Cut arguably makes the best steaks you will eat in L.A. –- and perhaps ever. Splurge and get everything and anything that looks good -- it is! The food here is consistently excellent, and Cut remains at the very top of our favorite steakhouses to eat at in LA.

HOWEVER, the whisky pricing at this place is deplorable and offensive.  It has been since they opened. But at that time, when we nicely protested to the bar manager that their prices were ludicrous ($80 for a serving of Bowmore 25 when it cost $160 per bottle retail… and their cost is less than retail), he graciously cut us a deal.  After all, they don't have any wines there with a 1,000% markup -- why penalize the whisky customers?

So on our most recent visit (June 2010) we wanted to have a chat with the sommelier (also their spirits buyer) as to why her prices on whisky were kept so high.  $38 for a serving of Glenlivet 18? Seriously? You you can buy an entire bottle at BevMo for $60.

Her response was basically the most condescending, rude treatment the four of us (DW, AS, Chris, Adam) had ever received at any restaurant. That includes McDonalds.  Suffice it to say that until this woman adjusts her pompous and ignorant attitude, I'd advise bringing your own wine to Cut (luckily we had done that anyway), and be sure as hell you don't order any whisky.

By the way, Ms. Sommelier Lady -- your explanation that "restaurants always charge more than retail" is not a successful argument to justify your highway-robbery pricing (even for Beverly Hills).  Your assertion that your whisky is priced to be comparable with Mastro's is a lie (we called Mastro's while we were sitting at the table, their pricing on the 'Livet 18 is 65% of yours). Your story that "the glassware is extremely expensive" is horseshit. You don't even have dedicated whisky glassware. And your tale about the ice coming from Minnesota… well… um… are you telling your wine aficionados to put that ice in their wine, too?

 

To those of us who know about these things, it's obvious that you don't.  Stop pretending you do.

Cut retains the title of the best steakhouse in LA, and receives the newly-awarded title of L.A. Sommelier Who Is The Least-Nice Person.  Putting it mildly.