Inside Knife Modern Steak, a New Southern California Steakhouse From Michelin-Starred Chef John Tesar
Along the California coast, you’re sure to find a variety of delicious seafood. But what about a good steak?
The former Top Chef contestant John Tesar is hoping you’ll encounter just that at his new Knife Modern Steak, which opens Thursday at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa in Dana Point, Eater LA reported recently. The restaurant is a spin-off of his lauded Knife in Dallas and the Michelin-starred Knife & Spoon in Orlando, Florida.
While California’s Knife will be a new spot for Tesar, it’s a revamp of what used to be his Outer Reef. In April 2022, he opened the coastal seafood restaurant at the hotel, but it’s been closed since May to make room for Knife. Lighter fare like fresh seafood will still be present on the menu, but the overall focus will be on the hunks of meat Tesar has become known for. (Most of Outer Reef’s staff will also stay with the restaurant, including chef Jayro Martinez and sommelier Georgi Stoianov, Eater wrote.)
Compared to the original Dallas location, the California restaurant will lean more refined and upscale in presentation. On the menu there will steaks like a 10-ounce sirloin flap, filet mignon, and a 32-ounce, 240-day dry-aged bone-in ribeye. Dinner will also feature dishes like line-caught swordfish with kimchi and crispy pork belly, and lobster agnolotti with coral butter. For lunch, you can dig in to sandwiches like a seared big-eye tuna club or a pork belly BLT.
Click here to read the full article.
Drinks-wise, seasonal cocktails include the Monarch Martini (with gin, mezcal, bergamot, rhubarb, and caviar) and the P.X. I Love You (rum, sherry, apricot, lemon, and orgeat). And the decor leans in to Knife’s locale, with floor-to-ceiling windows that provide unparalleled views of the coast and an outdoor patio with blue agave plants and fire pits.
Since opening the now-closed Spoon Bar & Kitchen in 2012, Tesar has been nominated for the James Beard Awards’ Best Chef: Southwest five times. In 2014, he opened Knife in Dallas, and last year he added a Michelin star to his repertoire for his work in Florida, where he creates steak and seafood with Creole and Gullah influences.
Now Californians will be able to get a more well-rounded taste of Tesar’s out-of-this-world meat.
Click here to see all the images of Knife Modern Steak.
Culinary Masters 2023
Don’t miss the food event of the year. Register for Robb Report’s Culinary Masters now. Or, for more information on Robb Report experiences, visit RR1.
Best of Robb Report
Why a Heritage Turkey Is the Best Thanksgiving Bird—and How to Get One
The 10 Best Wines to Pair With Steak, From Cabernet to Malbec
