Smith & Wollensky located at 4007 Westheimer exemplifies what a writer from the New York Times wrote “The steakhouse to end all arguments.” Their service is impeccable, the restaurant is elegant, but not stuffy, the staff is friendly and attentive to the needs of all customers. Moreover, the food, especially the dry-aged steak, exceeded my expectations in every way.

First of all, the restaurant is situated in one of the busiest areas of Houston; however, they have ample parking. Therefore, we were not forced to valet park and didn't have to walk a mile to get to our destination. We were greeted by the GM Luciana Rankins and Manager Erin Manhaney who shared some of the highlights of their tenure with the company as well as their enthusiasm and commitment to being a part of a team that is a well-known brand in the restaurant industry.

With the history lesson over, it was time to dive into the food. Our server Rico really impressed us. He asked us about our tastes in cocktails and then relayed the information to the bartender who came up with the most refreshing elixirs that left us rather surprised. My custom drink, which is not listed on the menu, was created with a combination of Hendrick's Gin, Prosecco, lemon juice, with a garnish of lemon peel. My guest started with “The Toronto,” which consists of Lot 40 Canadian Rye Whiskey, simple syrup, Fernet Branca, and orange bitters.

The food tasting began with a serving of beef bacon, which is housed cured and smoked. We snacked on the bacon while we drooled over the crab cake that was a mountain of lump jumbo crab meat, cognac mustard, and ginger sauce. The Wollensky Salad arrived next which is a tasty plate of Romaine lettuce, teardrop tomatoes, croutons, bacon lardoons, marinated mushrooms and topped with vinaigrette. Both were scrumptious.

Next, Executive Sous Chef Palmros introduced us to The Dry Aged USDA Prime Bone in Kansas City Cut Sirloin, that is 21 oz of succulent steak that is well seasoned, tender, full of flavor and scrumptious. As savored each bit and I said a little mantra “I can't believe this is so good.” We also sampled the Cajun Ribeye that was so good it deserved its own zip code. For our sides, we had the Szechuan Green Beans and the corn salad.

Finally, the dessert arrived and we asked for the house blended coffee and to go boxes. Before we boxed up our sweet treasures, we had to try them first. Yes, I said them. Get ready for your mouth to water. Our deserts were double chocolate cake with berries on the side and white vanilla and coconut cake with strawberries and real coconut flakes on top. To see the full menus, visit their website at https://www.smithandwollensky.com/our-restaurants/houston/menus/.

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