Kane Steakhouse

Kane Steakhouse 2.5 stars as a decadent meat palace on SoBe

Another decadent meat palace has sidled into the old Tuscan Steak space, looking as if it’s always been there. Kane Steakhouse exudes South Beach’s brand of hospitality, which means a pair of bright, white smiles welcome diners with cheerleader-like enthusiasm. Crisply set tables with stark white tablecloths and plates are perfectly appropriate for the no-nonsense food offered here. Executive chef Daniel Ganem, who did stints at a three-star Basque restaurant as well as Miami’s BLT Steak and Bourbon Steak, clearly knows his way around the kitchen. His expert technique is evident in every dish, even when they’re not masterpieces.

Ambience: Oversized drum lamps hanging from the high ceiling shed a flattering glow, and pair of large flat-screens add an unfortunate sports-bar touch to the long, cool bar. Waiters wear funky, tuxedo-like jackets piped in wide white ribbon, and a musical mash-up from Sinatra and Bennett to Rihanna and Eminem builds in volume throughout the night.

What Worked

• A well-arranged bread basket filled with walnut-cranberry mini loaf, classic baguette, bacon butter biscuit and salt-crusted bread stick
• A Caesar salad with lots of zippy basil
• A lovely Kane salad loaded with snappy green beans, baby beets, shaved hearts of palm, peeled heirloom tomato wedges and nibs of asparagus in a perfect Dijon vinaigrette
• Slabs of roasted Berkshire bacon with a tangy green apple slaw
• A gorgeously juicy, meaty cobia served with a robust romesco sauce and crisp panisse of pureed chickpeas
• Steaks treated with care and dramatically charred on the outside and lusciously pink in the center
• A bone-in rib-eye with a mineraly tang and lots of salt
• Au gratin of cauliflower so rich you only want a few bites
• Crisply fried, sugar-dusted seaweed
• Tasty, jalapeño-spiked corn pudding
• Slightly grainy, not-too-sweet pineapple upside-down cake served with a subtle house-made rum raisin ice cream

What Didn't Work

• A rather bland, skin-on branzino fillet that spent too much time on the fire
• A petite New York strip too generously marbled (translation: more fat than beef)
• A free house steak sauce that tasted like a sweet, ketchupy barbecue sauce - pass
• Lobster macaroni and cheese - a huge flop - too much lobster cut in unwieldy chunks and gummy elbow noodles drowned in overpowering extra-aged Cheddar
• By-the-glass red wine options limited to a handful of California and Oregon picks and served at a warmish room temp
• A mini box of donuts covered in an avalanche of sugar
• A marshmallow-laden chocolate trio that stacked a dry brownie with a fluffy mousse and some hard-to-attack nib brittle
• Service bordering on the obsequious - a waiter hounded me for a full five minutes to order dessert, and then brought two orders that we declined