Its Friday night and Omar and I face the age old question, where do we go out? Somewhere new so we have fodder for the blog, or a tried and true favorite? As I mentioned in an earlier post, Omar and I joined the Landry Club. We joined at Morton’s when we tried out their happy hour (read HERE if you would like). The way the club works, is you buy for $25, then you immediately get a $25 coupon off another visit. You can use at a variety of places around the “D” like McCormick & Schmick, Morton’s, Cameron’s Steakhouse, Mitchell’s Seafood Market, Meriwether’s, Rainforest Cafe and more.
We had accumulated $25 for joining, $25 for my birthday and $25 from reward points. Thought it best to take advantage of some free money and head to Cameron’s Steakhouse in Birmingham. Cameron’s is located off Old Woodward, where the old Mitchell’s Seafood Market, now closed, once stood. As Birmingham is currently under construction almost everywhere, they have suspended valet service. Not a problem, they had a close parking lot with ample parking and free for the first 2 hours. That’s a bonus!
After a short walk to the restaurant, we were greeted with friendly staff, and an upscale, inviting atmosphere. As it was early (just about 4:45, don’t judge, we were interested in trying the happy hour, or VIP hour as they call it, which only goes from 4-6 p.m.) the place was pretty empty. There were a few gentlemen at the bar, but otherwise pretty slow. The dining room didn’t open until 5, so that is understandable, but the bar staff said the construction was really hurting business.
Ryan, our knowledgeable and friendly bartender was incredibly attentive and had great suggestions. Omar started his evening with a twenty grand martini. He was sold on the “salad” that came with it. Pickled cauliflower, chipotle carrots, pickled green bean, cocktail onions and anchovy stuffed olives. What he failed to notice was the martini was made with twenty grand vodka! Omar actually drank and ENJOYED a vodka martini. He is a gin martini man and could not believe how much he enjoyed it. I ordered a blueberry mojito. It was a VIP hour special, and sounded light and fruity for a hot summers night. The drink did not disappoint. Fresh mint muddled with just the right amount of lime and blueberry. Omar said it was disgusting, but he hates mojitos. I love them and this was a perfect one.
Omar started with pepper pot calamari. Lightly fried calamari strips, with sauteed jalapenos, cherry peppers and pepperoncini topped with a spicy aoili. I was forced to try a bite and they were actually pretty good although I am not a calamari lover as, if you read this blog, you would know :).
I ordered the “Steakhouse Classic” which for one price includes a salad, entree, side and desert. How could I resist? I got the chop chop salad, 7 oz. filet with a cognac peppercorn sauce, hand cut fries, and crème brûlée for desert.
The chop chop salad came and was a full size entree salad! It was huge! Included goat cheese, dates, asparagus, tomatoes, roasted corn with a sherry vinaigrette on top a bed of fresh greens. OMG so filling!
The filet was cooked perfect, with a side of a rich, decadent cognac peppercorn sauce. The hand cut fries were great. Skin on, served in a metal and paper lined cone, with a variety of dipping sauces including the smoked bacon butter. Wow was that smokey!
Omar ordered a Prime Ribeye, he wanted the Cowboy or Tomahawk Ribeye, but they were huge (and costly!). He was excited to see bone marrow butter as an option to complement your steak (gross). He said the richness of the marrow butter complemented the steak perfect. Well I was just going to have to take his word for it. The steak however was overcooked when he cut into it. Omar was asking me what I thought when Ryan came over and said “oh no that’s not right- I would never eat that- we are sending that back.” The manager came over right away to apologize. When the steak was brought over the manager was right there to make sure it was perfect. Now that is service.
The crème brûlée was probably the best we ever had. Creamy, with the perfect crack of the caramelized sugar topping, with fresh berries and mint sprig. Although we were stuffed, it was a perfect end to a great dinner.
Overall we were very impressed. Great staff, great food, great ambiance. We will most definitely go back and we recommend you go as well. Get the Landry card, it is worth it!