El Gaucho Stuns

Sometimes you need to write about the tried and true. No doubt, El Gaucho is one of the top steak houses in Portland, if not the planet. I say that only because every single bite I had there the other night, right down to the ultra delectable garlic bread, was straight out of a five star foodie magazine. Now I know this is not really news, everybody knows that El Gaucho is the bomb for steaks and the like, but going in knowing this, and still being floored by the service, atmosphere and quality, well, it deserves writing about.

Two Filet Mignon’s “medallions” with Oscar (Bernaise sauce and crab)…with asparagus. Oh wow. Image Courtesy: Dan Meyers

When our waiter came by to prepare our table side Caesar, which by the way was the best Caesar I’ve ever had, he chatted with us. He told us stories of Carmelo Anthony coming in, and how friendly he was. He also said a mainstay at the story steakhouse is Yusuf Nurkic. Well, I knew it was a cool spot but being a huge Blazer fan it just became even further elevated. And hey, what an endorsement! If the folks that make tens of millions are picking the spot to enjoy their dinner, you know you have picked well.

This dish (my wife’s) was equally incredible. It was the special that night, “Salmon Diablo over Risotto.” So good. Image Courtesy: Dan Meyers

The two sides we chose (along with a table side caesar) were just perfect. Scalloped Potatoes and Honey Chipotle Corn. I’m headed back. Image Courtesy: Dan Meyers

Incredible atmosphere and staff

I already mentioned our amazing waiter, I didn’t catch his name, but he really made the experience special. But it wasn’t just our waiter that impressed me the most about the staff, it was the restaurant’s professional and ultra-rapid reaction when a fellow diner began choking. Yes, one early staff member immediately came to the diner’s aid and performed the Heimlich maneuver. The heavyset gentleman that was choking was creating quite a challenge for the staff member helping him, but the staff member was very persistent and kept performing the maneuver over and over for a period of almost 2 full (very scary) minutes before finally reaching success. By this time, EMTs were just arriving but the diner was already recovering and ended up injury free. It was a mind blowing thing to watch and the whole restaurant erupted in applause at the conclusion. What could have been a real tragedy ended up being a special moment where properly trained staff literally saved the day.

El Gaucho’s Executive Chef, Steve Cain, is pictured here. A winner of The Food Network’s “Grocery Games,” and an all-out stallion of a chef….well…hat’s off Mr. Cain!! Image Courtesy: Eatthereal.com

So when you are thinking about where to go for your next special dinner, and you think, “ Oh I’ve already been to El Gaucho,” well, let this serve as additional provocation to return. Certainly it is not the lowest cost restaurant in town and will actually hit your pocketbook pretty firmly, but this is one place that is truly worth every penny.