The Theater Behind Dining
Cut & Bourbon Offers A Personal Take On The Steakhouse Experience.
Sophisticated steakhouses offer something distinct within a community. The premier customer service and quality ingredients come together to create a familiar upscale dining experience, offering both elegance and finesse to diners.
Cut & Bourbon provides all that and more at its Arlington location. Loews Hotels & Co’s Senior Vice President of Food & Beverage Mark Weiss says he wanted to build a concept that would excite not only tourists who were coming to Arlington for its entertainment options and events but also the locals interested in indulging in a high-end dining experience.
“It all became about building about creating something the local community could connect with,” Mark says.
That aspirational connection is woven into the fabric of Cut & Bourbon. The steakhouse allows guests to feel a part of the action thanks to the open concept. Mark says he wanted diners to feel like they could interact with every aspect of their visit.
“It’s all about shaping a level of confidence,” Mark shares. “Our intent was for the customer to see everything happening, the kitchen, the chefs and the bar across the room — where you are eating in the middle of the action, where you can see the chef’s hands working in the open kitchen.”
That performative atmosphere allows guests to melt into their evening and fully enjoy their night out.
“I have a very romantic view of a steakhouse; it’s theater right in front of you,” Mark says. “It gives you a sense of place.”
All that detail hits guests as soon as they walk through the doors. And it’s expanded upon once they open up the menu. Whether you enjoy one of the craft cocktails, an exclusive spirit from its bourbon list or something from your own collection, which you can store there with its locker system, start out with a cold one. Then get ready to crank up the heat when it’s time to choose between its delicious offerings.
The starter selection provides a little something for everyone. Those looking for a posh appetizer can enjoy the seafood platter, featuring tuna sashimi, shrimp cocktail, oysters and lobster. Hungry appetites, on the other hand, should try its glazed bacon slab, served with port wine jus.
While steaks are king of the entrees, with local Texas cuts standing out, Cut & Bourbon’s chef uses a thoughtful approach to each of his product selections. By working with local farmers and ranch hands, his philosophy of buying the right products helps classic dishes find new life.
“You don’t have to do much to food when it’s the right product,” Mark says.
For a hefty cut, try the 28-day 20-ounce cowboy ribeye. Or enjoy the bounties from the land and the sea by ordering the surf and turf — a Cut & Bourbon steak (excluding the cowboy) with a side of lobster or shrimp, scallops, asparagus and whipped yukon bearnaise.
Those bold ingredients are matched by sophisticated serving techniques, with several of the dishes featuring tableside steps like pouring over certain sauces and plating various sides.
“We spend a lot of time going through the details,” Mark says. “There are a lot of steps of service that we have created.”
That care carries over to its other dishes. The lobster pot pie, boasting a whole lobster tail, lobster cream brandy and market vegetables, screams lavish comfort food. While the Chilean sea bass, accompanied by heirloom quinoa, Texas tabbouleh, baby squash, watermelon radish and a citrus beurre blanc, embodies elegance.
While Cut & Bourbon does have a plethora of star dishes, Mark says one of his favorites has to be a dessert. Its carrot cake stack — layers of carrot cake, maple cream cheese, candied pecans, preserved cranberries and finished with a tableside glaze — exemplifies Cut & Bourbon’s mission to provide new takes on beloved favorites.
“We actually are serious, our take on carrot cake is like nothing you have had before and is absolutely a fan favorite,” Mark says. “I think everything needs to be big and classic but reinvented, so it has a modern take on it.”
Whether you come in for a drink and to check out the view of AT&T stadium or celebrate your next special occasion over a slice of carrot cake, Cut & Bourbon promises to deliver a delicious show.