Porterhouse Steak with Garlic Rosemary Fries for Two
This recipe uses J.M. Thomason's Porterhouse Seasoning, which is fantastic, local, and comes in an adorable tin designed by local Joel Anderson Design.
Oak Steakhouse: Anything but Average
This Gulch restaurant isnt new but sure left a great taste in our mouths
Here at Edible, we are sad to admit that we hadn’t dined at Oak Steakhouse, that opened 5 years ago on the corner of 8th Ave S and Clark Place attached to the Westin, until this past week. Well, we’re sure glad we changed that.
Oak touts itself as a “modern take on the classic American steakhouse” and boy does it ever deliver on that statement. Going in, we had very little expectations other than a typical steakhouse-style experience and we were pleasantly surprised at every turn.
What you notice from the moment you walk into Oak to the moment you leave, is the hospitality that is rarely matched elsewhere. The staff is genuine and impeccably knowledgeable; the hospitality manager, Ashley Cerny Johnson, a true professional in the business.
Now, let’s talk the goods - drinks and food. We started with a beautiful round of martinis; one, a high-end 50/50 with Highclere gin, and one called the Cumberland River Dirty, with vodka, ancho reyes, and an oyster at the bottom.
For appetizers, Oak knocks it out of the park with their thick-cut, Char Grilled Giffords Bacon, topped with heirloom tomato and fennel salad, and their Tuna Tataki, a nod to their sister restaurant O-Ku, with pickled red cabbage, tangy kimchi aioli, and sweet soy reduction.
Photo 1: the Cumberland River Dirty martini
Photo 2: Char Grilled Giffords Bacon
Photo 3: Tuna Tataki
Moving on to the main course, we indulged in two Oak specialties: a 22-ounce dry aged C.A.B. bone-in prime ribeye and a Japanese A5 wagyu NY Strip. The flavor and texture of both these steaks were divine – themselves a wake-up call to other steakhouses that tend to overdeliver on menu descriptions and underdeliver on execution.
Though we didn’t opt for any of Oak’s luxurious toppings for the steaks, we had zero qualms about trying every sauce in the house. Our favorites? The house-made steak sauce and a combo of blue cheese butter and onion bacon jam.
Table-sized side orders of Creamed Spinach and Aligot Potatoes are the classic steakhouse accompaniments of dreams. Lobster Mac & Cheese is something I usually stay away from. It’s another classic item that tends to sound wonderful and turn out disappointing. But not today. Oak’s is creamy, with big cheese flavor and large chunks of perfectly poached lobster.
As if there were any room left, we finished the evening with a generous slice of Oak’s signature espresso-soaked Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Buttercream. (I might still be eating it out of a box in my fridge at home, but it’s worth it.) Another great choice is the butter cake with vanilla ice cream. We recommend pairing it with an order of Amaro Nonino for a few last moments of bliss before peeling yourself out of your chair to head home.
So, to everyone at Oak: we’re sorry it took us so long to visit. But we’ll surely be back soon.
Photo 1: Signature Chocolate Cake
Photo 2: Butter Cake
Oak Steakhouse
801 Clark Pl
Nashville, TN 37203
oaksteakhouserestaurant.com
@oaksteaknash
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