#19 - Lawry's Prime Rib

“I want to be on the Plates!” was my Aunt Cat’s (ironically Aunt Cat owns a dog) only stipulation for our dinner plans during her trip to Los Angeles. Now if I had a nickel for every time an out-of-town visitor has asked to be on 99 pLAtes, I’d probably have a quarter by now...regardless, I promised Aunt Cat she’d be a featured guest diner.

A little history first...my Aunt Cat isn’t actually an Aunt by blood, she’s been my mom’s best friend for 30+ years. However, after countless summers on the Jersey Shore (the classy part), a 7-day trip to Walt Disney World (to-the-minute itinerary included) and way too many cosmos/margaritas/martinis -- she has become my personal Fairy Godmother. So when I walked into Lawry’s Prime RIb on La Cienega on a recent Friday night, it was a thrill to finally see her and Uncle Gary on my California turf for the first time.

Now you probably know Lawry’s as the powdered seasoning you use to spice up your meats (“Oh I never made the connection”- Aunt Cat), but Lawry’s actually runs a restaurant right here in LA. For over 73 years, they’ve been serving up the “best prime rib in the country”. (“We’ll be the judge of that!” -- Uncle Gary)

Before being seated, we sipped on a few drinks in the bar and reminisced over the cancellation of Aunt Cat’s favorite show - Brothers & Sisters.

Aunt Cat - “I’m gonna miss it, but honestly...everyone was having sex with everyone on that show!”
Me - “Let’s face it -- Sally Field is a fox!”
Uncle Gary - “Time for dinner!”

And with that, we entered the massive Lawry’s dining room. Stepping down the stairs and into our booth, I couldn’t help but feel like I was in an entirely different era. Floral carpeting spreads along the floors, massive banquettes line the walls and a bevy of waitresses dressed in their original 1970’s outfits buzz from table to table.

“We tried to get rid of the hats - but the guests complained,” our chipper waitress Pamela explained. In a city obsessed with the flashiest clothes, agency buzz and twitter trends...it’s comforting to know there are places like Lawry’s to remind us of the Hollywood of the past.

“So how does this work?” Aunt Cat asked. The menu is pretty straightforward at Lawry’s - you can order other meats (chicken, pork, fish), but let’s be honest if the restaurants title includes the word “prime rib” you probably ought to take the hint. The only question is -- which cut of beef to order? Aunt Cat and I skipped the smaller California portion and went for the medium-sized Lawry Cut. Uncle Gary went for the Diamond Jim Brady size (which sounds more like a ski trail than and massive cut of beef).

 
Each meal comes with a slew of extras on the side. To start we were served a Spinning Bowl Salad. Pamela literally tossed a bowl of salad and spun it in a bucket of ice before serving. Why you ask? I was on my third drink (I told you about Aunt Cat and the martinis right?) and completely forgot to fulfill my reporting duties. We also enjoyed a Shrimp Cocktail, which is always one of those things I want to order but never feel like it is worth it. At Lawry’s - the shrimp are massive and TOTALLY worth it.

 

 

Not 15 minutes after enjoying our appetizers, a massive steel contraption rolled up to the side of our table. Dubbed a ‘traveling oven’, chefs literally carve your cut of beef right in front of you. It’s like the American version of a Japanese hibachi restaurant (minus the awesome knife tricks). Alongside your hunk of prime rib, the chef serves a generous side of mashed potatoes, 

spinach/peas and whipped cream horseradish. Each table also receives a serving of yorkshire pudding (which incidentily tastes like a pancake) for the group.

“Gary I bet you feel like you died and went to heaven!” Aunt Cat exclaimed as we all stared at his Fred Flinstone-sized portion of meat. As I write this, my mouth is literally watering from the juicy taste of Lawry’s prime rib. For 30 years the restaurant has used the same beef company and the quality is superb. This is one of those meals I’ll remember for a loooong time - not only because of the great food, but because of how stuffed I was trying to cram it all in.

We topped the meal off with a slice of banana cream pie and a food-induced hangover that lasted the entire weekend. Any regrets you ask? I only wish I had been able to sneak one of those traveling ovens out the back door.

                     

Lawry’s Prime Rib

100 N. La Cienega Blvd.

Beverly Hills, CA 90211