Knowing that most people need a quick lunch that's not going to put them in a food coma when they get back to their desks, Del Frisco's, a steak house located at Liberty Wharf, switched up its lunch menu and added some less-hefty options, many of which can be prepared in just 10 minutes to provide guests with a speedy lunch.
I was invited in recently to sample some of the new lunch options.
The sampling was actually in the evening after work, and we were presented with four courses, each course a different lunch option. Normally I wouldn't have four different lunches in one sitting, but the chef made us smaller portions so we'd be able to taste more of the offerings.
I started my lunch-for-dinner with a glass of bubbly, decked out with raspberries.
Then I dug into the first lunch option: the seared ahi tuna salad. This is not your typical salad. The tuna comes accompanied by shaved napa cabbage, arugula, ripe chunks of mango, chilled noodles, toasted almonds, and ginger-sesame dressing. (The menu also said tomatoes and avocado, but I don't remember those being in the mix.) I really enjoyed this dish. It was light, cool, flavorful, and creative.
As much as I enjoyed the tuna salad, the next dish blew it away and was my favorite of all the dishes we tried. The spaghettini features garlic shrimp, plum tomatoes, basil, and lemon zest. The flavors were amazing, and the shrimp was tender and fresh. We all thought there might be anchovies in the sauce because it was a little briny and complex, but the chef assured us there weren't. Whatever is in there is really good.
Next up was the steakhouse salad. This normally comes with a 6-ounce portion of broiled prime strip steak (cooked to order), and we had smaller portions for sampling. I think the smaller portion would be plenty for me. The steak comes with a deviled egg, mixed baby greens, avocado, cherry tomatoes, bacon, Parmesan, blue cheese, and horseradish lemon dressing. I was hoping the horseradish would be a little more noticeable -- I couldn't really detect it. This dish is like your wedge salad appetizer plus your steak dinner rolled into a lunch-size portion.
The last dish we tried was the orecchiette, which comes tossed with grilled chicken breast, baby spinach, and a roasted garlic-Parmesan cheese sauce. My chicken was a little dry, but the flavorful sauce more than made up for it. I kept expecting to get bites of artichoke, so I think those would be a welcome addition to the dish. While this is a pasta dish with cream sauce, it's not overwhelming and would make for a filling but not over-the-top lunch.
There are plenty of other options on Del Frisco's lunch menu, from crab cakes and clam chowder to a chicken avocado club to filet medallions. There's also a preset $23 business lunch that includes a choice of one of four starters and one of three entrees.
I've been to (and written about) Del Frisco's in the past and think the atmosphere is great for a business lunch. And if you want to get away from the business aspect and just enjoy lunch, the restaurant is set up so that every table has a view of the water.
This lunch menu preview was complimentary, but as always my opinions are my own. Thank you to chef Derek Barragan for sharing some highlights from the new lunch menu with us.
Lunch is served Monday through Friday, 11:30 to 4.
What would be your ideal light lunch at a steak house?