SILICON VALLEY STEAK MASTERS

4th Quarter 2022 - Mastro's Steakhouse, San Jose, CA

December 13, 2022 |  John Poch "Chef Boyardee" & Ron Zraick "RonZ"

 

​

OVERALL RATINGS​​

• John Poch "Chef Boyardee" - 5/5

• Ron Zraick "RonZ" - 4/5

• Bill Baron "The Chairman" - 4/5

• Pat Quinn "The Dictator" - 4/5

• Mike Preston "Ditch Digger" - 4/5

• Gary Christensen "Wingman" - 4/5

• Michael Mulcahy "Lord Mayor" - 4/5

 

​

​

John Poch "Chef Boyardee"

 

Overall Experience:  5/5

• Mastro’s Steakhouse is such a welcome addition to San Jose and the South Bay dining scene. Though located in a mall, once you step foot in the restaurant you are transported to a whole new experience. The attention to detail, superb service, generous pours for your cocktails and the quality of the food is absolutely top-notch.

 

Food:  5/5

• We tried a little bit of everything they had to offer. The seafood appetizers; the two sushi specialties – the Maguro Lime Roll and the Lobster Roll were unique and delicious that paired perfectly with the crisp acidity of our Vermentino wine as well as the Seafood Tower. For our group of 10, we had the tower made for 5 that featured lobster, crab, prawns and oysters. Not too much and not too little – just right for the starters. The group ordered a variety of salads, in which I split a Wedge Salad. Portion was very nice and the salad was cold, crisp and tasty.

• Steak is what this place is all about and my 18-oz bone-in Kansas City Cut was outstanding. Cooked to a perfect medium rare and a nice sear on the meat went extremely well with our 2007 James Cole Cabernet Sauvignon. Plenty of Sides were served and served well – as I mentioned in the service. The creamed corn and mashed potatoes were simple – and good.

• As a Steak Master, we are all fans of Frank Sinatra and it was a nice touch that on Ol’ Blue Eyes birthday, a slice of chocolate cake was brought to the table with “Happy Birthday Frank Sinatra” written in chocolate with a candle which was treated as an appetizer for dessert … and then we had dessert … a little of everything including their signature butter cake but the show-stopper was the cheesecake.  

​

Bar/Wine List:  5/5

• Piano player in the bar was a wonderful touch to create a chic atmosphere. Plenty of space for a large group and I especially liked their crystal glasses that came with a heavy pour, what’s not to like about that. Exceptional wine service by Nick. He provided us with a tour of the “Wine Cube” on the second floor and the selection was superb. We brought a white and a red but also purchased two bottles from the list. Two great values on the wine list were the 2017 Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona Brunello di Montalcino and the 2017 Bodegas El Nido Clio. 

 

Service:  5/5

• From the planning for the dinner with Sales Director Andrew Gerrard, to the host greeting you at the door to the exceptional table service – Mastros is all about service. Extremely attentive to all of the table guests. An example was the service of the side dishes – and there were a lot of them. Instead of placing the items on the table, each side dish was served individually by a server to each of us, one at a time  – now that was impressive. 

 

Ambiance:  5/5

• The vibe was terrific, from the décor, the lighting, the buzz of a full house and the piano player performing on the first floor, made for a memorable setting. The bar design featuring the large bottle formats of wine displayed was impressive. 

​

​

​

Ron Zraick "RonZ"

 

Overall Experience:  4/5

• Finally, it opened. After months of delay, we had our latest diner at Astros. Nine of the 10 Steak Masters were in attendance, with MJ (aka Billy Goat) missing in action due to a family fishing trip. He was missed (I think). The dinner was arranged by Chef, with an assist by yours truly. The entire experience, from being greeted at the door to the bartenders, to the servers, wait-captains, and managers was really well executed…until the bill came. That was a little screwy (apparently, their POS system can’t add), but in the end it turned out fine!

 

Food:  4/5

• Mastros’ is well known all over the US as a premier steakhouse…and they didn’t disappoint. Chef arranged for a seafood tower (placed a strategic distance from Wingman, who is allergic to shellfish) and two sushi orders, lobster tail and tuna. I tried it all and the shellfish and sushi were as good as any steakhouse or sushi bar. They came with three dipping sauces, but the fish was so delicious and fresh I didn’t bother trying them. I started with a classic chopped iceberg wedge salad, and it was the only disappointing menu item I had. A little underdressed and underwhelming.  But we are the Steak Masters, not salad mistresses and the dry aged bone in ribeye was fantastic. Dark to the point of almost being blacked on the outside with a healthy salt crust the interior was cooked a perfect medium rare it had that earthy, nutty, meaty flavor that only dry aging can impart on a fine cut of meat. We had really wonderful sides including garlic mashed potatoes, creamed corn and creamed spinach, all of them complimented the star of the show: the meat. I skipped dessert and frank instead.

 

Bar/Wine List:  5/5 

• The bar at Mastro’s was hopping when we came in. The bartenders were very attentive and found a bottle of Michter’s American Whiskey upstairs and wingman and I enjoyed that before dinner. Sommelier Nick gave us a tour of the wine refrigerators, and no one will have trouble finding a great wine to go with their meal. Chef brought a couple of bottles of his 2021 Daffo Vineyards Vermentino that we enjoyed with our seafood apps. The delicate crisp white paired beautifully with the fish. Congrats Chef on a great vintage. Chef also brought a magnum of James Cole cab, which was lovely, but his wine stole the show.

 

Service:  5/5

• Service was outstanding all night. Event manager Andrew set us up at a really great table downstairs near the bar where it was a little livelier. Bar manager Laura made sure we had the whiskey we wanted and she along with her team kept our glasses full. Our main server was Valerie, and she took care of our dining needs under the helpful, watchful eye of wait captain Lenora. Really fantastic service all night.

 

Ambiance:  5/5

• The ambiance at Mastro’s strikes a nice balance between classic and modern steakhouse. The interior is brighter than your traditional dark wood room, but still has an elegance about it. The bar is really comfortable and I’m sure I’ll be back there for drinks and a steak.     

​

​

​

Bill Baron "The Chairman"

 

Overall Experience:  4/5

• For me, this was a good experience—not a great one for all its hype and its cost. I’d say it was a 3 to 4 star experience and because the service was so damn good—I go with 4 stars, overall.  Overall, Mastro’s is a complete showplace and one would be pleased and proud to entertain at the venue.  Outstanding feel, competitive pricing when comparing high cost steakhouses, good quality food. Oh, the people—we had a dedicated team that was simply outstanding and if others are lucky enough to have a similar experience—you’re in for a treat.

 

Food:  4/5

• Our group started with a tremendous seafood tower—3 levels of deliciousness.  It did not disappoint in terms of grandness nor in quantity.  Quite a presentation and selection.  I enjoyed a ½ bowl of lobster bisque.  One word:  Outstanding! On to the main star of the show—the steak.  I was back to my traditional New York—a prime aged cut that was good with three exceptions.  First, the kitchen applies a light demi-glaze over the cut. Not my favorite and next time, I will ask that it not be added.  Second, the steak itself was too lightly seasoned.  I like a bit more “flavor” and a bit more “char”—but it was nonetheless tasty.  Third, I ordered a medium temperature and it was delivered medium well+.  The sides to which we had a plentiful selection were generally good but are the sideshow for me. I could ebb on the side of a 3 but the seafood tower and soup together with the Sinatra-inspired dessert plate helped me settle at a 4 star review for the food.

 

Bar/Wine List:  5/5 

• Chef Boyardee brought wine again.  What a delight.  Prior to dinner, the bar was a happening scene and the service was quite good.  And let’s face it, it’s really tough to mess up a Tito’s Up with a Twist.  My cocktail was perfect.  Thanks to Chef for the delightful wine.

 

Service:  5/5

• Well, if I could give more stars, I would.  The team—and it was a team—was simply outstanding.  We rarely, if ever, had to look around to find a team member.  They were on top of us but felt as though we were in our own world—which was quite nice.  Highly appreciate all the effort. It would be in our top 3 service experiences since our founding.

 

Ambiance:  5/5

• As a new venue and all the dough spent on the tenant improvements, hard to imagine it not being outstanding—and it certainly was.  Really crisp setting—darkened inside, individual table lamps, cool, sophisticated, hip yet genuine and warm.  It is lots of things all in one.  The restroom was clean as well.  Super nice place to enjoy a meal.

​

​

​

Pat Quinn "The Dictator"

 

Overall Experience:  4/5

• I have enjoyed Mastro’s venue’s at several other locations over the years and have been awaiting the opening of the San Jose iteration. The anticipation grew as I watched the project progress/stall/ and progress again. It took the deft hand of the SVSM impresario Chef John Poch to pull off an opening week entrée into the new Mastro’s. Upon entering the the new venue it was pure Mastro’s…Pianists on the Grand Piano greeted us we headed in to the first floor bar/lounge. The vibe is certainly the best in San Jose…bar none! Dramatic ceiling heights and lighting created a very welcoming and exciting atmosphere. This is a statement venue to share with friends and family. People were actually fairly dressed up…in San Jose! Let me repeat that, people were dressed up for a night out in San Jose. Very refreshing. Though I avoid the Westfield Valley Fair (and all other malls) at all costs, I will look forward to braving Stevens Creek Blvd and the parking to enjoy my next visit to Mastro’s.

​

Food:  3/5

• Here is where the narrative wanders a bit. I love Mastro’s and their history and where they curate their meat from (Chicago) but I was less than thrilled with my entrée steak. I ordered the Porterhouse…the two-in-one steak. It was cooked to medium rare, as ordered, but was completely flavorless. I mean without flavor. I will chalk it up to the supply chain issues. Aside from that, the rest of the meal was amazing. We started off with a volcano of Seafood. Shrimp, Oysters, Lobster…I think I saw Nemo. It was very well presented and flavorful for those who partook. I ordered the Sauteed Sea Scallops which were perfect and tasty. Chef Poch ordered sides for all which included scalloped potatoes, creamed spinach, Asparagus and a few other items I did not eat. All were first rate.

​​

Bar/Wine List:  5/5 

• Enjoyed many a Club Soda and Cran with a lime twist. Chef Poch procured and served wine from his own library of amazing vintages. I stuck with more Soda and Crans. 

 

Service:  5/5

• This is where Mastro’s takes their experience to the next level. Every staff member that we met and engaged with was well trained, informative and enjoyable. That all added tremendously to the success of the evening. The Chef came out to our table and his words were well received and appreciated. (Though I did not comment top him about my flavorless steak, why ruin the moment).

 

Ambiance:  5/5

• Mastro’s is serious about their dress code. As mentioned before the other diners were actually dressed well. A first for San Jose. As Fernando Lamas puts it “It is better to look good than to feel good”. Mastro’s is committed to creating “Guests for life”. They accomplished that even with a flavorless steak.

​

​

​

Mike Preston "Ditch Digger"

 

Overall Experience:  4/5

• Really great experience overall. A beautiful new building to enter. A lively welcoming bar behind the hostess station. An abundant and welcoming staff. An excellent piano player entertaining all. A generous menu of delectable food options. A stunning wine cellar that is hard to match anywhere.  And of course, the attendance of my great Steakmaster friends that make any outing even more special. I am glad that almost all the Steakmasters were able to attend this evening and share such a wonderful experience.

 

Food:  4/5

• I started the meal with items from the seafood tower. A beautiful combination of seafoods, lobster, crab, prawns, oysters all served on a multilevel tower with a combination of sauces. It was quite the display and an impressive start to an excellent meal. To follow that seafood abundance, I went to a wedge salad which of course was displayed nicely and tasted as good as the presentation appeared. A wedge is pretty much wedge with the difference typically being the freshness of the vegetables included. In this case everything was fresh and blended with the blue cheese dressing the crispy bacon. Delicious. 

• From there to the main course.  I once again ordered the 5 oz filet cooked medium. I was already somewhat full of the seafood and salad so did not want a monster steak. Plus I really like well cooked filets. This filet was cooked perfectly. Obviously it was very high quality meat, sliced easily, and melted in my mouth. If I was to have any complaint it would be that the steak was saltier than I prefer. Next visit I would definitely ask to reduce the seasoning as think the steak should speak for itself more. Alongside the Steak was plethora of sides. These Steakmaster hosts are quick to order an abundance of side dishes.  And I think I tried a bit of them all.  Creamed spinach, creamed corn, au gratin potatoes, and macaroni and cheese. Ugh, of course all good but maybe not low-calorie dishes. Quite filling to say the least.

• And then comes desert. I had no room left for anything but yes, we all have room for chocolate cake and butter cake. So, though I tried to just take a few sample bites, I may have exceeded my plan with too many bites. So delicious!  An overall excellent meal for sure.     

 

Bar/Wine List:  4/5

• The bar is cool.  An open Semi circle configuration sitting in the middle of the room it is welcoming and omni present. So, if one likes lively loud active bars in a high-end restaurant setting this bar will work for you.   Bartenders were responsive and surely made a good Manhattan. Would be a fun place to hang out even without dinner.  With of course the piano player adding a lot to the experience.

• As for the wine, WOW, what an impressive glass enclosed glass shelved monstrous piece of art the wine cellar is.  I highly recommend asking for a tour of the wine cellar. So needless to say, the wine selection is massive and we surely tried our share of whites and reds and all in between.

 

Service:  5/5

• Service was extraordinary. There were an abundance of servers and helpers and bartenders everywhere. All with smiles, all looking to help at every opportunity.  It was obvious that Mastro’s wanted the first impressions of their newest restaurant to be a positive one.  And in my eyes, they fully succeeded. Great job management.

 

Ambiance:  4/5

• Beautiful modern classy facility with all the amenities one could want. If I were to search for a complaint, I would say maybe a little too packed in tightly and maybe a little to loud. But those complaints could also be offset by the fact this restaurant is just darn lively and rocking it. I would highly recommend a visit to Mastro’s Valley Fair.

​

​

​

Gary Christensen "Wingman"

 

Overall Experience:  4/5

• Mastro’s is a new restaurant located in San Jose in the Westfield Mall across the street from Santana Row. It’s part of a chain of upscale restaurants and a welcome addition to San Jose. The restaurant is beautifully done, they obviously spent some money on decor and amenities including an over the top glass walled wine cellar on the 2nd floor. The bar is located on the first floor immediately at the entrance and is large and inviting with some remote dining areas surrounding the bar. The majority of seats for dinner are upstairs. There’s an artist playing piano at the entry and overall the restaurant, while crowded when we visited, has an inviting appeal. Our overall experience with regard to the restaurant amenities, greetings and professional service by the staff, as well as visual appeal was very good. The restaurant is advertised as somewhat of a traditional steakhouse and it feels that way once you are inside. 

 

Food:  3/5

• Mastro’s has a great selection of steaks. They also have a nice selection of alternatives including seafood options. To be clear, my rating here is a little unfair because it is based solely on the steak. We were initially seated at a large table on the first level of the restaurant with a huge tower of seafood appetizers. The presentation was beautiful.  Our appetizers were tasty, and I thought they were very good.

• The menu consists of a nice seafood selection and most traditional cuts of meat as well as some harder to find options. For me it’s almost always the Ribeye, but this time I opted for the “Bone In Kansas City Strip”. I ordered Medium Rare as I always do along with the wedge salad and a baked potato. The salad was great, crunchy and tasty, the potato was loaded up and also pretty good. The steak was cooked well and as I ordered, it just didn’t hit that perfect mark for me, maybe a little too seasoned. For me, a $70.00 steak has to make a bigger impression. Simple side dishes were served with the steak. All of which were on point and all very delicious.  All of our servers went around the table and actually served up the side dishes which I thought was a nice touch. We usually share a bunch of side dishes and having servers bring them around the table was much easier than passing them amongst each other while trying to enjoy your meal.

• Desserts were also very delicious and I would encourage diners to save room for just about any of their dessert options. 

 

Bar/Wine List:  4/5 

• They got 4 stars here even though we brought our own wine compliments of Mr Poch. Johnny Poch AKA “Chef Boyardee” knows how to choose wine, it was over the top as usual and turns out that some of it was his very own vintage from his very own vineyard. Clearly this guy knows what he’s doing in the kitchen AND in the vineyard. Based on the rest of the experience I'm sure Mastro’s has a very nice wine list. We toured their  enormous upstairs wine cellar and it’s incredible. I’m sure that they will have what you are looking for in a wine or at the very least a comparable choice. Incidentally, they were quick to decant the bottles of wine we brought and attentively kept every glass full throughout our meal. Bar service was very good when we first arrived but it did take a while to get a drink order in, it was very crowded and loud at the bar. Drink service once we were seated was also very good, our servers (who were great) never let the water or the wine go unattended.

 

Service:  4/5

• Maybe we are spoiled but we have received some pretty spectacular service at other venues including a regular and customary visit from the Chef. This restaurant was on point and did a great job. Our waiters and servers were knowledgeable and focused on our experience and our food delivery was uniform. Questions were answered without hesitation. Recommendations were also made. Our hostess was personable, attentive and engaging. I don’t know what else you could ask for in this department. As I mentioned, wine and water glasses were also well attended. Waiters and Chef were very accommodating and I would return to this restaurant based on the service alone. We did get a table visit from the Chef and he was also very forthcoming and informative about restaurant details and his experience with the Mastro’s organization. 

 

Ambiance:  4/5

• With respect to other full fledged steak houses across the Bay Area the feel of this restaurant is done well.  Like a lot of steak houses today, It’s more of a hybrid restaurant that was created to serve the after work crowd which is totally fine and probably a good business choice for this location. Once again the food was very good and most of it exceeded my expectations. The bar area is large and inviting and all of the employees we encountered were pleasant and professional. Bathrooms were clean and the restaurant itself was also very clean, then again, at the time of our visit the restaurant was basically brand new and only open for a short time. The bar seems to be designed to serve a high traffic nightly crowd as well as mall shoppers, again probably a great business decision. We had a nice table on the side of the Bar area of the restaurant. It was relatively private and quiet. The accommodation’s (table, chairs and setting) were new, tasteful and the feel of the restaurant area was also very comfortable. The traditional steak house feel is there and it’s arguably elegant with just the right amount of modern touches. In my opinion it’s a nice place to stop for dinner, an exceptional option for being associated with mall accommodations and I will most likely return.

​​

​

​

Michael Mulcahy "Lord Mayor"

 

Overall Experience:  4/5

• As the first group into Mastro’s it stands to reason that we got the grand tour and an onslaught of staff attention. Right out of the gate we connected with Event Coordinator Andrew who could not have been more accommodating. He made sure we met the sommelier “med school” Nick who brought us to heaven, their temp controlled wine room. It is more like a SCIF at the White House as it clearly could survive a bombing. More below on the whole experience which is a must at least once.

 

Food:  4/5

• We had a personalized SVSM menu, basically our logo on their regular broad ranging offerings. 12 cuts of domestic, and several Kobe and Wagyu selections provided something for all. I had the Bone-In Ribeye 22oz and loved it. Perfectly prepared for me with just enough sizzle on the well balance marbling. I could not finish, so it made a killer lunch on Wednesday. Up front we had a beautiful seafood tower, complete with all the shelled characters you’d expect with oysters, crab, and lobster. The presentation was great, the accompaniments as expected, and the garbage dish was right on cue.

• I had the Mastro’s chopped salad, split with my table mate AND a cup of lobster bisque. Both were special, crispy lettuce on the salad with yummy bacon and the soup was rich and creamy with chunks of the stuff that matters most. Honestly, I was not under or over impressed with the sides. The creamed spinach and corn were kinda watery, I like mine thicker, creamier. Since I loaded up early and needed to focus on the 22 ouncer, I didn’t get to the baked potato that others no doubt loved.

 

Bar/Wine List:  4/5 

• Of course, the bar was our first stop. Because people eat at the bar, makes it awkward to order a drink. But we knew a few eaters and ordered right over them. Drinks were big and cold, most start with Martini’s so that matters. It’s low lit, big windows looking back to the mall, and a U-shaped bar that allow for great people and action watching.

• As for wine, while we toured the aforementioned wine mansion, John Poch brought his own stash and put on a show with the wines he brought in. The corkage I am sure helped us hit our agreed to minimum for the night. 

 

Service:  5/5

• As noted above, we hit the lotto with service. Valerie was our main server, affable, knowledgeable, and fun. Lenora was our table captain, with experience gained at Mastros in other cities, she brings a nice touch of class to this place. The overall flow was great, we hit a bit of a wall near the end, as from steak entrée to desert to after dinner drinks to leaving felt like a long time. But that didn’t spoil the night of great service by Valerie, Lenora and their four to seven runners and bussers.

 

Ambiance:  5/5

• As expected, this restaurant offers a variety of experiences just by its buildout. Two stories, with downstairs being dark with high ceilings, providing a very upscale loungy vibe with piano and piped music. Upstairs has a vignette of dining rooms, carpeted, lighter in color, wrap around chairs, and a nice, mellower vibe. The place is stunning in a vegas’y kind of way, good for San Jose and good for the valley to add this brand – it will be a corporate expense account dream, hoping that those purse strings get fired up again soon.