What You'll Be Eating at The Royce | Wood-Fired Steakhouse Tonight

Hello, you sexy Tomahawk chop

By Lesley Balla

And presto change-o! Since there wasn't much renovating going on in the dining room, it was possible to switch The Royce to the The Royce | Wood-Fired Steakhouse in the matter of weeks. The Langham Hotel in Pasadena decided to forgo the slighly modernist, ultra-seasonal cuisine a la chef David Feau for a more straight-forward steakhouse menu that very much resembles that of Craftsteak in Vegas. Not surprising considering the new executive chef, Anthony Zappola, was last chef de cuisine at Tom Colicchio's Craft in Century City.

To be fair, the menu isn't an exact replica, but it is laid out the same, and there are a few dishes (lobster bisque, sauteed mushrooms) that remind us of Colicchio's. Not that we're complaining. With grain-fed Prime USDA beef from Pennsylvania, Australian Wagyu, and cuts like a Wisconsin veal chop and braised Berkshire pork, this is a great meaty direction for Pasadena, which has its share of steakhouses but none as contemporary, seasonal and/or non-chain. Check out the full menu below. The Royce Steakhouse (everyone will probably shorten it to this anyway) opens tonight at 5 PM (1401 S. Oak Knoll Ave.; 626-585-6410).