Morton’s The Steakhouse - San Jose

3.5/5 stars

A couple months ago, the bf and I watched an episode of "Iron Chef America" where the secret ingredient was none other than kobe steak! So of course, after that, we needed to get us some steak! 

ATMOSPHERE: We made reservations on opentable.com and after our car was conveniently parked by valet we were promptly seated. Outside, the restaurant looks like a bank on Wall Street, but inside, it was all steakhouse - dim lights, white table cloths, sharp steak knives, wine bottles on display, and black & white photographs. What I liked most was that it wasn't at all pretentious and not all businessmen. There were couples and families and many Happy Birthdays being sung (listen for the "impressive" waiter/opera singer). As we sat down, about 4 different people made sure that we had water, the wine list, an onion loaf fresh from the oven, and that my jacket was hung neatly on a chair. Sometimes it's true - with money, comes service! Our waitress was enthusiastic, though a mite spacey. I don't have any complaints about the atmosphere, the service, or the looks of the place - though I'm not quite sure how I feel about being shown a cart of raw beef, a live lobster, a potato, an onion, and a head of broccoli before being handed my menu. It was really quite unnecessary.

FOOD & DRINKS:

- the ARNOLD PALMER was one of the best I've ever had. The lemonade really stood out. I don't know if it was sparkling or just, really expensive bottled lemonade, but it was really good! Not too tart and sweetened just right!

- the BACON WRAPPED SCALLOPS weren't special, but were perfectly prepared. I wouldn't recommend eating the scallops with the apricot chutney that came with the dish because the flavors don't really go well together. Instead, eat the bacon with the chutney!

- I also had a bite of my bf's BEEFSTEAK SALAD: sliced red tomatoes and chopped red onions on top of a leaf of green lettuce, drizzled with a vinaigrette. Though the plate was pretty and colorful, the tomatoes were bland. They should've used heirloom tomatoes or something better.

- my 24oz PORTERHOUSE was divine. Done medium, the NY portion was exceptionally juicy and just awesome. It was one of the juiciest steaks I've ever had. The other side, the filet mignon, was not as flavorful as the NY, but it was soo buttery – it literally fell apart when I nudged it with my knife.

- the right wine to order with your steak is a glass of the TWO HANDS GNARLY DUDES. Order it for the funky name, order it again because it pairs up really nice with red meat.

- the MASHED POTATOES were creamy and salted, probably made with buttermilk. What's cool is that the potatoes were served with sour cream, butter, and real bacon bits on the side so you could make baked potato mashed potatoes if you wanted! They tasted even better with sour cream mixed in!

- side of MUSHROOMS were decent – I think mushrooms always compliment beef. They had a sort of smokey flavor to them...

- MORTON'S LEGENDARY HOT CHOCOLATE CAKE was the best molten chocolate cake I've ever had. Must be because the middle was made with Godiva chocolate. It came fresh and hot out of the oven, with raspberries, vanilla ice cream, and powdered sugar. After a complete dinner like I had, sharing one dessert was enough.

All of the above was about $200. The price tag was appropriate, but I can't say if I'd come back. I could go either way. I will say this though: the House of Prime Rib blew me away, Morton's did not.

(2007)