Willy's Steakhouse

Prime priced red meat

by Margaret LeRoux

Willy's Steakhouse 2 Grafton Street Shrewsbury (508) 842-7220 Hours Sun.-Mon. 4-9 p.m. Tues.-Thurs. 4-10 p.m. Fri.-Sat. 4-11 p.m. Full bar Major credit cards Handicap accessible

Perhaps it's my Midwestern upbringing, but I'm always a little shocked at the sight of a restaurant check with three digits before the decimal point. In the back of my mind is my father's voice, "Holy cow! You spent how much on dinner?"

We must be growing prosperous in the heart of the Commonwealth when we don't blink an eye at $28 steaks or a side dish of potatoes that adds an extra $5 to the bill.

This is a roundabout way of introducing my latest dining experience, Willy's Steakhouse Grill & Sushi Bar where the meat is indeed fine, but you'll pay dearly for it, and for almost everything else on the menu as well. Not that there's a lack of people willing to pony up. The night a friend and I dined, the waiting list for people without reservations was more than an hour. We'd called ahead and were led past the crowd at the door to a booth in a quiet corner away from the bar, where most of the action was. (Willy's also serves sushi and there was a mob of raw-fish fans at one end of the bar being entertained by the busy sushi chef.) My friend and I were in the mood for meat; with the change of seasons and cooler weather, a delicate meal of fish seemed not quite enough.

Willy's décor is perfect for cool-weather dining. Its low ceiling and basement location gives it that rustic inn appeal. But there are trendy touches like the neon bar signs and Japanese-cartoon style artwork that contrast with the rough beams overhead and the exposed brick walls. Even though there are tablecloths and candlelight, this is not a sophisticated setting. The crowd's attire was decidedly casual; one diner even sported a baseball cap.

There was nothing casual about the service, however. Our waitress was attentive, knowledgeable, and very pleasant without being overly friendly.

We scanned the jumbo-size menus, and I have to admit we were sorely tempted by Willy's extensive selection of sushi. We'll make return trip for hamachi maki, yellowtail roll ($6); Alaskan maki, smoked salmon, avocado, cucumber roll topped with salmon ($8); and unagi, roasted fresh-water eel ($5.50).

On this visit we started by sharing Willy's special salad ($5.95), an attractive plated arrangement of soft Bibb lettuce leaves topped with thinly sliced green apples, crumbled bleu cheese, pistachio nuts, and Dijon vinaigrette. Other choices, all at $4.95, include the steakhouse salad of iceberg lettuce with tomatoes, red onions, and blue cheese; Asian mixed greens with ginger dressing; and spinach and Caesar salads.

We had planned on oysters Rockefeller ($8.95) as an appropriately rich first course, but a few minutes after our order was taken, the waitress returned to say the kitchen was out of oysters. Coconut crunchy shrimp ($8.95), Maine crab cakes ($7.95), or soft-shell crab ($10.95) weren't decadent enough, so we decided to save room for the main course.

In case you needed justification for spending a bundle on dinner, Willy's menu notes that all its steaks are graded USDA prime, aged 14 days, and prepared in antique French skillets.

Beef selections range from steak tips ($19.95) to a 20-ounce sirloin ($28.95). In between are a 24-ounce dry-aged porterhouse ($27.95), filet mignon ($24.95), and steak Diane ($22.95). Prime rib is offered in two varieties: boneless regular cut ($23.95) and bone-in double cut ($25.95).

Fresh pasta is offered with eight seafood or chicken combinations such as: fruiti di mare ($19.95), farfalle con pollo ($13.95), and shrimp, tomato and garlic ($15.95). There are also several interesting seafood dishes: tuna with wasabi ginger sauce ($19.95), filet of salmon Dijonnaise ($19.95), and mixed seafood grille ($21.95). But why be contrary? This is a steakhouse. You should order red meat.

Willy's wine list offers some good by-the-glass choices in both reds and whites. We scored on both our choices -- Wyndham Estates pinot noir ($5.75) and Domaine de Bordeneuve merlot ($5.50).

I chose one of the specials of the evening: filet mignon in a cognac cream sauce ($24.95). My steak was all that a filet mignon should be -- almost fork tender and prepared exactly to my medium-rare specification.

Since dining at Willy's is a la carte, we selected from five preparations of potato and a half-dozen vegetable dishes, all priced at $4.95, except asparagus ($5.95). We were disappointed with the sable potatoes, described as oven roasted, dusted with herbs and shake of Parmesan cheese. They were mealy and stale, tasting like they'd sat around the kitchen too long. Sautéed mushrooms and asparagus, however, were first-rate, with three kinds of mushrooms and lots of fresh spinach in a soy-based sauce.

My friend opted for pecan encrusted rack of lamb ($24.95), six generous chops ordered medium-rare. The chop he offered to share with me was closer to medium-well-done, but very flavorful nonetheless.

After our meals were cleared away, the waitress brought over a pastry tray, which included a large wedge of dark chocolate cake, a couple of cannoli, and an éclair. As she was describing the pastries, another waitress suddenly appeared and whisked away one of the cannoli and the éclair, "Sorry, they're gone," she said as she walked away with them. Not a very classy ending to the meal. Our bill topped $100 with tip included.

Margaret LeRoux can be reached at feedmefeedback@hotmail.com