INSIDE DISH

Lewis, who was born and raised in New Tripoli, runs the place along with Abby Rigler, 21— they’re managing partners. The culinary activities are overseen by Simon Wang, executive chef, and executive sushi chef William Pan, 27. Collectively, they’ve been working in restaurants in some way, shape or form for most of their lives.

The group entered into negotiations and development phase during the pandemic, and, indeed, just as we’ve seen a lot of places close or pivot to other food-related concepts, there have been just as many new restaurants and cafes.

“When the tide is going out, everyone is afraid, but that’s actually the best time to get in,” says Lewis. And so they did, forging ahead in this location to gut the whole thing—it was previously an office—and install a bar, a sushi counter, a full kitchen and everything needed for hibachi.

What will you want to order when you’re here? Probably everything. And that’s because the menu is so far-reaching that it’s not possible to really get a sense of things in one visit. So, bring some friends and sit wherever. You can order anything from anywhere in the restaurant; you aren’t restricted to hibachi fare if most of your party wants to have some dinner and a show at one of its many hibachi tables.

You can expect teriyaki dishes, noodle-based dishes such as udon, a full hibachi menu, sushi, sashimi and appetizers. Pad Thai is on the menu, along with red and green Thai curries. People love some of the specialty rolls, including the Tokyo Roll, with tuna and avocado, topped with spicy scallops, and the Godzilla Roll. That one contains shrimp tempura inside and spicy tuna on top, along with an eel sauce. Some of the house entrée specials on the menu include Spicy Honey Chicken, Steak and Steel Dumplings (chives and pork—you get a dozen!), a crispy roasted duck, and a universally appealing Chineseinfluenced dish: General Tso’s Chicken. We sampled the last item, and it was served with white rice and generously sized steamed broccoli florets.

The one dark spot in the place is the fact that the team unexpectedly lost one of its fearless leaders, Mike Heiser, about six months before opening the restaurant, at the age of 44. He was one of the founding partners of the restaurant group. (Uncannily, their address is also 44, and Rigler has a tattoo of angel number 444). A painting of him hangs inside the restaurant, above the threshold. There, he holds the place of honor, overlooking the activities.

Lewis chokes up when he speaks of him, understandably so. It’s still all very fresh, and Lewis clearly feels indebted to him. “He’s the kind of person you wanted to work for. He cared about you as a person, he’d give you a ride, he’d give you money, he’d give you the shirt off his back,” says Lewis.

They’ve all taken what they’ve learned about hospitality from working with Heiser and applied it to Steak and Steel. And it shows. In just a couple of quick months, Steak and Steel has made an impression on people. When asked what surprises them most about things, Rigler says, “I can’t believe the number of regulars we have, already. We have people who are here weekly, and some daily, whether it’s for their blackberry sage cocktail at the end of the day or sushi. We’re just so grateful,” she says.

Lewis echoes the sentiment: "I never expected to be as busy as it is. I never expected to be this well received this fast,” he says.

It’s not a stretch to believe that somehow Heiser is still there, not only watching over and guiding them, but ensuring their success, too.