CUT

It’s easy to dismiss Wolfgang Puck as a celebrity chef who specializes in Oscar-party crudities and self-promotion. Then along comes Cut, and we remember that he is indeed a masterful restaurateur, adept at melding great food with a decadent experience. His latest spot, located within the Regent Beverly Wilshire and only a stone’s throw from his famed Spago, may be adding yet another steakhouse to an already over-saturated market, but Puck is canny enough to know how to add his own spin. The Richard Meier-designed interior adds to the overall luxuriously sleek atmosphere, and every detail has been accounted for – down to the $600 Eames chairs that conform to your body and provide maximum comfort. The service is impeccable, from the platter of cuts presented to you for your perusal to Puck himself glad-handing customers throughout the room. But, of course, any place that regularly hosts Tom and Katie is going to cost a small fortune, so consider yourself warned.

TIPS: All the steaks come charred over charcoal and finished in a 1200-degree broiler, but if you prefer it another way you can say so. It’s well worth it to arrive early and pass the time at Sidebar across the way, which serves a mean cocktail and complimentary finger food.