Dish-off

Livin’ Large on Steaks ’n’ Shrimp

Two very different houses find themselves at war in this month’s Dish-Off. Steak house El Gaucho’s newest location in Bellevue is where chef Steve Cain stands behind the hot grill serving up prime cuts of quality beef and more. Meanwhile, chef Felix Penn and his wife, Sarah, preside over an oyster house named for Sarah’s grandfather, Frank, a “working-class hero” who loved his surf and turf.

Song on this Month’s Menu: “Steaks ’n’ Shrimp” by Uncle Kracker
Before mellowing out and into the Top 40, Kid Rock’s offspring Uncle Kracker was a raunchy rap-rock artist. This is not Dish-off’s preferred genre, but the Michigan native’s expletive-filled “Steaks ’n’ Shrimp” from his debut Double Wide serves this challenge well. How will two chefs from traditional restaurants interpret lyrics that end, “I’m all about today and I’m a die that way…bitch”?

Photos by Rina Jordan

Grilled certified Angus beef filet with lobster medallions and béarnaise sauce

El Gaucho
450 108th Ave. NE, Bellevue
425.455.2715, elgaucho.com

For Cain, “Steaks ’n’ Shrimp” is all about getting rich, making it to the top and then enjoying the good life. His “Bitches and Prawns” course is spiced with attitude, while his salad is “all about the green.” With his booming laugh, Cain explains, “I need to get across the fact that this is as good as it gets” — which means preparing a dish with simply the best ingredients for good eating. His “Top Dog Status” plate features El Gaucho’s best aged steak adorned with over-the-top lobster medallions. Add in a rich béarnaise sauce and some of the fluffiest mashed potatoes I’ve ever had, and I’m certainly feeling like the top dog.

Lobster-poached Gulf prawns on cauliflower-potato puree with gingered veal demi-glace

Frank’s Oyster House
2616 NE 55th St., Seattle
206.525-0220, franksoysterhouse.com

Penn mentions the misogynistic tone of the song but also senses some old-school flavor in it, which suits his cooking style. “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should,” he explains, preferring to pay homage to the classics in a timeless fashion. Penn serves up steak tartare and aspic as part of the meal, but the most exciting offering is lobster-poached Gulf prawns complemented by classic French ingredients: cauliflower, potato and veal. This dish is decadent, with the lobster and butter infusing the shrimp, and with the ginger in the veal demi-glace further boosting the flavor. I close my eyes and imagine myself like Uncle Kracker: “I do big plates eight times a day…The crew be livin’ large at the seafood bay.”

Dish-Off reviews are based on announced visits. Restaurants get guidelines and choose what to serve according to the month’s theme