5 Wagu beef  from Miyazaji, Japan.

Traffic was unusually heavy and it took me and hour and 50 minutes to get there from work. If there was a red light I hit it. Two fire trucks, one accident and one ambulance interfered also.. Walked into the restaurant at 6:10. Fortunately I was not the only late arrival. 

A nice sparkling Vouvay was poured which really hit the spot since I was a bit frazzled . We were then served a house made salted brioche roll with house made butter Then onto a salad of mixed greens, pickled cranberries, candied walnuts and a sherry Dijon vinaigrette. The dressing was light and it not cover the flavors of the cranberries and walnuts.

Next a dish of heirloom tomatoes, tahini, nectarines, plums, pistachios and Baller seasame seeds. Loads of flavors and the tomatoes have very little acid to them. Made for a very pleasant dish for me.

The first steak appeared - sirloin, cut in small strips, red just to my liking.  This is not the place for people who want their meat cremated. Jason refuses to overcook meat. So if you are a medium to well done person this dinner is not for you.

A bowl of crispy brussel sprouts, carmelized onions was set in front of us.  Again a dish with a lot of flavors.  The cut of steak with this dish was Flank.  Extremely tender.  Then a plate of a cut called Picanha was set down.  Had never heard of this cut of beef. Apparently it is popular in South America, There is only one cut on a beef and it is approximately 3 lbs,  Jason has specific butchering guidelines that he gives to the cattle grower.  I found it slightly chewy but that is the way South Americans like their beef.

A plate of "Tater Tubes" appeared. Fried tubes made with potatoes and stuffed with Pommes Puree. I could have eaten a lot of these tasty little morsels.. An outside skirt steak was chosen for the accompaniment.

Next was a dish with corn and some herb mixed in. Not sure what is was as it was not on the menu. But the Miyazaki Ribeye was the meat for this dish. It was so tender and the fat tasted like butter. $115 a pound is what is costs the restaurant.

Dessert was macerated peaches and a Semi Fredo.  Good close to a very rich dinner.

We had 5 wines besides the sparkling to go  with the dishes. So another dinner bites the dust. Considering how  much we get to eat, 5 wines and a sparkling the price is reasonable.  I have never been disappointed in the Playground. It is not for everyones taste and budget. But every two months I have to go.

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