- By David Bailey
- Photography by Matt Rose, Peter Taylor, and Elizabeth Zongolowicz
COMMENTS
Charlotte’s
Beef & Bottle
Steak With A Side Of History
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One dining experience that should be on
everyone's culinary bucket list is a meal at a classic
old-style steakhouse, the kind of place with dim lighting, well-dressed servers, at least three
good single-malt scotches behind the bar and (in this era of indoor smoking bans) the ghosts
of good cigars past lingering in the corners.
old-style steakhouse, the kind of place with dim lighting, well-dressed servers, at least three
good single-malt scotches behind the bar and (in this era of indoor smoking bans) the ghosts
of good cigars past lingering in the corners.
In Charlotte, near my home of the past seven years, there
sits one of the best examples of
these temples of beef I've ever seen. With a decidedly unflashy
name like
Beef and Bottle,
you know something good has to be going on inside for it to have
been in business as long
as it has. The family lineage of the restaurant dates back to
the Rat Pack era, and pictures of luminaries from that time line
the walls.
If you want to know about the wine list, click here. I know next to nothing about vino beyond the few brands I enjoy, and Lisa "The Beer Goddess" Morrison ensured my obsession with beer/food pairings years ago. Beef and Bottle offers the usual beer suspects augmented by local brews that rotate with the seasons, the draft pints poured with a steady hand and a perfect head.
The staff at Beef and Bottle will be a shock for those of you accustomed to chain restaurants, where even the best servers are hamstrung by corporate rules on upselling, time per table and other business tools designed to maximize profit, not enjoyment. These folks know their stuff, but they're not in any hurry for you to make up your mind. You'll get your appetizer before your salad, and you'll have time to finish your salad before your entree appears in front of you. One of my biggest pet peeves is having to either bolt down my salad or push it aside for fear of my entree getting cold. It's not that hard to manage time and present courses properly, but it's something that no chain restaurant I've ever visited has paid consistent attention to.The appetizers are like a trip back in time. When's the last time you saw Oysters Rockefeller on a menu? They're here, along with a shrimp cocktail served in an ice bath, with gigantic shrimp plunged into a cocktail sauce that's got a major dose of horseradish. In this era of molecular gastronomy and hand-picked baby field greens served with a garnish of lark's vomit, it's nice to see the classics observed.
And speaking of greens: the salad is another classic presentation, with a plate of lettuce accompanied by a tray of add-ons including radishes (a rarity these days for some reason) and cherry tomatoes. The house-made blue cheese dressing is a must here.But Beef and Bottle doesn't just ride on history. The French onion soup, for instance, is a classic example of the right place making the right dish. While the crusty bread and cheese on top are the visual come-on, the heart of the soup is the beef broth in which the onions swim. Where better than a place that's done steak for more than a half-century to find properly made broth? They've got the best ingredients on hand, and use them properly. The sounds of my fellow diners taking their first tastes of the soup would have been right at home at a Roman Bacchanalia.
But enough of the preludes. Let us now, loyal readers, contemplate our steak choices. Yes, there are other options on the menu -- seafood, chicken and pasta all try to catch our attention -- but we know why we're here. But what cut to choose?I've always wondered why the filet is such an expensive cut. Yes, it's from the tenderloin, the scarcest portion of the beef primal. Sure, it's pretty and usually comes wreathed in bacon. But there's the rub: the bacon is necessary because there's just not as much interstitial fat, also known as marbling, in the tenderloin. The bacon adds a bit of fat from the outside, but it's not the same. For my money, the ribeye or NY strip are far more tasty and satisfying in their pure forms.
The ribeye at Beef and Bottle is exactly as it should be. Cooked medium-rare, the well-trimmed fat around the edge is crispy and salty, providing a perfect counterpoint to the rich, tender interior. Against my usual instinct to keep the steak pure, I allowed the bartender, lovely Maria, to talk me into some blue cheese crusted atop the beef. I didn't regret it.Have you ever wondered why we wrap things in bacon? Why steaks are often served with garlic butter on top of them? Why cheeseburgers are so appealing? It's a fat thing, basically. We're genetically programmed to like the taste of fat, and if we can get two different kinds of fat in the same bite, say from tangy blue cheese and well-aged steak, our brains become Neanderthal-happy, grunting and waving bones at the sky outside the cave of our subconscious.
Steak ... blue cheese ... good locally made Oktoberfest beer ... this, friends, is an experience to be savored. You don't go to a place like Beef and Bottle for a quick meal. You don't go there when you have to be somewhere else in an hour. You go there when the evening is open to experience and enjoyment, to decadent tastes and indulgences. Hurrying through a meal like this should be a felony.I know. I know. You're reading this and shaking your head. You don't live in Charlotte. You live in Des Moines, Sacramento, Seattle or somewhere else. Guess what? Chances are good that there's a brother to Beef and Bottle somewhere in your city. Look for an old but well-kept building where the parking lot is populated by expensive sedans at night. Look for a distinct lack of flash, neon or "flair" on the wait staff. And, most importantly, use your nose to sniff out the heady aroma of grilling steak. Then plan your budget, clear your schedule ... and enjoy.
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User reviews of Beef & Bottle
Share your opinion with the world. Add your review below.
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Charming...
by George Y. (66 reviews) December 07, 2010 - Likes it
in its own special way, but food is slightly above
average. Even though our table was held back by a bunch
of blue hairs closing the place down with their book
club, the retro feel makes it different than anything
else in Charlotte. My steak was good, but really fatty.
Basically, this place can be a once or twice a year
visit when you feel like slumming it with wood paneling
and the best ranch dressing in town.
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mobile review by Patricia A McKay (2 reviews) October 04, 2010 - Likes it
Totally authentic old fashioned steak house, excellent
steaks, sides & fish at very fair prices. Have eaten @
the fancy Charlotte steak places & totally prefer Beef N
Bottle. Very close in quality 2 Peter Lugers (famous
steak joint in Brooklyn, N Y).
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BLAST FROM THE PAST - BEST STEAK IN
CHARLOTTE
by hkygirl13 (1 review) October 04, 2010
About 3 miles outside of Uptown lies the best steak in
all of Charlotte. A dimly lit dining room invites you
candlelit tables, music from 40's/50's, and fresh salads
that you can make at your table served with a delicious
cheese spread served complimentary. They have updated
the exterior atrium area to bring the comfort that the
indoor dining room offers. Also has a piano bar in the
back, and 50" television. Some things never change, and
Beef & Bottle is one of them. Always 110% here. Everyone
should try.
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Nice secret spot
by Zac (16 reviews) July 09, 2009 - Really likes it
Looks like a dump from the outside, but inside it looks
like something from the movie Goodfellas. Just do not
ask to be on the patio.
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Wonderful
by littlegirltree (32 reviews) June 25, 2009 - Really likes it
Excellent food w/o the pretension. This is the kind of
place I'd imagine my parents going to on date night in
the 70's. For years Beef and Bottle has been the only
place we go for steak. The mini filet is amazing. We
introduced a friend to B&B last week, each ordered the
mini filet. The table was quiet except for the
occasional exclamation of incredulousness. All 3 of us
agreed that this was the best steak we had ever eaten.
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Charlotte Landmarket.
by Jerry Stokes (1 review) April 06, 2009 - Likes it
I went to the Beef & Bottle right after WWII when I
returned from the South Pacific where I served in the US
Navy. In the 1940's it was in the 1st block of West 6th
Street (I believe) as I am now 86 and don't remember for
sure. But I met George (and his wife) and the chef they
still have ((I think), and I still go there for the best
steaks I have ever eaten. If you have not been there,
you have not eaten the best steaks you have ever had.
And, the Beef Tips are the best.
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Classic
by WahooCLT (14 reviews) April 04, 2009 - Likes it
Looks like a strip club from the outside. Half the
restaurant is a dimly lit room lined with booths and the
other half is a bright pseudo patio, which isn't really
open to the elements. The decor looks like it was
designed by Frank Sinatra 50 yrs ago and never changed.
It is a little bizarre in many ways, but we find
ourselves coming back over and over. We enjoy ourselves
every time. Steaks are excellent, which is a good thing
since there isn't much else on the menu.
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A quote from OUR STATE. COM When
this magazine asked me to narrow dozens of reader
recommendations
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by Bill Williams (135 reviews)
December 31, 2010 - Likes it