The Hideaway in Long Beach is 100% true to its name. The atmosphere is relaxed, its entrance leads to the bar, with a small dining room to the right. Though unassuming, do not for one moment think that it’s just a plain ole steakhouse — it is not!
This little hidden gem has some seriously solid offerings, including creative concoctions that aren’t typical to a steakhouse — let alone, a Palm Springs’ style old school steakhouse.
While we are perusing the menu, Chef Ryan Morrison sends out Hideaway Tartare ($17). Finely chopped lamb is combined with dried Chinese black beans and Sichuan oil, mustard, and topped with a quail egg. To be honest, I am so glad Chef sent this item out because I would not have ordered it, and I would have missed out on one of the best tartares I’ve ever had. The Sichuan oil and black beans combined with lamb created a wonderful mixture of flavors. Chinese black beans and Szechuan oil, both typically used in lamb dishes in Sichuan cookery are fantastic additions to the tartare, served with scallion pancakes, it was seriously, a very clever creation. This is something I would expect to find in an upscale Sichuan restaurant in Hong Kong.
Little Gem ($12) is a delightful salad of baby gem lettuces drizzled with a bright creamy citrus garlic dressing, and finished with finely grated Parmegiano Reggiano, and garlic crisps. This past year, I’ve been eating a lot of salads and I’m right to say, that not all salads are created equally. This little gem salad is on the upper echelon list of salads. The creamy citrus garlic dressing does not overpower the delicate and subtle flavors of the lettuce. It is crisp, bright, and absolutely refreshing. The cheese adds a salty element, while the garlic crisps lends an additional variation of texture to the mix.
Buffalo Chicken Croquettes ($12) blue cheese fondue, LB hot sauce. I’m generally not a fan of croquettes, but I found these pretty decent. The croquettes were crispy on the outside, but soft and gooey on the inside hiding a melty blue cheese fondue. The buffalo seasoning was also on point, not overpowering at all. We loved the micro celery as garnish! What an elevated and playful way to serve something “buffalo” sans the sticks of celery. It keeps in line with the “buffalo” but takes it to a whole ‘nother level! Bravo!
While I don’t typically eat a lot of dairy (lactose intolerant), Cavatelli and Cheese ($15) was definitely worth the pain. The cavatelli was perfectly al dente with rich and creamy unctuousness on the palate. It’s an adult version of mac n cheese which even kids will love. I think the combination of asiago, raclette, and Prairie Breeze cheddar really work well together.
Since The Hideaway is a steakhouse, there is undoubtedly several steak choices to select from. I highly suggest ordering a steak for your meal. We chose Flat Iron and Fries 8 oz ($28) served with house fries, micro tomato salad, and chimichurri is The Hideaway’s version of steak frites. I love that it was served with an on-point chimichurri (nothing worse than a weak chimichurri) which enhanced the already flavorful, and perfectly executed piece of steak.
Since I never grew up eating much dairy, the only memory I have of eating creamy chicken is in the form of chicken a la king. Chicken, Mushrooms & Rice ($22) reminds me a little of this childhood dish but more sophisticated. This is truly comfort food on a plate. The chicken is juicy, tender and smothered with a house creamy wild mushroom sauce, all sitting on a bed of long grain rice. All I could think of when eating this was how it made me feel — like a warm blanket enveloping you on a cold winter day.
All the accoutrements that come on the dishes stand strong on their own, which typically means you don’t necessarily have to order extra sides. Having said that, don’t forget to get a side of Garlic Noodles ($10) with salsa verde. This is so good, and I am certain your table mates will want a part of it. And if they don’t, then even better … you can take it home and have leftovers the next day.
I’m not a dessert fan, but when I heard Basque Cheesecake ($10) was on the menu, I totally caved. There are a handful of desserts which I do like, one of which is Basque cheesecake. Now I’ve had my share of cheesecakes, from dismal to average, to spectacular — my favorite cheesecakes are Basque and Japanese styles. Chef Ryan’s version would fall under the spectacular category. Its texture is creamy and rich without being overly dense and heavy. Using passion fruit curd and cured rhubarb as pairings — genius! The highly aromatic passion fruit brings an elevated experience to the cheesecake while the rhubarb lends a tart component to cut some of the sweetness. I saved a couple of bites for my son, but I ended up eating it the next day. I so regret not getting a slice to go.
The Hideaway is a diamond in the rough. It is a neighborhood restaurant, but one which absolutely doubles as a destination location simply because the food is SO good. I highly recommend a visit. Make a reservation though!
The Hideaway Steakhouse
4137 E Anaheim St
Long Beach, CA 90804
Tel: (562) 343-5630
