STK a New See and Be Seen Spot in D.C

When STK DC threw their raucous grand opening party at the end of April, they were the talk of the town, although depending on who you asked it wasn’t entirely for the right reasons. Now though, the restaurant and lounge is finding its footing in the District, and it is, after all, a concept which works perfect for the nation’s capital. It’s a see and be seen experience — doesn’t the D.C. crowd love that? — with previous locations including hot spots such as Las Vegas, London, Los Angeles and Miami, along with two in New York City.

That means that while you’ll find some of what you’d expect at a traditional steakhouse, there’s also a huge divergence from that norm.

They try to appeal to all crowds with their food selections, so they break their steak menu into small, medium and large sizes, with several cuts of meat in each. In other words, if you’re a group of ladies wearing form-fitting dresses, looking to dance the night away and sip on signature martinis and cocktails, such as the now-infamous “Not Your Daddy’s Manhattan”, you’ll quickly find that petit filet.

On the other side of the spectrum though, there are massive options like 32-ounce porterhouses. You can go more indulgent from there, too, topping your steak with indulgent add-ons such as foie gras butter, king crab, or lobster

Of course, if you’re going that route, be forewarned that an order like that costs as much as it sounds –the most expensive steak pairing, that 32-ounce porterhouse topped with lobster, will set you back $141, while other moderate options are set at more typical steakhouse prices.

Beyond those flashy wallet- and gut-busters, there’s also the full range of classic steakhouse accompaniments too. That includes peppercorn crusts, au poivre and bearnaise sauces, chimichurri, blue butter, or red wine sauces, and their specialty STK and STK Bold sauces.

You could also go to STK and not have any steak at all. Standout alternatives include tuna tartar, served with avocado and a tangy soy-honey sauce, BRGR sliders with wagyu beef and special sauce, and their famous foie gras French toast. Other entree choices range from lobster to duck, tuna to rack of lamb, and a raw bar menu as well.

Whatever you do though, don’t pass up on the delicious bread. A freshly-baked loaf of bread, consisting of about half a dozen individual tear-away rolls, all basted with butter and served with an herb-oil dipping sauce, gets served piping hot at your table and cannot be ignored until it’s finished.

There’s a fantastic collection of desserts, too — as an example, they just celebrated an apparently egregiously overlooked national holiday, National Donut Day, with “Drunkin Donuts”; rum glazed, Chambord raspberry jelly filled donuts, with citrus mint rum and Frangelico chocolate dipping sauces — and a number of specialty cocktails.

How extravagant or reserved, how classic or nontraditional you decide to go is entirely up to you, and besides the trendy see and be seen vibes, that’s really what STK is all about.

The Washington, D.C. location offers a massive space broken up into a variety of smaller settings. The focal is the eye-catching bar, replete with a funky, horny white brick wall (it’s hard to explain – see the photo above) leather lounge chairs, and a DJ booth.

It’s easy to envision STK sticking around and finding its mark, playing the part of power-lunch go-to during the day, a happy hour cocktail haven a few hours later, and a bumping lounge and dinner destination a few hours after that.

STK DC is located at 1250 Connecticut Ave NW, a quick walk from the Dupont Circle Metro station. Check out TOGRP.com/washington-dc/ or STKhouse.com for more information.

*This article was first published on Yahoo Voices on June 9, 2014