Jan. 2, 1998

Steak house gets snippy

NIXON RESIGNED his tie without regret at this renowned canyon-country restaurant.

Story by PAUL HODGINS
The Orange County Register
Photo by SUSIE MING HWA CHU
For The Orange County Register

When it came to good steak, Richard Nixon's judgment was unimpeachable.

The Trabuco Oaks Steakhouse is one of those rustic roadhouses that, at first glance, looks nothing like a place where our 37th president would have felt comfortable. Tucked into a leafy, rural south-county byway near O'Neill Regional Park, the 29-year-old restaurant (born the year Dick was elected to the Oval Office) is the picture of homey unpretentiousness.

A bathtub planter adorns the entrance. A collection of novelty liquor bottles fills a display case. And from every square inch of the ceiling, you'll see ties -- yes, neckties -- snipped ceremoniously off unsuspecting businessmen (and, judging by the inventory, forewarned diners who wanted to get rid of the most hideous Christmas gifts in recorded history). The dress here is casual, pardner. Get it?

Obviously, Dick didn't. A cherished 1979 photo, guarded by plexiglass on the left as you enter, shows Nixon losing his neckwear to the scissors -- that must have made the Secret Service guys jumpy -- and next to it is the offending tie, a rather handsome number with a restrained pattern befitting a nattily dressed Republican.

The Nixon visit was a high-water mark, but the restaurant hasn't fallen into a celebrity slump. It's a favorite haunt of David Hartman and other notables, and football teams such as the Rams and the University of Southern California's squad (men who can eat large slabs of meat and mountains of carbohydrates with impunity).

Pay a visit on a crisp winter evening, and the reasons for Nixon's attraction will become perfectly clear. Trabuco Oaks is a charming combination of sophistication and cowboy scruffiness.

The wine list is respectable even by California's haute cuisine standards, the call liquor is top drawer, and you can get those yuppie beers such as Samuel Adams on tap. But everything is served on denim placemats that include little pockets for silverware, and the decor could best be described as cowpoke gothic.

Portions are generous but not overwhelming, and the meat is superb -- well-aged and wood-grilled. The 16-ounce steaks are a better deal than the 8-ounce size, which can seem awfully puny if you're in the mood for seared cow flesh. Waiters will warn you the kitchen tends to cook on the rare side, so "medium" gets you a steak that's still plenty pink in the center.

For those who want to eschew beef instead of chew it, there's chicken, fish, even a vegetarian entree. Salads are unspectacular -- ask for the chef's special dressing, a tasty garlic ranch concoction -- but the homemade baked beans and thin, long-cut french fries are memorable.

In short, this is the perfect place to satisfy red meat's siren call. There's nothing frilly to get between you and the Zen-like pleasure of biting down on prime-cut, top-quality beef. Just remember, don't be a Dick and wear a tie -- unless, of course, it's one of those chartreuse polka-dot numbers that Aunt Zelda got you last Christmas.

YOU'RE THERE

What: Trabuco Oaks Steakhouse, 20782 Trabuco Oaks Drive (where Trabuco Oaks Drive meets Trabuco Canyon Road), Trabuco Canyon.

Plan ahead: Reservations recommended.

Call: (714) 586-0722.

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