Matū

This Wagyu specialist in Beverly Hills and Brentwood comes from the team behind Sugarfish, Kazunori and Uovo. The story goes that when searching for the perfect grass-fed beef for what would become Matū and Matū Kai's signature product, it was measured against Kobe beef cooked by chef Kazunori Nozawa himself. Not only did it win out, but apparently that was "the last time Nozawa ate Kobe beef." True or not, we can vouch for the high-quality, 100% grass-fed Wagyu that makes Matū one of the best places to enjoy steak in Los Angeles, without all the pomp and circumstance (or surcharge) of a traditional steakhouse. You won't find suited servers or silver trays showing off the raw cuts. What you will find is guests in flip-flops and caps right next to the date-night set, enjoying highly marbled First Light Farms beef from New Zealand in all shapes and cuts. You can go à la carte or, drawing inspiration from Sugarfish's wildly successful "Trust Me," opt for the thoughtful, coursed-out steak omakase, which begins with a rich 24-hour bone broth and might include steak tartare, 8-hour braised beef cheek, center-cut filet, ribeye, picanha, NY strip and more. If you have trust issues when it comes to the temperature of your steak, Matū is the perfect place to let go of them. Its trademarked Warm Red is the product of thousands of hours of testing and somehow threads the needle between rare and medium rare, but with an exterior char a level down from black-and-blue. Simply put, it's ineffable—quite like the flourless chocolate cake that manages to be mousse-like, fudge-like and cake-like all at once. Every bite—from Wagyu to dessert—is worth chasing with their structured Matū Reserve cab sauv from St. Helena. 

Know before you go: Matū in Beverly Hills and Matū Kai in Brentwood diverge on a few dishes. Go to Matū for the spicy Thai steak salad, grilled octopus and fazzoletti with braised ragù (pasta from Uovo). Go to Matū Kai for the herby, ultra-tender meatballs in pomodoro, tenderloin satay with "crying tiger" sauce and ribeye-ragù maltagliati, also from Uovo. The legendary cheesesteak can be had a few ways: at the bar during lunch or dinner at either Matū or Matū Kai, as well as at the table with the Lock, Stock & Barrel prix fixe for four (cheesesteak is served as the dessert course), or at the Cheesesteaks by Matū window—if you’re anywhere near Pasadena or Calabasas.