SILICON VALLEY STEAK MASTERS

2nd Quarter 2019 - Dry Creek Grill, San Jose

June 6, 20198 | George Reilly "Jorge"

 

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OVERALL RATINGS​​

• George Reilly "Jorge" - 4/5

• Bill Baron "The Chairman" - 4/5

• Ron Zraick "RonZ" - 4/5

• Pat Quinn "The Dictator" - 4/5

• Gary Christensen "Wingman" - 4/5

• Mike Johnson "MJ" - 5/5

• Mike Preston "Ditch Digger" - 4/5

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George Reilly "Jorge"

 

Overall Experience:  4/5

• Dry Creek Grill was my pick to review and host for our esteemed group.  I live close and jumped at the chance for our Steakmasters to review and enjoy this fine establishment. The vibe and atmosphere is usually upbeat and just after entering, you see a large bar area that faces one another, with bartenders in the middle and it affords some banter back and forth from both sides of the bar when friends “just happen to meet” at Dry Creek. John Smith the owner couldn’t make our dinner, however, Michael Lowney, the General Manager, did and Michael kept our evening running like a fine tuned clock. Dry Creek Grill is set in a strip retail center, in a former Moose Lodge building, but John Smith, did a fantastic job remodeling an older lady to create a fine dining venue, where neighborhood regulars really enjoy the food, libations and local banter. The Steakmasters were shown a beautiful evening, with prompt professional service, outstanding steaks and accompanying sides and yes,  Dry Creek Grill didn’t disappoint!! 

 

Food:  5/5

• We started with Dry Creeks version of ”AmuseBouche” (Entertains the Mouth) with a Cornbread Corner and an Espresso Cup of Chili Soup….Wonderful!  I chose a New York steak with roasted potatoes, brussels sprouts and cabernet reduction…mouth watering to the last bite!  Prepared perfectly Medium Rare and Chef Orlando Orozco came out for a little while and described each of our plates and some of the preparation techniques he uses for each of his meats.  Nice touch and very informative!

 

Bar/Wine List:  5/5

• The bar service was spot on and prompt. My Martini was iced perfectly and olives delicious.  The bartenders we’re working hard as it was a busy night, but we never waited much for any of our drinks.  Once again, several members brought some very nice wines for the group to enjoy and as usual, they were great for our meals and appropriately matched for our steaks.

 

Service:  5/5

• All of the Dry Creek team stepped up on a very busy night (lots of graduation celebrations going on). The bartenders, waitress, chef and especially General Manager Michael Lowney made sure everything was taken care of through out the night. Great to see a local establishment running like a fine Swiss watch!

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Ambiance:  4/5

• To most people a fine steak joint, might not be tought of in a strip retail center, however, Dry Creek Grill pulls it off more than amply.  The entrance has outdoor fire pits for evening gatherings or cocktails and the entire interior, looks, smells and vibes like a high end steak, bbq and great burger joint.  I know I might be biased a little, but I have never not had a good time at Dry Creek and with the Steakmasters….well enough said….good friends, great steaks….and even better times!!  Thank you Dry Creek team!!

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Bill Baron "The Chairman"

 

Overall Experience:  4/5

• Well, well, well.  A diamond in the rough, really.  Here it is, right in my backyard yet I really haven’t thought about Dry Creek Grill until SVSM member Jorge brought it to our attention as his selection for our 2nd quarter 2019 dinner.  And I am so glad he did. While there were elements of the experience that didn’t thrill me, overall it was a very solid meal that deserves a good rating—not a great rating—but a solid good rating and better than average.  The star of the show for me was the steak, as it should be for us.  As well, the place has a super great vibe and was very active the evening of 6.6.19.  We also had a terrific server Leeanna who did a great job.  That said, bar service was a tad slow thought the place was jam-packed.

 

Food:  4/5

• Let me just be clear.  The steak was super good, cooked perfectly.  I asked for no sauce to just get a sense of the flavor of the beef.  Quite tasty indeed.  I was not a real fan of the overly vinegar-tasting brussels sprouts, so I enjoyed just a few of them.  The pre-dinner gem salad was quite nice with bacon and blue cheese.  To start it all off, though, was a green chili soup served in a small cup married to a wedge of freshly baked corn bread.  Both were delicious and pared perfectly.  We also enjoyed deviled eggs—some with bacon on and some with crab.  The crab was a bit fishy smelling and tasting, so I would consider just the bacon ones in the future.

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Bar/Wine List:  3/5

• The bar service was good with drinks nice and full.  That said, it was a bit slow—again, due to the size of the crowd in the restaurant.  It would have been nice to have a specific cocktail server in addition to Leeanna, but oh well, beggars can’t be choosers.  We all got by just fine

 

Service:  4/5

• Leeanna and her team did what I thought was a very good job in serving our table—sans the slowness associated with the bar service.  All friendly and pleasant and efficient.  Appreciate their very good work with a smile.

 

Ambiance:  5/5

• While it was a bit loud in the early part of our evening, the place had a great vibe and a great feel to it.  You sensed that you were in a very cool place and really, I am very much looking forward to going back and enjoying another fine meal.  You won’t be disappointed with Dry Creek Grill—you’ll enjoy a quality meal.

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Ron Zraick "RonZ"

 

Overall Experience:  4/5

• The Dry Creek Grill is a nice local restaurant located in a strip mall in Willow Glen.  Not a traditional steakhouse, but an interesting, lively space with a great bar and just enough beef on the menu to qualify as a SVSM joint. Since it is located so close to most of our homes (MH Masters excluded) we all made our way there with the Ditch Digger the last to arrive dressed resplendently in shorts, golf shirt, tennis shoes and probably the most expensive sport coat in the group… quite a sight. As is unfortunately the case with many of our events, two of the Masters were missing, this time Lord Mayor and Moyzington were MIA.  There was some discussion about admitting a new member, John Poch our honored guest at the last Steak Masters event, which would be fantastic.       

 

Food:  3/5

• Like the last couple of restaurants we visited, Dry Creek Grill is not a traditional steakhouse although it had the requisite 5 steaks on the menu, along with BBQ, fish, pasta and some other cuts of meat such as pork chops, meat loaf and short ribs. The chef started us off with a little amuse bouche of green chili soup and cornbread.  I’ve had the soup before and this was delicious topped with a foamy cilantro cream on top.  Dry Creek has some of the best deviled eggs ever and we started with their selections with crab meat and bacon.  I skipped the Korean Fried chicken, but based on the empty plates, it must have been good. I skipped the salad and went to the steak, a 12oz ribeye topped with an herbed butter and accompanied by sour cream horseradish potatoes and vegetables.  The steak was ok.  It was cooked medium rare, just like I ordered it but was a little bland, even with the herbed butter.  It didn’t have that rich beefy flavor.  That may be because it was wet aged. The sides were a nice compliment to the steak.  It’s unusual for a restaurant to include sides with their steaks, but I like it.   All in all, good, not great.  I will go back to Dry Creek Grill but will probably go back to ordering BBQ or their scallops (delicious) or a burger, and next time I’ll make sure to get the right sauce with my meal. Dessert was Michter’s 10-year-old bourbon.  If you read my reviews (and frankly why would anyone bother) I love whiskey for dessert and bourbon is my favorite. 

 

Bar/Wine List:  4/5 (Bar), 5/5 (Wine)

• Dry Creek Grill has a pretty hopping bar.  Most folks eat dinner at the bar, so it is an extension of the restaurant.  Our table was a “high top” basically in the bar and that where we had our drinks.  They have a pretty good selection of whiskey and their bartenders are knowledgeable.  I stuck with Jack Daniels on the rocks and my glass was never empty.  The waitress made sure of that.  We brought our own wine.  I brought a vertical of Brandlin Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, 2013 and 2014 from Cuvasion’s Mount Veeder vineyard.  The 2012 was decanted and was exceptional.  The 2013 and 2014 were good.  The Dictator brought a bottle of DuMol Pinot Noir that was fantastic.  Light and fruity, it was a great compliment with apps. WE did have a minor miracle of the wine when the Wingman dropped (?) a bottle on the floor and it ends up unscathed.

 

Service:  4/5

• Service was good.  Our waitress stuck with us from cocktails through dessert. The owner and chef both visited the table and we were well taken care.  The best thing you can say about the service is you don’t really notice the service.

 

Ambiance:  4/5

• Dry Creek took a location in a strip mall and really made is shine.  The interior is fashionable, not too dark and always lively.  There’s a lot of stone both inside and outside and there are blazing fire pits outside to take away the night chill.  The main dining room and left side of the bar are the best places to sit.  The right side has low chairs, which I don’t like.  Nobly likes to penis up to the bar. The left side of the bar is the preferred location for a couple, but our high top right in the middle of the action was great.

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Pat Quinn "The Dictator"

 

Overall Experience:  4/5

• The  Dry Creek Grill has been a welcome addition to the South Bay dinning scene since it opened. Warm colors and atmosphere coupled with a very welcoming staff has always made visits fun and memorable. The Dry Creek Grill has a wide variety of seating areas and we were fortunate to be seated at the “kitchen table” adjacent the kitchen across from the bar with a great view of all the action…on the television screens. The table is well proportioned leaving adequate room for comfort and a litany of wine glasses, appetizers and  what not. The bathrooms were clean, but not uber clean, always a pet peeve with me.

 

Food:  4/5

• I enjoyed the hot wings which were less spicy hot and more flavorful than normal fare. The deviled eggs have never been my cup of tea, so I passed…repeatedly. They all rapidly disappeared so they must have been tasty. I also passed on a salad as I was ordering the 12oz. Rib-eye and did not want to leave all my fight in the gym. The Rib-eye, ordered medium rare was cooked properly and seasoned as not to overwhelm the steak and its natural flavoring. I will say I was a little disappointed as the thread of gristle that I encountered mid-way.

 

Bar/Wine List:  5/5

• I usually do not order from the bar as we have always procured a nice selection of vino where ever we go. But that night was extremely warm outside and I was over heating in my mandatory sport coat attire. I decided to order a Moscow Mule which are always very refreshing. Super pleased that they had the requisite cooper cup, otherwise I would have had to go to plan “B”, the G&T.

 

Service:  5/5

• Service was on-point, friendly and timely. I was super pleased to understand that Michael Lowney has returned. Michael brings a wealth of restaurant expertise and works diligently to make sure all patrons are enjoying themselves. Our servers were enjoyable, informative and courteous.

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Ambiance:  5/5

• See above, but The Dry Creek Grill excels in providing comfortable space for a myriad of occasions. I look forward to returning with my family.

 

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Gary Christensen "Wingman"

 

Overall Experience:  4/5

• Dry Creek Grill is a very nice Willow Glen neighborhood restaurant. The atmosphere is inviting and the decor while a bit more modern also has a little bit of a sports bar feel. There are quiet tables and booths tucked away where you can get some privacy and also some hints of a more traditional steak house with low lighting and dark wood finishes. The long rectangular bar is functional and inviting and runs right down the middle of the restaurant. The chefs and busy kitchen area are visible from the restaurant and bar area. Overall the feel is comfortable and nice and you have a good chance at finding just the right table or bar stool to suit your mood. Our table was front and center right as you enter the restaurant. This group usually prefers to be right in the middle of the action which contributed to our overall experience and gave a nice vantage point for us to observe. It would not have been the best table for a family dinner but worked for our purpose. Our food, server and overall experience here was good. Steak Masters are first and foremost about good friends enjoying each others company over a good meal. The combination of elements this restaurant put forth made for a very nice get together and good overall experience

 

Food:  4/5

• Dry Creek Grill has a nice selection of steaks. They also have a larger selection of alternatives. Our appetizers ranged from chicken wings to  deviled eggs and they were very good. I enjoyed just about everything I tasted and I have to give them credit for successfully pulling off diversity. For the main course I ordered a Ribeye. Our meals arrived in a coordinated fashion, nice and hot and properly cooked to order. The Ribeye at this restaurant is a fair size and mine was cooked properly. The steak was also a nice cut of meat. As usual we ordered a variety of side dishes and shared the flavors, everything was good. I did not participate in the desserts but they looked very good. 

 

Bar/Wine List:  4/5

• They got 4 stars here even though we brought our own wine. In keeping with the rest of the experience I'm sure they have a very nice wine list. They were happy to decant the bottles of wine we brought and attentively kept every glass full throughout our meal. To be fair, they had a “heads up” that we were coming but really from the moment we walked through the front door they were accommodating. Bar service at the packed bar was good. The bartenders were on point and attentive even though it was pretty busy. Ambiance in the bar was good and people there were friendly, talkative and all seemed to be having a good time. The bar is smack in the middle of the restaurant which also lends to the noise factor but again a good efficient bartender keeps everybody happy as was the case here. The crowd was a healthy mix of both seasoned and young professionals with a few couples mixed in. Overall a cool vibe and fun place to hang out. 

 

Service:  4/5

• Maybe we are spoiled but we have received some pretty spectacular service at other venues that make it harder to hand out a rating of 5/5. We did get a visit from the Chef at our table, he was very helpful and informative. Our server was knowledgeable and focused on our experience and our food delivery was prompt and uniform. Questions were answered without hesitation. Recommendations were made and lived up to the description. Our server was personable and attentive but did not hover. Overall good and missed a 5 only because of some of the exceptional  service we have experienced in our travels.  

 

Ambiance:  4/5

• With respect to other full fledged steak houses across the Bay Area this restaurant is relevant but has less of a traditional steak house feel. It’s more of a community restaurant vibe which is also very inviting. It’s a larger restaurant than some we have visited but as I outlined above they rate high with good food and good service.. This is a high traffic restaurant, the kitchen is exposed to the diners with multiple chef’s working diligently to get out orders and servers constantly on the move. There is a combination of various booths and tables in the dining areas all of which are comfortable but the restaurant has a very open feel. You have to accept that you are patronizing a busy restaurant so if you are after a quiet romantic experience you may want to tell them when you make your reservation so you get a table away from the action. All in all a very good experience worthy of a very good review.

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Mike Johnson "MJ"

 

Overall Experience:  5/5

• Dry Creek Grill is located in a strip mall in San Jose. It’s not quite what you might think of when you’re heading to a nice steak house but the exterior of the building is modern and pleasing. I was just kind of taken back by the setting. Once inside, any initial misgivings are quickly pushed aside. This is a nice joint! The restaurant is situated around a large oval bar in the middle. In no way is this a distraction as the proprietors have integrated the bar and restaurant seamlessly. There are tv’s on the wall but only enough to keep up with a game on while not killing the steakhouse vibe. We were greeted very nicely by the wait staff and as some of us had arrived a bit early, we were shown to our table. Our table was located next to the bar area but it never felt like we were in a bar. The bar is very large, and the building is big enough so there was enough room to not feel cramped. I was at a 4.5 for Dry Creek but I’m leaning to the 5 as we don’t get middle choices. The only drawback was the Rib Eye, I didn’t order it but I wasn’t overly impressed with the cut. It just seemed a bit thin. I guess the guys who ordered the Rib Eye will have to make a better choice next time.      

 

Food:  5/5

• We started with the Cornbread and Green Chili Soup – Holy Smokes we’re off to the races! Both the corn bread and the soup were excellent. The cornbread tasted fresh out of the oven and the soup was hot and had a bit of spice to it. Next were the deviled eggs, we did both the bacon and the crab topping. Again both hit the mark with no flavors running over each other. We also had the Korean Fried Chicken Wings, these were good but I’m not a “wing” guy as eating them is messy work for little reward. They were still tasty and held to the standard of the other food as far as taste and quality. For dinner, I had the Blue Gem Salad and of course, the 14oz New York. The salad was fresh and tasty and they certainly didn’t drown the salad in dressing. The steak was cooked to perfection! A nice, warm red center to meet my expectation of medium rare. The New York was flavorful and certainly on the tender side of what you’d expect from the New York cut. I was EXTREMELY pleased with my steak. The steak was accompanied by potatoes and brussels sprouts and had a cabernet reduction. VERY, VERY good!

 

Bar/Wine List:  4/5 

• The oval shaped, centrally located bar was full when we arrived. This is certainly a busy place on a Thursday night. As we went straight to our table which was just adjacent to the bar, I never ordered from the bar directly. Our waitress was on point and we stood by the table and had a couple drinks.  As we have started to bring wine with us, I didn’t review the wine list. I’d expect it to be good but will make a point of reviewing the wine lists in future reviews.

 

Service:  5/5

• Our waitress and the whole service team, including the manager were all over our table. Not overbearing but were certainly on top of it. Food and drinks came fluidly with not too much waiting in between course. Again, high marks for this.   

 

Ambiance:  4/5

• As I said the restaurant is located in a outdoor strip mall but the exterior is modern and looks good. The interior certainly is classy yet modern. I really felt it had a warmth to it that was comfortable from the second you stepped foot inside. While the bar is centrally located, I felt  our table had good location to be near the action while there wasn’t a moment when I felt we were getting crowded by the bar.

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Mike Preston "Ditch Digger"

 

Overall Experience:  4/5

• I have been to Dry Creek Grill several times in the past as it is located in the neighborhood of my home. And I have always enjoyed the sort of upscale yet casual neighborhood of the restaurant. That impression remained consistent with this Steakmaster visit. When I walked in I was greeted nicely by the hostess and immediately led to our long high top table near the main bar.  The atmosphere was lively and fun and energetic which placed myself and others in an instant party mode. Drinks were served promptly and the fun began.  I had a great time that evening, enjoying the Grill’s good service, fine food, and the Steakmasters men’s company. A visit by the executive chef was a pleasant surprise. Very appreciative of the time he took with us answering all questions and telling us stories about his rise to this position. Very Entertaining. Very good experience at the Dry Creek Grill.      

 

Food:  4/5

• I thought the food was very good. As usual our group ordered a plethora of fine appetizers.  And of course I indulged in most of them.  Cornbread with jalapeno butter – Yummy, Deviled Eggs with either bacon or Crab – delicious, Crab cakes- nice and spicy, and some seared wontons done very well.  I really enjoyed all the apps, in fact I think we added to our order last minute. Very Good. I skipped the salad this time because I was already filling up with the Appetizers. So I went straight to the 8 oz Filet. This is my standard go to steak for these steak master dinners. I feel like I am able to more fairly judge the food with a consistent order of steak. And as is typical I ordered the steak medium plus.  Which is so sacrilegious for a steak connoisseur but I really prefer my meat cooked all the way through.  The steak was good, not outstanding, maybe even a little bit tougher than I prefer.  To be fair, I had just enjoyed several appetizers and was not really hungry, and I did order my steak cooked, maybe overcooked by some measures. But I thought the steak could have been better.  I will have to try it again. By this point I had sampled many of the wines that had been ordered or brought by Steakmasters and my relocation of the meal started getting fuzzy. I believe I passed on the desserts which is really unusual because I love desert. I have no doubt that the deserts were delicious too.

 

Bar/Wine List:  5/5 

• We did not actually sit AT the bar but at a table next to the bar.  I think the Dry Creek Grill has an excellent bar. Its huge and lively and pretty and has great service.  The bar is worth going to even if not eating at the restaurant.  And this visit just confirmed those beliefs again.  All great at the bar.  As for the wines we drank, all very very good.  These Steakmasters know their wines. I don’t remember the names of any of the wines. But I do remember that they were all excellent. Those that were ordered from the bar and those that were so generously supplied by my Steakmaster brothers.  Easy to become a wine snob when hanging with this crew. Excellent. Thank you!!!

 

Service:  5/5

• I thought the service was excellent. We always had someone at our table helping us out. Very attentive, polite, friendly, and accommodating. Answered questions patiently and the recommendations were spot on. I really enjoyed the service.

 

Ambiance:  5/5

• I mentioned this in my opening statement. Fun, lively, warm, homey, comfortable, welcoming.  An excellent place to visit casually on a week night or a dress up night on the weekend.  I will definitely be returning soon.  Great choice by our Host Jorge.