An Updated Spin Around Rare Society Finds It’s Still a Cut Above the Typical Steakhouse

Oyster Mondays Happy Hour Brings a Briny Bang for the Buck

Rare Society Golds | Photo: Courtesy

A 1917 ad for Ovington’s department store advertised the Lazy Susan as an inexpensive substitute for household staff, with the blurb: “$8.50 forever seems an impossibly low wage for a good servant; and yet here you are; Lazy Susan, the cleverest waitress in the world.” There’s little agreement about who invented the Lazy Susan. Some credit Thomas Jefferson and some credit Thomas Edison, but I couldn’t find any explanation at all for the connection to the name “Susan,” which wasn’t even a popular name until the 1950s.

While Lazy Susans are frequently seen spinning around Chinese restaurants these days, the revolving tabletop platter at Rare Society is quite a different beast. These highly polished wood “boards” as the menu labels them, spin out a delicious assortment of proteins for your guests to share and enjoy. Depending on the night, carnivores could be sinking their teeth into an array of pre-sliced cuts, ranging from filet mignon to Cedar River prime bullseye ribeye, Snake River Farms Wagyu tri-tip or the flavorish newish Denver cut, dry-aged bone-in ribeye, or dry-aged bone-in New York strip. Just like the Farmers’ Market fresh produce found at many restaurants, these boards offer the chef’s choice of the freshest, most flavorful cuts of the night.

Rare Society Associate Board | Photo: Matt Furman

The “boards” are available in two sizes: “the associate” ($136), which serves two to three people at least, and “the executive” ($199), designed to easily feed a party of six. Each board also comes with a variety of house-made sauces, including steak sauce, salsa, bearnaise, and roasted bone marrow, which is mouth-wateringly good. Both are perfect for family-style sharing, which is highly recommended here.

The cocktails also have a whiff of old-time indulgence. I had the Rare Old Fashioned, which features dry-aged beef-washed bourbon (!), rosemary oleo, bitters, and a big, beautiful ice cube — with a fabulous presentation featuring a little bit of bacon flambéed tableside as a garnish. And of course, it’s hard to go wrong with a dirty martini (theirs has Ketel One and blue cheese olives), especially when tucked into their comfy leather banquettes for a relaxing evening on the town.

The retro-glam steakhouse is definitely a nice spot for indulgence. And the sides are so stellar that even non-meat-eaters will find loads to enjoy among the miso glazed carrots, creamy whipped potatoes, truffle creamed spinach, wood-fired broccolini, asparagus with crunchy garlic, potatoes au gratin with truffle sauce, and one of my favorite Caesar salads I’ve had in a good long while.

The exterior view of Rare Society | Photo: Courtesy
The bar at Rare Society | Photo: Courtesy
Rare Society patio | Photo: Courtesy

There’s also a fair amount of seafood, including some glamorous seafood towers with oysters, crab claws, shrimp, ahi tartare, blue crab, salmon poke, and Maine lobster — as well as individual portions of all of the above.

Old Bay Shrimp Cocktail is one of the happy hour offerings. | Photo: Courtesy

Speaking of oysters, there’s a recent new offering, called “Oyster Mondays” and featuring $1 Oysters and drink specials every Monday, 4-6 p.m. in the bar and the covered patio. Their freshly shucked seasonal oysters on the half-shell Include Rare Society’s custom-grown, sustainably harvested “Rare Society Golds,” which come from Chef Brad Wise’s longtime friend who built his own oyster farm in Coos Bay, Oregon. The chef’s favorite oysters are from the East Coast, so these Rare Golds resemble just that — pure, sweet meat; crisp minerality; heavier brine; and with a smooth, clean finish. They also have distinct rings along their shells because of the way they were harvested.

Wash them down with $6 beers, $10 cocktails, and $10 wines by-the-glass, with a list that focuses on local wineries, like Margerum’s M5 white Rhône blend or Ampelos’ rosé. Rare Society’s regular Happy Hour runs every Wednesday through Monday, 4-6 p.m., with more specially priced snacks and bar food such as Old Bay shrimp cocktails, wood-grilled artichokes with chipotle aioli, and a Philly cheesesteak with shaved N.Y. strip. One of my foodiest friends also highly recommends their Happy Hour–exclusive Rare Society Signature Burger, showcasing wood-grilled Wagyu beef, Boschetto al tartufo cheese, onion marmalade, and truffle aioli on a house-made bun with fries.

Happy Hour is outside and in the bar only, both of which are great people-watching spots in the Funk Zone.

Rare Society, 214 State Street, raresociety.com/santa-barbara.