At the center of Carmel Valley Chophouse’s menu is meat, like their quick-selling smoked ribs ($24), served with light and crispy onion rings. There are other gems to be found as add-ons and sides, like their addictive buttery biscuits (top left).
Nic CouryOvertures to meat typically do not start out with a dark and stormy night, but that’s how my first visit to the Carmel Valley Chophouse began. Chilled to the bone, hair soaked and regretting my choice to put my winter coat into storage, my boyfriend and I were the last ones in the cozy restaurant doors on a rainy February night.
Running late for our 8:30pm reservation, I worried we would be treated as a burden or turned away from the tired kitchen. That wasn’t the case.
The host greeted us warmly and sat us down at a ready table. Right away, we were handed a wine list and I settled in with a glass of Joyce Riesling ($13), which was less developed than a solid German Riesling, but crisp and palate-cleansing.
Then came a selection of appetizers, which was dotted with seafood items like briney Kumamoto oysters ($2.70/each) and Skuna Bay salmon tartare ($11). But, being a true steakhouse, there are also decadent goodies like “crispy quacks,” or duck chicharrón ($6), and seared foie gras with ginger bread and chutney ($22).
Unfortunately, the waiter warned us that there was only a single piece of foie left, and it would either be an appetizer or an add-on to a main dish. In the end, my boyfriend added the foie atop his apple-brined, 13-ounce double pork chop ($23). It was the right decision, because we chose the salmon tartare, which hit all perfect appetizer points: fatty pieces of salmon tossed gently in a slightly creamy but citrusy sauce.
I didn’t love the crispy quacks. The concept seemed appealing and I’m a fan of chicharrones, but biting into the small nugget instantly coated my mouth in duck fat. The lemon aioli alongside helped cut it. The Riesling helped more.
Next came the Carmel Valley Chophouse specialty: steak. More specifically, 21-day, in-house wet-aged steaks, which is a process that breaks down some of the proteins of the meat. The end result is a shrunken mass of steak; in exchange for volume, there is a more developed flavor.
Between the filet mignon, New York strip and the rib-eye, I opted for the strip at $38 with a side of duck fat fries ($7.50) and an add-on of bone marrow ($7).
Judgements of cardiologists aside, almost everything would rate as excellent for a real steak-lover. The steak wasn’t supremely tender, but that’s exactly why I opted for the strip, because I like to chew on my meat. It was also funky, with a tasty musk that our server described “like eating blue cheese.”
I only grew to love the steak more with every sip of fruit-forward Numanthia Tinta de Toro ($14). And the fries were excellent too, except they were decorated with more crispy quacks – I ate around them.
Overall, the Carmel Valley Chophouse knows its way around a steak and a glass of wine. Fabrice and Jennifer Roux have filled the niche well since opening in December. And when you do feel like throwing your cholesterol numbers to the wind, this is the place to be.
CARMEL VALLEY CHOPHOUSE 3762 Center St., Carmel Valley. 4:30-9pm Wed, Thu and Sun; 4:30-10pm Fri and Sat. 650-5886, carmelvalleychophouse.comhttp://www.montereycountyweekly.com/food_wine/reviews/a-temple-to-meat-finds-its-setting-in-carmel-valley/article_39340da6-3867-11e8-b34e-5bbf1f44ae4e.html
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