El Gaucho? More like El Awesome!

January 7, 2010:
El Gaucho

She Said:

Two beautiful words: El. Gaucho. What comes to mind when you hear these words? Does your mouth begin to water thinking of the most succulent steak you've ever tasted? Do you picture the dimly-lit interior, thick with intrigue and mystery, almost like you've stepped onto the streets of the 1920's--or the streets of Disneyland... Or does the world-class experience and amenities - complete with Valet parking, coat check, spot-on service (not to mention the Cigar Room) come to mind?

If you've answered 'all of the above', you've clearly spent an evening at what is considered the Northwest's Steakhouse Legacy.

Brett and I were fortunate enough to spend last week's Date Night at Belltown's El Gaucho. I know, this doesn't quite fit into our "Not spending money until after our wedding" vow, but we received a gift card from a dear friend of ours for Christmas, and HAD to spend it. Neither of us had been before, and were desperate to go. So now was the perfect time!

We made 8pm reservations, and arrived to find the dining room alive with a piano and bass playing in the corner, a wait staff dressed to the nine's, and fellow diners who were all clearly enjoying themselves as much as Brett and I were, and we hadn't even sat down yet! All we need is live piano and we're happy!

We started with a couple of Redhook ESBs ($6ea) ... sounds normal, right? NO! For some strange reason, these were the BEST Redhook's we've ever had in our lives. As we were enjoying our beers, we decided on an appetizer and some mains. To start, we shared the Steamed Clams in Wine Butter Sauce ($11), and for our mains, I ordered the Crispy Seared Chicken with wild mushroom corn ragout ($24), and Brett ordered the Mixed Grill sword ($28) and we shared the Grilled Portobello Mushroom side ($8) and the Sauteed Spinach ($8).

When the clams arrived, we DEVOURED them! They were so good. We ordered a bit of garlic bread to soak up the last bit of juices too, we couldn't waste that taste! Highly recommended.

The mains arrived shortly after.

(The timing on the food was like a dance-we never noticed when our dishes were cleared, it was so smooth!) My chicken was AMAZING, and I especially enjoyed the corn ragout. There was a bit of basil in it that made the flavor pop like nothing I'd ever tasted!

The Portobello was amazing (but I am OBSESSED with Portobello!) and the spinach was good (perhaps a bit too acidic), but the real star of the evening was Brett's Sword (he loves it when i say that his sword stole the show!).

The chef comes out with big chunks of meat on a giant metal stick (meats included lamb, beef, ostrich, and pork sausage) and cooks it there in front of you, using brandy, and a whole lot of skill.

There was fire everywhere! It lasted about 5 minutes and was quite a show! Brett devoured it, saying it was the best ostrich he'd ever eaten! I even tried it, and quite enjoyed it!

At the end of the meal, our waitress brought us a complimentary fruit and cheese platter, with the smoothest Roquefort cheese we've ever tasted... along side apples, pears, oranges, nuts, crackers, and dates. Was the perfect way to end the night of amazing and appreciated over-the-top flavors.

We headed back out into the night--after the gentleman at the coat check helped me with my coat--high on an amazing dining experience that we won't soon forget. We highly recommend hitting up El Gaucho for a special occasion, if you are looking for an evening of romance... enchantment... and a hell of a good meal.

RATINGS:

El Gaucho
Neighborhood: Belltown
2505 1st Ave
Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 728-1337
www.elgaucho.com

Romance: 5

Cool Ambiance/Interior: 5

All Around Service: 5

Cost: $$$$ = entrees from $22+

Would we recommend it? 5: Yes! And can we come with you?