Our interview with BOA’s executive Chef Michael Neflas gave us a a detailed sense of the BOA Steakhouse’s eclectic menu. They offer a twist to classic dishes by giving them a modern day feel with lighter flavors, yet keep up with restaurant industry trends.
With two locations in California (Santa Monica and West Hollywood), BOA keeps its American style cuisine the same for both restaurants. However, Santa Monica’s beach location allows for a more laid back atmosphere for its different clientele. According to Neflas:
“During lunch hours especially, you’re just as likely to see guys in a suit as you are in shorts and a T-shirt because they just came off the beach and they’re looking for a steak or a nice sandwich and salad.”
The Santa Monica location sees a lot of tourists in the summer, but reverts back to mostly locals in the winter.
“At dinner time you’ll come in and you can start with a drink in our lounge and bar and then move out to our outdoor patio on Ocean Boulevard. From that vantage point you catch a little glimpse of the ocean and the sunset while you’re sitting there and enjoying a nice glass of wine.”
The West Hollywood location, on the other hand, has a strict business-causal dress code. In addition to American-style, Neflas points out that BOA also has influence from the Philippines, which ties to his own background and also Thailand. One of his favorite items off the menu is the beef carpaccio, which is smoked to order under a cloche and served with mushrooms, pickled radicchio, butter and truffle aioli. After seeing an increasing number of guests looking for healthier, lighter options a gluten-free and vegan menu was officially put into play at the end of May.
While BOA offers a long list of cocktails, Neflas’ drink of choice is the 40 day barrel-age Manhattan.
“I think it ties in really well with our signature steak, which is a pre date dry aged New York. If you want to sit down and have a nice steak and a whiskey based drink that’s where I would go right there. I feel like we’re seeing a lot of influence from Peruvian and Philipino cuisine. What we’ll usually do is incorporate them in our daily specials. We’re trying to change the dinner menu at least twice a year and if we have the opportunity, sometimes we change more often.”
A lot of BOA’s success comes from playing around with dishes, making certain items seasonal and keeping up with the trends. Between the two restaurants they put together 15 to 20 dishes then see what they like and what they need to tweak. Sometimes they change six to ten dishes.
The BOA kitchens can get hectic doing up to 400 covers on a busy night. Yet they never lose sight of their customers’ best interest; whether it’s making sure to wash their hands when preparing a gluten free item or focusing on stocks and sauces or vegetable prep. Neflas points out:
“The morning sous chefs are definitely on top of the staff making sure that the quality and consistency is there. At night one of the first things we do when we get in is checking to see that the morning prep looks good, that everything is as it should be-as to tasting, touching, smelling.”
Neflas definitely sees a future for multiple BOAs and the possibility of expansion.
“We’re in a position where we’re hopefully looking to grow and open a couple more BOAs around LA and potentially elsewhere across the US.
Creative Credits
- Written by
- Jasmine Smith
- Image courtesy
- BOA Steakhouse. Innovative Dining Group)
