Four years ago

Ghost of Negroni and Saz-that-rac Cocktails

Amuse-Bouche: Radish and Butter Pudding

Wagyu Beef Tartare

Gem Wedge Salad

Filet Mignon

Wagyu Filet

Chocolate Soufflé and Vanilla Ice Cream

This Thursday we celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary by taking the day off, getting a couples massage and having dinner at a new restaurant in Buffalo, Mike A’s Steakhouse. The restaurant is located within the newly renovated Hotel Lafayette and it doesn’t disappoint. The interior has been lovingly restored with no expense spared. Upon walking into the space you feel as though you were transported back in time. Because all that time transporting can make you thirsty, we decided to start our culinary adventure with cocktails from the bar. I went for the Saz-that-rac which consisted of rye, cognac, flower honey, bitters and lavender absinthe. Spencer had the Ghost of Negroni which was described as pepper añejo tequila, blanco tequila, aperol, punt e mes, rhubarb amaro and clove-mescal. Ask me what half of those ingredients are and I really couldn’t tell you! Mine was too strong for my liking, so I could only take small sips, but Spencer really enjoyed his.

After our drinks we were served warm, crusty bread and an amuse-bouche of radish and butter pudding. It was an interesting flavor combination, but I enjoyed it. The radish was fresh and crisp and it complimented the richness of the butter pudding. Shortly after we received our first course, the Wagyu Beef Tartare ($16) and the Gem Wedge Salad ($8). This was my first time experiencing tartare, but I really enjoyed it and the presentation itself was stunning. It came topped with truffled yolk, onion and basil and served in a large round pita-type chip. The raw beef was chopped so thin that it melted in your mouth and all the flavors complimented it well. The salad was pretty standard, but it was well seasoned and the ingredients tasted fresh.

For an entrée I ordered the 8-ounce Filet Mignon ($42) and Spencer ordered the special, a 6-ounce 9th Grade Australian Wagyu Beef Filet ($69), because the 12-ounce Wagyu steak wasn’t available. The story behind Wagyu beef, as our server described it, is that it’s based on Japanese meat standards and is graded for it’s texture, marbling and color, hence the hefty price tag. My filet or ‘regular’ beef was presented beautifully and tasted absolutely delicious. The meat was perfectly cooked and seasoned and came served with an herbed butter, potato puree, roasted mushrooms and asparagus. Spencer’s Wagyu beef was also delicious, but compared to my plate, his looked empty. His came served with potato patties topped with roasted tomatoes and onions. He enjoyed it, but was still hungry and ended up eating half of my dish.

Thoroughly stuffed (and pretty darn buzzed) we thought it was a good idea to order dessert. We decided to split the Chocolate Soufflé ($10). The warm dark chocolate came served with vanilla ice cream and was the perfect dish to end a perfect evening. If you have a special occasion and are ever in the Buffalo area I’d highly recommend Mike A’s for a great meal.