By Michael Andre Adams

Today’s steakhouses have taken on an entirely new modus operandi to attract the savvy, chic crowd of the new millennium, taking the game to a whole new level. We’ve scoured the town to round up the best Atlanta has to offer, as well as a few other cities to try when you’re feeding your wanderlust.

HOMETOWN HEROES

Dark wood dominates an atmosphere reminiscent of an L.A. hot spot at Sear, in the Atlanta Marriott Marquis downtown.

The signature steak is an 18-ounce bone-in Kansas City Strip ($32), which can hardly compare to the rib-eye that may, or may not be offered as a daily special. But the prime rib is amazing due to tenderness, herbed sea salt and garlic flavor—which makes up for the lack thereof in the steak. Additional kudos for the grilled flatbreads with savory mushrooms and fontina cheese and the best lemon meringue pie on earth—barring grandma’s, of course.

Sear
265 Peachtree Center Ave.
404-521-0000
www.searatlanta.com

Maxim Prime Steakhouse offers corn-fed, hormone free dry aged prime beef with a 32-ounce bone-in rib-eye for two ($58). On your own, opt for the filet, strip, skirt or flat irons from $22 to $29. Heavenly is the foie gras PB & J ($9) served on French toast, which leaves you wondering if you just willingly gained 10 pounds, even though the thought of another might be just fine. That alone in an atmosphere where everyone feels beautiful makes this place worth the trip. But splurge on the rib-eye if you’re in it for the marbling!

Maxim Prime Steakhouse
The Glen Hotel
110 Marietta St.
404-222-7992
www.glenhotel.com

When Marvin Gaye sang “make me wanna holler and throw up both my hands” on “Inner City Blues,” clearly he must have tasted the steaks at Room where the beautifully seasoned 21-ounce grilled cowboy rib-eye ($39) with optional topping choices such as Oscar (crab, asparagus and béarnaise) is hands down one of the best of the best in Atlanta. Family-style sides at $7 include sliced sweet potato halves with whipped butter and smoked sea salt resulting in sheer magnificence.

Room at Twelve Centennial Park
400 W. Peachtree St.
404-418-1250
www.roomattwelve.com


Holding its ground since 1996, Prime is a favorite among Atlantans—old and new. The tried-and-true establishment does sushi, too, including tamago—an essential sweet egg concoction for any sushi-serving joint.

Prime really knows how to season its cooked-to-perfection steaks. “We get the same grade of beef as do the legendary steakhouses here in town. The only thing different is our price,” says Sean Simmons, a manager. Case in point: The 20-ounce cowboy rib-eye on the dinner menu for $35 is half-price from 5 to 6:15 p.m. every night (as with all other steaks).

Prime Steaks Sushi Seafood
Lenox Square Mall
3393 Peachtree Road NE
404-812-0555
www.h2sr.com

IN OTHER PARTS

Las Vegas

Celebrity chef Michael Mina and his posse have assembled an esteemed collection of scotch, fine wines and amazing caviars for a regal celebration of prized steaks.

From the wood-burning grill comes all-natural certified Angus beef in 10-30 ounce portions (from $36 to $69), Masami Farms American Kobe beef at 8 to 10 ounces ($48 to $72), and Japanese A5 Kobe in 6-ounce portions from $170 to $195 that’ll blow your mind. Marinated in clarified butter, which in itself constitutes a delicacy, the richness in flavor due to the generous marbling is nearly erotic. Each bite requires minimal efforts to chew yielding flavor fit for the king of kings.

STRIPSTEAK
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino
3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, NV 89119
702-632-7414
www.michaelmina.net

Los Angeles

On a bluff overlooking the sunny shores of the Santa Monica strip, BOA’s chic-ness comes from the clean, clutter-free lines, with natural wood from trees and other variations throughout the leather and wood upholstery bringing forth that warm and fuzzy feeling. According to Chef Paul Villa, it’s all in the brush—the brush of red wine butter each steak receives prior to grilling.

Opulent is a word that speaks well for BOA’s premium Japanese wagyu. As with the Japanese A5 Kobe at StripSteak, its marbled texture and rich flavor causes the steak to nearly melt in your mouth. The wagyu appetizer (roughly $32) is served with XO sauce and Okinawa sea salt.

BOA
101 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310-899-4466
www.boasteak.com

Philadelphia

At $80 for the filet, a strip at $90, or $245 for the Porterhouse, Philly’s sexiest steakhouse, Barclay Prime, lays exclusive U.S. claim to Australian Tajima Black wagyu beef. This highly marbleized meat is hailed for its rich, buttery onset, followed by a hearty, meaty finish that lingers gently on the palate. Simplify the experience with Chef Locascio’s Philly cheese steak of shaved kobe beef, fresh lobster, triple cream tallegio and caramelized shallots on an artisanal bun for $100.

Barclay Prime
Rittenhouse Square
237 S. 18th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
215-732-7560
 www.barclayprime.com SP