The word "gourmet" has developed a bad reputation for most Americans. Who is to blame? Is it the fine dining restaurants with stratospherically priced tasting menus, or is it the haughty demeanor of their white truffle-munching patrons? Similarly, casual dining has been perverted by the likes of cholesterol-hawking TV personalities like Guy Fieri.
Strip-T's drives a steak-knife through the heart of this gastronomic dualism by providing exciting meals without any ostentation. Tucked away in Watertown — also known as "Little America" — Strip-T's ditches the white table cloths for linoleum tiles and menus fashioned out of recycled paper and cardboard. A trip to Strip-T's requires either a car or a prodigious knowledge of Boston's public bus schedule. Even for the most intrepid of Jumbos, the multiple bus transfers might prove daunting; however, the trip is definitely worth the hassle.
Strip-T's began as a steak sandwich shop over 25 years ago. The owner, Paul Maslow, named the restaurant after the house specialty, a sirloin strip sandwich. A couple of years ago, Paul's son, Tim Maslow, came home and revitalized its menu. While maintaining the original sandwich concept for lunch, Tim has altered the dinner menu to reflect his experience as the head chef of David Chang's Momofuku Ssäm Bar, a New York City-based restaurant that has been listed as one of World Magazine's top 50 restaurants for the past three years.
Maslow's experience at Momofuku reveals his holistic approach to food. Each dish at Strip-T's is executed from an aesthetic and gustatory perspective. Perched on a mound of sea salt, the Katama oysters are garnished with thin slices of cranberry and a dollop of Thai basil oil. The complementing colors of the green pureed basil and the red cranberry slices parallel the dish's contrasting flavor profile. The sweet basil and the tart cranberry pair well with the briny mollusks of Martha's Vineyard.
Similarly, this attention to presentation conveys a sense of fun; Maslow is clearly enjoying his creative freedom. Take for instance the scorpion mussels and fries, Maslow's whimsical reinvention of the classic Belgian dish, moules-frites. The mussels arrive in a large, kitschy bowl that seems more at home at Harvard Square's Hong Kong Restaurant. Maslow accordingly replaces the traditional butter-and-white-wine broth with an Asian-inspired spicy crab Thai sauce.
Indeed, the menu features many imaginative twists on classic dishes. At Strip-T's, just one ingredient can upend an otherwise familiar dish. Chicken wings, for example, come slathered in a sauce made with Moxie soda. In the case of the Southern staple chicken and waffles, the latter can be replaced with either grits or sautéed kale.
Even the burger has an opportunity to stand out. Like roasted chicken, the lowly hamburger is thoughtlessly added to most menus out of some misplaced sense of obligation, resulting in a lack of creativity. At Strip-T's, a smoked miso spread coats the buttery brioche bun, which — when coupled with fat rings of house-pickled red onions and a subtly bitter, pithy lemon aioli — lends a powerful umami flavor to the burger.
But Strip-T's isn't afraid to venture outside the realm of the expected. The pig head toast, for instance, consists of three slices of toasted French baguette topped with a blend of the tender parts of the pig head. Served as an oversized canapé, this accessible introduction to the underappreciated region of pork bears a slight textural resemblance to pulled pork, but with infinitely more flavor. Furthermore, the crisped toast is the perfect vessel considering the gelatinous nature of the meat.
The grilled romaine appetizer proves equally hearty. The sturdy romaine leaves developed a flavorful char under the intense heat. Braised oxtail pulled from the bone smothers the lettuce, and nestled atop the meat is a perfectly poached egg, its runny yolk blending with the citrusy vinaigrette to create a lovely natural dressing.
The dessert options, while limited, manage to demonstrate the kitchen's creativity as well. The first dessert, cooked-to-order doughnuts with a carrot-chai puree, sprinkled cubes of pickled pineapple and a dusting of pineapple ash, stumbles in execution due to the overly dense cake. The next two plates, a delectable brittle duo, easily steal the show. Thin layers of caramel and chocolate are speckled with savory ingredients. One variety pairs the brittle with walnuts and golden raisins, while the other features fresh thyme and crispy duck skin. With its earthy flavor and papery texture, the duck skin pairs so well with the salty caramel and smooth chocolate that the combination seems perfectly natural.
Unfortunately, a meal is never perfect. Strip-T's does fall victim to some simple culinary mistakes. Patrons may find a medium-rare burger to be overcooked, and the hand-cut fries are undercooked and soggy. The mocha cake is the only complete dud on the menu. The precut slice of cake, topped with a bland and greasy buttercream, is disappointingly dry. Given the intensely flavored dishes that occupy the menu, this prosaic slice of cake lacks flavor and creativity.
With the check comes a complimentary bowl of blood orange-Sriracha marshmallows. This culinary valedictory evokes the petit fours served at the end of Michelin-starred meals. Consequently, this parting gesture epitomizes Tim Maslow's goal of creating fine casual dining — a goal in which he has succeeded.
