Cut
The Beverly Wilshire, 9500 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills
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Wolfgang Puck's promise of a steakhouse in the Beverly Wilshire Hotel generated the most highly anticipated Los Angeles opening in ages, and it's even better than the hype implied. The dazzling white room is illuminated by a linear skylight, which means starchitect Richard Meier (of Getty Center fame) has managed to break every steakhouse rule in the book. The upshot is you can see the beef for once. And what beautiful beef it is, aged three to five weeks, grilled over charcoal and hardwood and finished under a 1,200-degree broiler; you can literally see the fat melting in as the cut hits your searing plate. This being a Puck joint, service is polished beyond belief and the menu boasts au courant touches like Kobe sliders with tomato jam and bone marrow flan with mushroom marmalade and toast points. The A-list crowd is of the paparazzi-attracting ilk; no one will be impressed if you send over a 2002 Château d'Yquem ($194) to Tom and Katie. Yes, the place is expensive even by steakhouse standards, but our only other gripe is the long walk to the bathroom. Wolfgang, of all people, should know: No one walks anywhere in L.A.

Photo courtesy of Cut