Exploring Oak
If you haven’t stepped inside Easton’s newest steakhouse yet, you’re going to want a reservation. Oak, the four-story restaurant that opened in July 2017, is home to not only some amazing in-house, aged-to-perfection steaks, but also breath taking architecture paired with contemporary rustic design sure to impress.
“Despite the simplicity, it’s amazing how satisfying it is for people, young and old, to eat a good steak.”
The concept of a restaurant in the space first came under construction in the fall of 2015 when owner, Mick Gjevukaj, who also owns River Grille and Ocean, was ready to start his next venture. “After 3 decades spent in restaurants, I have seen trends come and go, but steak and potatoes have stood the test of time. Despite the simplicity, it’s amazing how satisfying it is for people, young and old, to eat a good steak.”, says Mick. With the dream of a steakhouse in a prime location just about 100 yards from the circle and next to the Easton Public Market, Mick’s plan went into action and construction started.
“After the collapse of building, everything ground to a halt and we were faced with the reality that all of our plans, ideas, hopes, dreams, funds, everything was gone.”
Just a few months into the renovation, unexpected delays occurred when a storm rolled in with heavy rain and wind gust collapsing the building. “After the collapse of building, everything ground to a halt and we were faced with the reality that all of our plans, ideas, hopes, dreams, funds, everything was gone. So from nothing we had to start over and build something strong and powerful that could withstand anything that came its way. As the proverb says, from the little acorn does the mighty oak grow, and so it did.”, says Mick, and we couldn’t agree more. When you first enter what now is Oak, you can’t help but me taken back by the beautiful structure of the building.
As you tour the restaurant from bottom to top, each floor has its own elements that make it unique from the rest. The bottom floor holds a giant oak table in a private room that you can rent out for your next party or event. The wall is lined with a few hundred of the 2,000 bottles of wine that can be found in the restaurant.You can also peer through a window into the dry aging room that holds many of the different cuts of steak you can find on their menu. Above the table hangs a gorgeous chandelier that Mick’s brother, Bekim, custom built for the space. As you walk up the stairs to the main level, don’t miss the wall to your left made entirely of corks Mick collected starting in the 1990’s.
The first floor has everything from exposed beams that date back 100 years to soulful brick walls and even a life sized oak tree climbing up to the second floor making it a great place to sit back and enjoy your meal. It’s hard to imagine there is even more to explore but as you walk back and enjoy the tastefully designed decor lining both walls, you come to an open kitchen where you can watch cooks preparing the delicious dishes, like my personal favorite, the filet mignon and lobster mac and cheese.
Walking up the wooden staircase to your right leads you to the second floor, another space where diners can be seated. If you arrive early for your reservation, you can head up here for a drink at the bar and enjoy a different view of the oak tree and OAK logo painted on the brick wall that overlooks the entryway. As you walk to the back of the second floor, there is another room that can be rented for private events. This room hold a mural that gives tribute to the collapse and rebuild of the building.
It makes the perfect place to enjoy a dessert drink under the stars.
The final floor, one of owner Mick’s favorite places, and possibly the most charming, is the rooftop. A glassed-in patio perfect for drinks and small plates is located at the top of the building. With a retractable glass roof, high-top tables and bar, open on weekends, it makes for the perfect place for a dessert drink under the stars.
With all this amazing architecture and decor surrounding you, the perfectly seasoned steaks, seafood and desserts complete the package. With a 4.9 star rating on Google out of nearly 50 reviews, it’s hard to pick favorites from the menu. When we asked Mick to choose his favorite dish, he said “the Kansas City Steak. It’s similar to a NY Strip but with the bone in.” Some of the Home + Table favorites are the charred thick cut bacon, sweet and spicy shrimp, prime let mignon, chicken, sweet potatoes au gratin, skillet cookie for 2 and New York style cheesecake.
Oak is open Thursday–Saturday for dinner starting at 5pm, and Sunday at 4pm. They strongly suggest that guest make reservation, so check your calendar and plan your date for dinner.
