by Steven Doyle
In an age where most restaurants have a very short shelf life, Steel Restaurant and Lounge has beaten the odds as it goes into its 15th year of business. We recently had a chance to visit the amazing pan Asian and sushi restaurant, which is located in the Turtle Creek area just off Cedar Springs and Oak Lawn in the Centrum Building. What we found was that the restaurant is still pleasing its growing list of regulars with their superior service and enjoyable menu.
Interesting enough, we spotted one of the original managers, Brad Crouch who was most recently working as manager at Saint Ann in Uptown.
“I started here in 2000 when we first opened. I ran the kitchen for a few years then moved into management, and it feels good to be back,” said Crouch.
Crouch looked comfortable in his old digs, but was most excited to tell us about a few changes that were about to take place.
“We are about to remodel the sushi bar, giving the backdrop a fresh look and lowering the bar to make it more of the focal point of the restaurant and allow our guests to better engage the sushi chef,” added Crouch. In addition to the changes at the sushi bar, the front of the building is getting an update with a fresh facade that will be striking.
Looking at the hot menu, the sea bass is definitely Steel’s signature entree, and for good reason. This dish has been Steel’s number one seller since opening. The moist and flaky fish dish has a wonderful umami flavor that begs for another bite. Also look to the shaken beef, made with tenderloin for a great entree to share after sushi. Top that with one of the best fried rice dishes in the city for a perfect evening.
It is not just about the food at Steel. Wine Spectator just named Steel as one of the top five wine lists in Dallas. There are bottles available in all price ranges, but the best kept secret is that Sunday night is half price on all bottles which makes that evening a special time to check out some vintages that you may have balked at in the past.
Wednesday is another fantastic night to visit for the bargain hunter as it is half price sushi night.
If you haven’t checked out Steel in some time, tonight might be a great evening for a bit of sushi and a nice bottle of wine or sake.
