Two for One

With the redevelopment of the sad, decrepit Westminster Mall, I hold high hopes that someday soon, Westminster will have a more diverse food scene—because right now, great dining, with a few notable exceptions, is a little thin on the ground.

In steps Hideaway Steakhouse, a bastion of fine dining tucked away along a stretch of 112th Avenue out in the burbs. If my most recent experiences there are any indication, though, the residents of Westminster may not thank me for exposing their secret to the rest of the North Metro area; on a recent Friday night, this place was already packed to the gills with happy suburbanites enjoying a good meal.

The restaurant offers two distinct experiences. The quiet, luxurious dining room offers privacy via tall banquettes and thoughtfully arranged tables with a cozy fireplace and attentive white tablecloth service. The lounge, on the other hand, is boisterous and energetic where you sit elbow to elbow with your fellow diners, drinking, eating, and maybe singing along with the live singer’s rendition of “Margaritaville.”

The dining room menu follows a standard steakhouse format pretty closely, offering a selection of hand-cut steaks, crab legs and lobster tails, and a handful of other specialties like roast duck, ribs and salmon roulade. When in the dining room, I opted for a very traditional selection, starting with a picture-perfect iceberg wedge salad, with apple smoked bacon and creamy blue cheese dressing. My expertly cooked filet mignon arrived dressed decadently in truffle butter alongside a classic baked potato. My companion went a little more creative with her order, dining on the tuna and crab timbale and the escargot sauté appetizers together in place of a main course. The timbale was one of the most unique selections on the dinner menu, with tasty and artful layers of guacamole, Alaskan king crab, Saku tuna and an Asian vinaigrette.

Like the space itself, the lounge menu is a completely different experience. A bit more adventurous, the upscale bar food consists of options like duck confit quesadillas, sirloin sliders and beef carpaccio. While dining with my editor, we joked that the menu offered “jumbo tempura onions” rather than plain onion rings, but after tasting them, we decided they deserved the fancier title. You can order off the dinner menu in the lounge, but those duck quesadillas are only served in the bar. The drinks were strong and well-made, and with no fewer than five bartenders pouring on the Friday night we visited, they keep your glass full.

It seems Westminster got a two-for-one deal when Hideaway Steakhouse came to town. Westminster-onians now have an upscale, classic American steakhouse to call their own, and just steps away, a vivacious cocktail lounge with an innovative menu that goes well beyond bar food.

Hideaway Steak House

[Three Stars]