El Gaucho

Where: 2119 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.1510

Hours: Monday-Thursday: lounge 4 p.m. to midnight; dining room 5 p.m. to midnight. Friday: lounge 4 p.m. to 1 a.m.; dining room 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday: lounge 4:30 p.m. to 1 a.m., dining room 4:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday: lounge 4:30 p.m. to 11 p.m., dining room 4:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Happy Hour: Monday-Friday: 4-6 p.m., 10 p.m. to close; Saturday 10 p.m. to close; Sunday: 4:30 p.m. to close (all night).

Scene: The service is gracious; the baby grand in the corner fills the room with “Girl From Ipanema”; cozy couples enjoy romantic candlelit dinners; red maple walls glow from the low lighting — a dream. El Gaucho feels like a swank 1940s New York nightclub.

Menu: 28-Day Dry-Aged Certified Angus Natural Beef steaks, ribs, pork, poultry and the freshest seafood, are all prepared to perfection over an open bed of glowing coals.

Drinkies: Full bar with swanky cocktails. Wine Spectator gave it its Best of Award of Excellence 2006, 2007 and 2008.



ANNOUNCER: OK, it’s expensive. Get over yourself. El Gaucho ushered in a new era for Tacoma in 2002 — a place where one can truly eat in an out-of-this-world place. From the dramatic room to choice steaks, it’s a place to truly impress a date, celebrate a major accomplishment or escape from reality. It raises the bar in the South Puget Sound, showing the world we are more than hamburgers and all-you-can-eat. Side by side with recent additions like Maxwell’s Speakeasy and Merende, it provides hope to those who are tired of burning rubber up and down Interstate 5 to eat in Seattle. It boldly goes where …



JASON: Knock it off. El Gaucho changed the dining landscape in Tacoma — not just because the menu prices cause some to exclaim El Gotcha! One of four in the Northwest — one in Seattle’s hip Belltown neighborhood, one in Portland’s posh Benson Hotel and the recent opening of one in Bellevue — the upscale steak house brings New York-ish service and ambiance to a town not famous for its posh dining. While this town has several upscale eateries, never before has it had a restaurant that creates an experience that leaves diners feeling as if they had stepped into another world, where every attention to detail is designed to make them feel pampered and important. El Gaucho is so much more than Angus beef and fine wine — it’s about a vacation resort that doesn’t require a plane ticket to enjoy.



JAKE: El Gaucho was a massive undertaking, one that has spanned the significant cultural and economic changes in downtown Tacoma in 2002, but one that seems likely to pay off, if a recent visit is anything to judge by. Paul Mackay, along with business partner and general contractor Rushforth Construction, spent $1.8 million restoring and equipping the historic Cunningham Electric Building. I hate to use words like eye-popping to describe the interior of a restaurant, but mine were out on stalks the first time I entered this luxurious establishment. El Gaucho feels like a swank 1940s New York nightclub. It screams style, quality and fashion — right at you, but not in your face. Dapper wait staff glide around four old-growth Douglas fir pillar beams, black velvet curtains and white linen tablecloths. Whisper-quiet ceiling vents whisk away the stogie fumes without disturbing the 120-seat main dining room. 



In addition to the inspired décor and classic design, El Gaucho exudes good taste in its choice of plates, dishes, flatware and accoutrements. There’s a strong sense of harmony here, which demonstrates a clear vision and an ability to follow through. It’s the sort of place that makes you want to flip your plate over to see where it came from (a bad habit of mine, I confess).



JASON: I expect the bar to become a popular hangout because one can enjoy the ambience, taste a couple of appetizers, and feel well taken care of without forking over a wad of cash. The piano bar is a nice touch, and the bartenders are friendly and attentive.  It’s the sort of bar where one feels inclined to sip martinis, sidecars, old fashions and Brandy Alexanders.



JAKE: Good point, but I’ll nestle up to one of the 150 selections from the wine cellar or to the stunning list of premium scotches.



Now to the food. Under the oversight of Chef Kevin Daft, the Tacoma restaurant offers more or less the same menu as the original Seattle location. Featuring a wide range of dishes produced from seasonal ingredients, the menu caters to a variety of tastes. However, there’s a significant emphasis here on meat. All of El Gaucho’s beef is certified Angus beef, dry-aged 28 days. My Filet Mignon ($44-$58), was moist, fork-tender and hearty. 



JASON: My steak cut like butter — literally. The New York ($48-$58) was thick, flavorful, huge and perfectly prepared. It redefines what a steak should be in this town, and aside from the manliest of the bunch, there’s plenty left to take home in a doggie bag. I also enjoyed the skewered steak that is torched tableside — a great show — just don’t bite in until the flames subside.



JAKE: In retrospect, maybe I should have tried the Baseball Cut Top Sirloin ($36-$38, one pound of meat), Steak El Gaucho ($52, club sirloin and lobster medallions), or the wild king salmon ($38). Not that there was a thing wrong with my entrée — quite the contrary. I just want to see how these other items are prepared and presented. Accompaniments, each for the price of a flavored latte, include sautéed spinach, polenta, asparagus, linguini Alfredo, and Portobello mushrooms.



JASON: We occupied our table for more than two hours, but our server never made us feel like loiterers. He made suggestions on certain meals, then orchestrated the arrival of appetizers, salads, soups, main meals and desserts like a maestro.



JAKE: The dessert selection was topnotch. The Key Lime pie ($8) was tart and fresh — the perfect end to a heavy meal. I like the Bananas Foster ($9) — the tableside preparation is fun to watch — but I much preferred the chocolate molten torte.



JASON: The baby grand in the corner filled the room with “Girl From Ipanema,” cozy couples enjoying romantic candlelit dinners, red maple walls glow from the low lighting — a dream.



MENU

Pan seared oysters >>> $11

Tuna tartare >>> $13

Diver sea scallops >>> $17

El Gaucho baby back ribs >>> $26

Blackened ahi >>> $43

Rack of lamb >>> $48

Chateaubriand for two >>> $130