Rare Society dry-ages its steaks right on the premises, in handsome glass-front cabinets that face into the dining room. It’s a nifty feature, almost a preview of coming attractions. While you enjoy one of the Southern California-born steakhouse’s prime cuts, you can side-eye the cuts in the cabinets and think, “ooh, next time.”
You’ll want to come back sooner rather than later. Rare Society, a recent addition to UnCommons’ cluster of stellar dining experiences—Amari, Blue Bottle, Salt & Straw, Todo Bien, Urth Caffe, say when—stands out in a city that also boasts a cluster of great steakhouses. It stands apart even before you’re seated, with a modern yet cozy dining room that favors neighborly interaction. I love traditional steakhouses, with their high-backed booths and subdued lighting, but Rare Society’s open, airy vibe and mirrored ceiling makes the experience feel more warmly social, from the wait staff through to your fellow diners.
The menu matches the winning ambiance. Everything is lovingly prepared and carefully finessed. The Gold Standard section of the cocktail menu has a prime example: the Rare Old Fashioned ($27), made with bourbon that’s been washed with dry-aged beef and blended with rosemary oleo; it’s as smooth as they come. The Wild Card ($17) is as good as its name: a sweet-tart gin sipper with raspberry, elderflower, lemon and a bit of red bell pepper. A non-alcoholic beverage, the Staycation ($14) shows similar care in its making: it’s a perfectly balanced mashup of white cane spirit, cranberry, lime, orgeat, pineapple and mint.
You’ll be tempted to go nuts just with the starters. The hamachi crudo ($22), flavored with red curry aioli, pickled pineapple, peanut crunch, serrano and yuzu, is heaven’s own chosen. Ditto the truffle-buttery, pleasantly puffy Parker House rolls ($15), a solid argument against your mother’s well-intentioned warning not to fill up on bread. A fatty and fabulous slab of bacon ($19)—behaves more like pork belly, really—comes slathered in a gochujang glaze that kind of demands a Parker roll mop-up. And the wood-grilled lamb lollipop ($9), served with a smoked paprika and pickled mustard seed chimichurri, is a tender delight.
And then come the steaks, straight outta dry aging. The 8-ounce Snake River Farms Wagyu Denver ($57), as the old saying goes, practically melts in your mouth, and I could swear I felt it happen in real time. I imagine the 16-ounce Cedar River Prime Bullseye Ribeye ($68) and the mammoth Snake River Farms Wagyu Tomahawk ($285) are similarly tender and juicy, seasoned with garlic, salt and pepper and slow-grilled to perfection over American red oak. A variety of $5 sauces, from bearnaise to Santa Maria-style salsa, provide a divine finish.
Chef Brad Wise accompanies them with a dream assortment of sides: truffled cream spinach ($14), lobster and king crab mac with Old Bay breadcrumbs ($49), woodfired broccolini with za’atar and sumac yogurt ($17), ricotta ravioli in a Wagyu beef Bolognese ($16) and much more. If you’re not sure what to get, peek up at the mirrored ceiling and see what everybody else is having. Or just ask someone. Everybody’s only too happy to praise what’s on their plate.
RARE SOCIETY 6880 Helen Toland St. #100, 702-330-3850, raresociety.com. Sunday-Thursday, 4-9 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 4-10 p.m.
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