Restaurant Review - Oak City Grille (Royal Oak, MI)

Your Diva is on the mend, finally. It was a tough battle, but I think I'm over the worst of the cold. So, here we go...

Oak City Grille is a restaurant tucked away in the middle of a block. Other than the sign outside, there's nothing really special about it from the outside. At first glance, from the outside it looks like it might be a dive. Imagine my surprise when I walked in and found dark wood everywhere, nice brass light fixtures, a very nice wine list, and a menu with more than buffalo wings! Looks can be deceiving! I've been to Oak City Grill a couple of times prior to this visit, and I'm always given the same treatment. I ask for a table for one, and the greeter insists that I sit at the bar despite the fact there are several empty 2-top tables. I'm short. Sitting at the bar is very uncomfortable since my legs dangle. They don't care. Since I'm alone, I have to sit at the bar.

Once you are seated, you know this will be expensive, and they don't disappoint there. Since I'd resigned myself to paying more than usual, I went for gold! I ordered the Peppercorn Sirloin, and a glass of Pinot Grigio. While I waited for my meal I was given a basket of bread with cold butter that was subsequently hard as a rock, and never was I offered a glass of water. If I needed anything I needed to send up a flare to get the bartender's attention. As my wine glass emptied, never was I offered another glass of wine, and I'm at the freaking bar!

Despite the service, the food was fantastic! The steak was cooked to order (well done, without being dry), and topped with a spicy peppercorn glace. Some might call it gravy, but it's not, it's glace! Gravy is thick, flavorless and forms a skin as it cools. Glace does not! The steak came with a side of broccoli, a vibrant green and also cooked to perfection, and smooth, creamy mashed potatoes. For the meal and 1 glass of wine, I paid $26 (before tip).

The service leaves something to be desired, so don't go expecting first class treatment, but the food is amazing. However, I'm not sure the amazing food makes up for the substandard service and high prices.

I Cooked! - Beef & Beer Stew

I love beef stew. It's one of my favorite meals. My mother always made it from a recipe on a crusty old index card that got lost in the many moves over the years, so I went in search of a good recipe.

I stumbled upon this recipe and it looked easy. Easy is one of my criteria when I pick a recipe since most of my friends are moms with small children or single ladies, and neither group have the time or desire to spend hours in the kitchen. Since this one didn't require browning the meat first, making a roux, or any effort beyond buying the ingredients and throwing them in the crockpot, I was all for it!

I was leery at first. Could it really be this easy and taste ok?

Yes! As it cooked our place filled with the smells of beer and beef, and had my mouth watering for hours before it was ready to eat.

This is how it all looked 2 hours into cooking. 

It cooked on high in the crockpot for about 6 hours and I was careful not to give into temptation and open it! When it was finished, I wasn't all that excited about the flavor. It lacked a little oomph (for lack of a better description), but next day it was delicious!

The finished product!

Traditionally I make rice to go along with the stew, but it's fabulous on it's own. I like to have something on the side so tortilla chips worked well for me.

Variations:
I love burgundy beef, so next time I think I'll use a good burgundy wine instead of beer. When I do that, I'll let you know how it turns out. If you are adverse to using alcohol, you probably could use beef broth instead.