At last, COVID is beginning to loosen its grip on us, we’re becoming stronger in our battle against it, and life dawns into normalcy once again. And just in time for my month-long birthday celebration. With this visit to Bern’s, we’re making up for a failed attempt last year as we went into the throes of the pandemic lockdown. A reservation for Bern's Steak House is not easy to come by, three months advance planning being the norm. However, as doors begin to reopen, a weekday slot is more achievable, so on this Tuesday, the first day of June 2021, we entered this much-loved and much-talked about restaurant.
The atmosphere is rich, to say the least. Everything about the service and the surroundings is elegant and classic, especially the dessert room, which we will explore later. I want to, but I just don't like the decor in the main dining floor. The red velvet walls are covered with classic paintings, niches are homes to busts that could be Roman, Greek, Victorian, Edwardian, you name it. The furniture in the entrance leans toward Louis XXIV Rococo. Nonetheless, once you sit down and service begins, you're willing to forgive, or perhaps forget, the interior design style.
I regret to say that John and I are not wine connoisseurs, but if you are, you MUST watch the video about their world famous wine cellar on Bern's website. I've never seen anything like it! Instead of wine, John added a new craft beer to his collection, Chimay from Belgium, and I inhaled the Flower Sour, a glorious mixture of vodka, St. Elder, Orgeat syryup, and fresh lemon juice.
We began our adventure with a subtle onion soup topped with a melt of fontina, provolone, and parmesan cheeses, followed by a bright mixed salad, both unremarkable but satisfying. Then, the main courses arrived. John had a 14-ounce Delmonico steak, cooked medium rare though he asked for medium, but he gushed over it. He waxed lyrical about the flavor and said he wanted to return on a yearly basis just from tasting the steak. I assure you nothing else that followed would have prompted such a reaction. Besides the soup and salad, the steak dinner included a baked potato with all its paraphernalia, onion rings, and the vegetable of the evening, sauteed green beans and mushrooms. They feed you at Bern's, no question.
I thought I'd sample one of the other entrees sanz beef, so I opted for the Goat Cheese and Portobello Ravioli which came with sauteed Catalan Spinach, all in a sublime sauce of oven dried tomatoes, golden raisins, and pine nuts. The ravioli were not spectacular, but flavorful nonetheless. That dish also included the soup and salad, and a side dish, which I chose to be the baked potato so I could take it home for John.
Now, to be honest, the reason I wanted to come to Bern's and share this unique experience was their internationally famous "dessert room". Besides a significant list of specialty coffees and drinks, some of the delights offered include Baked Alaska, Twelve Layer Chocolate Cake, Espresso Brownie, Roasted Pineapple Cake, gluten-Vintage Chocolate Lush Sundae, and Brazilian Snow, Bern's original vanilla ice cream infused with freshly ground espresso. A wide variety of sorbets are also available. Many people, myself included, expected a room with desserts on display. That is a misconception. The reality is better, the second floor of the building, decorated in ultra-modern blacks and metallics, is dedicated exclusively to the dessert experience. In fact, to gain access, your server downstairs must make a reservation for you while you enjoy your meal, and you get a separate bill. So, my conclusion is that should I want to, I could just make a reservation for the second floor and bypass the meal altogether. However, my meat-loving husband will have none of that. We shared the Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffle with banana caramel ice cream and the Strawberry Key Lime Tart with graham cracker ice cream, this last element being particularly memorable.
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