Seven Beef

Julian spent Friday afternoon at the REI sale while I was toiling away at the hospital. When he picked me up, the inevitable question arose: What’s for dinner? I had no desire to go downtown because traffic would be slammed thanks to the Billy Joel concert at Safeco Field. Capitol Hill would be full of tragic hipsters. I suggested food a short walk away from the hospital. Twelfth Avenue south of Madison Street used to be sparse on eateries, but has perked up of late. We opted to try Seven Beef, a new restaurant from the same sister-brother team who own Monsoon and Ba Bar.

Seven Beef is a steakhouse that plays on the traditional Vietnamese celebration dinner of beef seven ways. According to Nicole Routhier’s The Foods of Vietnam, the dinner starts with beef fondue, proceeds through grilled beef strips, ground beef wrapped in leaves and grilled, and finishes with beef congee (rice porridge). Seven Beef hews to that pattern. The beef is grass-raised and finished, and locally sourced. Other than the traditional herb plate and a beef salad, vegetables are served à la carte. We split orders of beef seven ways and their vegetables seven ways so we wouldn’t get scurvy. (This former Registered Dietitian has standards.)

The beef dishes were very good, particularly the bo la lot (the grilled wrapped beef rolls). Unfortunately, some of the vegetable courses were incongruous with the Vietnamese theme. Roquefort cheese? Polenta with Parmesan? Really? I would have rather seen a wild mushroom mélange or a stuffed tofu dish to keep consistent.

The ambiance of Seven Beef is halfway between Monsoon and Ba Bar. Although the restaurant is in a rather industrial-looking building, the interior is full of natural wood. The noise level is much quieter than the occasionally rowdy Ba Bar. The open kitchen features a wood-burning grill the size of a small apartment patio. The bar serves an interesting selection of local beers.

Seven Beef is not cheap. My main issue with it was the vegetables seven ways cost the same as the beef seven ways. It does have more economical items, including a burger. For an occasional splurge, Seven Beef is a good choice. For more workaday meals, go to Ba Bar or Lemongrass around the corner.