A special on glazed codfish ($38) wasn't much glazed, but it was real Atlantic cod, topped with microgreens, cherry-tomato halves, and olives, resting on a potato cake, almost like a regular non-steakhouse entrée.
The wine list is vast and a real attraction for well-heeled wine lovers, as Del Frisco's has collected multiple vintages of famous (and some just well-known) reds from around the world. The problem is that there's very little under $50, and a lot more range around $100. As I was dining with a foreign visitor, I wanted something American he wouldn't have tasted, and settled on a bottle of 2008 Chehalem 3 Vineyard pinot noir ($65), one of the few double-digit bottles in this category I've never tried. It had both the serious tone and relative lightness of an Oregon pinot noir you can almost afford. The sommelier made no attempt to up-sell, so you can probably get away cheaper with the Acacia ABC, a California pinot noir that will stand up to peppery steaks. Decaf coffee was $4 and the best cup, for strength and fresh flavor, I've had in a year or two.
Desserts are huge. Split one, just not the white-chocolate crème brûlée ($11), which is too good to share. The signature item is lemon doberge cake ($11), a New Orleans seven-layer cake using a lot of fondant frosting. Cheesecake ($10) was so creamy it was like eating butter — otherwise, it was the usual oversize steakhouse cheesecake, with strawberries in syrup gorgeously laid out on the side.
Service at Del Frisco's is very professional — perhaps a little hovering, but knowledgeable while keeping a casual vibe. You may be anxious about blowing a week's pay here, but you won't worry about food-snob details.
Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House, located at 250 Northern Avenue (second floor) in Boston (waterfront), is open daily 11 am - 11 pm. Call 617.951.1368.
Robert Nadeau can be reached at robtnadeau@aol.com.
