Restaurant review: Elegant steakhouse also has seafood, waterfront view, happy hour

Meating Street Steak & Seafood is a distinguished Manhattan-style restaurant in the Tradition community of Port St. Lucie.

The atmosphere and décor are elegant and refined with dark leather booths, two-toned chairs, latte-colored walls and starched white tablecloths. White leather club-style stools provide seating at the massive bar, over which hang sparkly golden pendants. Long, flowy drapes hang between the bar and the dining area, and the mood is enhanced by black-shaded windows.

A round pedestal table at the entrance displays a large floral arrangement akin to the lobby of a fashionable hotel. The rhythmic beat of music was just detectable in the background. Seating is also available on the outdoor patio, decked out in bistro chairs and overlooking Lake Tradition.

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There is no guessing at Meating Street’s cuisine. Ribeye, wagyu sirloin, veal, lamb, bouillabaisse, salmon, and lobster fra diavolo are listed on the menu under the category “The Board Room.” The "Turf Enhancements" are shrimp, lobster tail, and foie gras. "House Creations" include short rib ragu and black truffle risotto. In addition to the menu, on the evening we visited, they offered lovely specials including sea bass, snapper, and a tomahawk steak.

The gentlemen diners were excited to order turf. The 16-ounce prime rib ($40) was impeccably seasoned and cooked. The 6-ounce filet mignon ($38) melted in the mouth. The side dishes are ala carte, so they shared the au gratin potatoes ($12), which were thinly sliced and full of sharp, creamy cheese.

The gentlewomen chose to share appetizers since they were all very tempting. We started with the Roman artichokes ($18). Long-stemmed artichokes were braised in lemon and white wine then topped with crunchy, seasoned breadcrumbs and grated asiago cheese. The earthy flavor of the artichokes were complemented by the astuteness of the cheese.

We also shared the chopped salad ($13) with mixed greens, bright red cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, egg and crispy, chopped pork belly. The veggies were crisp and fresh, and the vinaigrette dressing was perfectly light but appealing.

The most anticipated item we ordered was the lobster mac n' cheese ($23) and it arrived with much fanfare as if trumpets were sounding. This dish was a treasure trove of chunky sweet lobster combined with little ear pasta, creamy cheddar cheese sauce and sprinkled with seasoned breadcrumbs. That dish could serve as my last meal should I ever need to choose one.

We all subscribe to the principle that chocolate in any form is always the choice. Thus, the Cookie Skillet ($15) — an ooey, gooey, warm chocolate brownie in a skillet with vanilla ice cream — was our excellent dessert choice.

When you walk into Meating Street Steak & Seafood, you are escaping to a magical place with stunning décor, a classy and tasteful menu, and impressive food. The service is relaxed and the staff is experienced and competent. It’s a beautiful place for happy hour, brunch or dinner.

Meating Street Steak & Seafood

• Cuisine: Steak and seafood

• Address: 10553 S.W. Meeting St., Port St. Lucie

• Phone: 772-348-3805

• Hours: 2-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday-Saturday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday

• Alcohol: Full bar

• Online: meatingstreet.com

Lucie Regensdorf dines anonymously at the expense of TCPalm for #WhatToDoIn772. Contact her at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Restaurant review: Meating Street Steak & Seafood in Port St. Lucie FL