Yet ANOTHER Steak Place

[Pappy]

I always enjoyed the different renditions of Seasons Restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel. The setting was elegantly beautiful, the service professional and gracious, and the food was innovative and well-prepared.

After years and years of remodeling, I see now that Seasons will be no more. The 4Ss will move the bar/lounge down the steps to where Seasons was. They will then install Bourbon Steak by noted San Fran chef Michael Mina. The gimmick here is that your steak will be poached in butter before being grilled off.

What a dissappointment. Although we can still enjoy fine dining in three local hotels (The Latham/Citronelle and The Mandarin Oriental/CityZen and The St. Regis/??? - someone help me here) none of the 4 local Ritz Carltons support destination quality restaurants and the 4Ss, I think the best hotel in the city, is resorting to the lowest-common-denominator.

When will this steak obsession finally run its course? I can think of alot of restaurants in town (Bobby Vans, Smith and Wollensky, Caucus Room, Sam and Harrys, BT Steak, Shulas, Flemmings, and even Charlie Palmer) that should have been shuttered a long time ago. I can't get over that these places continue to eat up quality real estate and quality personnel, making the restaurant environment even more difficult for others.

[vtHokies98]

I would have to say that West End Bistro at the Ritz in the City is very very good. Their tuna carpaccio is devine, as is the filet (so tender you don't need a knife) and their mashed potatoes are probably the best I have had (so creamy and silky and not a lump in the pot)

[Ericandblueboy]

I took a look at another Bourbon Steak's menu (the Miami one). They serve lobster pot pie, foie gras, and lots of other seafood. I wouldn't call this disappointing. It's a step above Charlie Palmer's and the rest of the steak houses you cited. I've never gone to dine at Seasons because it's just nothing special. In contrast, I would be excited to try Bourbon Steak. I've been to Michael Mina's in Vegas. While I'm not a fan of his lobster pot pie, I certainly would like to try some of his other food without schlepping to Vegas.

[Pappy]

"I've never gone to dine at Seasons because it's just nothing special"

If you've never been, how do you know it's "just nothing special." Actually, it is something special.

[monkeyrotica]

Red meat loving lobbyists and K Street lawyers want their manly-man steaks. As soon as they leave DC, they'll take their steaks with them. Don't see that happening any time soon.

I'd be happy if just one steakhouse would do good steaks AND good sides AND good service. No matter where I've been, one of the three is always missing. If not ALL three.