Steak Holder

Sydney Morning Herald

Tuesday August 10, 2004

Matthew Evans

La Grillade,

Crows Nest

13/20

The Address

118 Alexander Street (cnr Albany Street), Crows Nest.

TEL: 9439 3707.

The Hours

Lunch Mon-Fri noon-4pm; dinner Mon-Sat 6-10.30pm.

Succulent cuts and generous portions mean regulars return.

We don't get as many old restaurants in Eat out as we'd like. The new, the improved and the long-awaited openings occupy our bellies and minds. Not only that, many Sydney restaurants last about as long as cupcakes at a kids' party, so places that have been open a couple of decades are hardly thick on the ground. Those serving food we want to talk about are even rarer.

In mid-2004 in one of the most electrifying dining cities in the world, it would be easy to dismiss La Grillade, particularly if you just want stimulating, modern flavours. On our last visit, the food, apart from the steak, was what I'd expect the cook from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy to recommend to Randy, the jock from Queens. But that may miss the point - La Grillade's forte is dependable dining that gives a very loyal clientele what it wants.

There's something comforting about a place whose steak knives are wearing down from being sharpened, where the feel, as well as the portions, are generous and the world-ranging wine list is packed with big, gutsy reds Australians love.

There's a touch of the game lodge about the place, where a ceramic cow's head watches stonily from above the open kitchen and a print of woodland ducks on the wall looks like ID shots for hunters. The floor is tiled, the hostess wears strong perfume, macho timber beams hold the roof up and there are old-fashioned hooded lights on the walls. La Grillade opened in 1977; owners Peter and Beverley Hammerschmidt took over in 1984.

There have been minor changes, however. At the back a new bar is all clean lines and even harder surfaces and there's a revamped courtyard for warmer nights than this.

About 80 diners have ventured here on a bleak Thursday evening, tucking into snails in garlic butter or La Grillade's version of the caesar salad.

From the specials list, five fat, fleshy wild scallops from Tasmania's Spring Bay are dotted with a salsa heavy with crunchy kernels of roasted corn, cut from the cob, with pale diced tomato and coriander. The bivalves seem a little lost, but it's a polite, satisfying start.

Across the table, four big, wild-caught Queensland prawns arrive muddled with bean sprouts on a slightly stodgy zucchini and glass noodle cake. Again, it's mannerly without being passionate. The prawns are wonderfully fleshy and fresh tasting, the accompanying lime aioli satisfying.

All of this is just killing time - because the best thing at La Grillade is the steak.

Peter Hammerschmidt is legendary in his pursuit of perfect beef. If it's F1 wagyu, the first cross from the full-flavoured Japanese original, he's got it; if it's good and it's red and it's meat, Hammerschmidt has it on his menu at some time.

The 320-gram black Angus sirloin is seriously robust in the taste department. Our waiter says sirloin's a bit chewy and the eye fillet is the most popular cut. But God gave me incisors as well as molars. The meat gives at a nudge from the well-honed knife; the flesh is well marbled so it's hardly a chore.

You can have it with bearnaise or pepper sauce, but our choice, tender mushrooms in a delicate jus, is enough. The richer, flavoursome meat we're seeing these days sees me reaching for nothing more than the mustard pot. On the side come mash or chips and some beyond al dente green vegetables. The mash is so buttery that, as it lies there, yellow oil starts to seep out.

A Bangalow pork cutlet is enormous, the scored rind mostly turned to crackling, the meat smeared with a not-too-sweet apple sauce, the middle juicy and succulent (it helps that it's great pork). A beetroot relish is earthy sweet and okay, but a gaggle of roasted jerusalem artichokes is seriously wonderful.

I don't really want dessert. I'm reeling from the generously proportioned, chewy red wine and the generously portioned, not-chewy steak. But a special of crepes suzette is a good example of something that should never have gone out of fashion.

Three paper-thin crepes, folded in quarters, arrive awash in a too-buttery sauce heavy with orange juice and Grand Marnier. At this point, in this meal, I find them super-duper rich; after less food, or with a stronger constitution, I'd rate them better.

There's an inherent quality to La Grillade that keeps the regulars coming back. It's not try-hard, it's not confronting yet it's not as spellbinding as it could be. But in another 20 years I'd be more than happy to be eating at this restaurant with a generous soul.

The Food

Modern French.

The Wine List

Lengthy, wide-ranging; great shiraz selection, including aged varieties.

The Owners

Peter and Beverley Hammerschmidt.

The Chef

Robert Davis.

The Service

Eager if perhaps a little light-on for wine knowledge.

The Noise

Loudish.

The Vegetarians

Few options.

The Wheelchair Access

Through garage, but no toilet.

The Cards

Major.

The Bill

Entrees $14-$25; mains $25-$45; desserts $14-$15.50.

The Value

Good.

The Summary

The mood and decor are gloriously retro but the awesome steaks keep this twentysomething stayer up with the times. The rest of the menu is inoffensiveif not exactly memorable.

Scoresheet

Stay home 0-9

Just passes 10-11

Fair 12

Decent 13

Good, some excitement 14

Consistently very good 15

Really lovely 16

Kitchen alchemy 17

World class 18

Truly magical 19

Heaven 20

The score comprises 10 points for food, five for service and three for ambience, with an extra two points possible for a sprinkling of magic, whether it be the warmth of the welcome, the excitement on the plate, or a spectacular setting.

© 2004 Sydney Morning Herald

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