Two Words: Steak and Whisky

Steak and Whisky. Those two words bring to mind the kind of dinner Don Draper and Roger Sterling would have in New York. The setting would be a dimly lit, smokey room, lined with dark leather booths. In the background you can hear a crooner singing One For My Baby (Another For the Road). Today in Hermosa Beach, the newly opened Steak and Whisky has that old school element but is executed in a whole new way.

The small and intimate space of Steak and Whisky is a perfect setting for an intimate dinner. The space, big enough for about 50 guests total, is filled with dark booths and wooden chairs with brick walls and wooden beams overhead. The main focal point of it all is the small bar with a marble counter that invites you to sit and drink. The lamps and the furnishings have a prohibition era look - think Boardwalk Empire. The bar puts out great drinks - my favorite is the earl grey-infused whiskey with Americano liqueur and Velvet Falernum. Obviously, whiskey is in abundance here.

The food is even better than the drinks! The onion rings, served with a curried ketchup are some of the best I've had, worth ordering every time. The spiced lamb t-bone with lamb belly ravioli, dandelion and honey-whiskey sauce is as incredible as it sounds. But the true highlight, and the namesake of the restaurant, is the steak. The 42 ounce tomahawk ribeye is tender, flavorful, and the presentation alone is worth ordering.

This is a true steakhouse in every sense of the word. In the South Bay, I can't think of a better place to recommend for steak. It's a welcomed addition to a beach town with an abundance of bars and pubs that focus more on quantity. As someone who lives in this neighborhood, it's nice to have a quality option like Steak and Whisky for a great dinner.