Argyle Steakhouse / 7447 Batiquitos Drive Carlsbad, CA. 92011

Note: Joint post by both myself, Maggie and Soo. Please be kind and include both of us when commenting. Thank you!

First portion written by Maggie.

This place is a hidden gem and I believe the regulars would like to keep it that way. And who could blame them? Expert, doting, informative service that leaves you feeling extremely special. Gosh I’ll take a little of that each day!

They are old school traditional about the fine art dining experience and believe in giving the customer time to digest their food in between each course of their meal. This is a dying tradition I’m afraid as so many people expect their food fast and have forgotten the reason for fine dining in the first place. Exceptional food, excellent service paired with carefully crafted ambiance, scenery, all to enhance the company surrounding you. Done correctly as it is here you should leave feeling uplifted and rejuvenated. 

How often do you get your menu signed with thank you’s and well wishes from the staff? Never, at least in my world. These people aim for the stars and succeed in surpassing each and every restaurant I’ve attended for Restaurant week in all the years I’ve been doing this. Which is about six years or so. I love Restaurant week because I get to try places I would not know about or not normally go to. Which expands my universe a little bit each visit.

Jesse our waiter and Thomas the chef informed us that Argyle has their own beehive, makes their own honey, jerky, thick bacon & popovers! I was already over the moon about the popovers as I’ve not had any for many, many years and these just have the perfect crunch on the outside and soft delicate inside. Served with a savory sauce and butter they were a meal of their own. The bacon came with my spinach salad. It was super thick and melted in my mouth. Never have I experienced bacon like this! They graciously sent us home with samples of their honey and jerky. I’m leaning towards dipping the jerky in the honey as I’m thinking it would be fabulous. 

My choices included; the Bloomsdale spinach salad. This combination of flavors had crunch, creaminess and warm woody goodness. Delightful in every way, I ate the whole thing!

Getting the perfect bite with the Jidori chicken was fun. Taking a small piece of chicken, drizzling the chimichurri over the top turned out to be my preferred sauce out of the three choices. The creaminess of the cheese inside the potato tots really sent them over the top. The vegetables had a lovely caramelization with the honey. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal, pure perfection.    

The s’mores desert was layered so when you take a bite each component appeared on your spoon. I’ll admit it was hard not to just eat the marshmallows off the top! Very deep, rich chocolate went well with the caramel gelato. I savored each bite, invoking each to memory.

A warm thank you to Jesse our waiter for making our night so special and informative! And to the whole staff for all you do, making the world a happier place one meal at a time.

Second portion written by Soo.