Steak? The ‘ayes’ have it

There’s no I in “steak.”

David Silveria, Tuna Town owner and drummer for heavy metal band Korn, says the high-end steakhouse he plans to open downtown will be named after himself ? almost.

The second I in his name is silent, so he decided to drop it entirely when christening his new business venture. When the restaurant opens in August, the name out front will be Silvera’s Steakhouse.

That way, even the most pronunciation-challenged of carnivores will say the owner’s name correctly.

In terms of décor and food quality, Silveria and partners Greg Carpenter and Shane Hollinger ? Tuna Town’s general manager and executive chef, respectively ? are dotting their I’s and crossing their Ts.

“I didn’t want to stop with a sushi bar,” Silveria said. “There wasn’t a high-end steak place here, so it seemed like a perfect match to start one.”

Inspired by the famed Morton’s of Chicago, a favorite of Silveria’s, the new 4,000-square-foot restaurant will feature high-backed booths and 1950s-era furnishings. The bar will have windows opening onto the patio and lounge, and vintage photographs of Huntington Beach on the walls.

The idea is to create the kind of place Frank Sinatra might have liked.

“It’s going to be the Huntington Beach version of a steakhouse,” Carpenter said. “Right now there really isn’t a downtown place with a steak restaurant.”

The restaurant will be at Pacific Coast Highway and Main Street, above the HSS Girls shop in the spot formerly occupied by Pancho Villa’s Grill.

Silvera Steakhouse will sell corn-fed beef, dry-aged for three to four weeks and broiled at 1600 degrees, Hollinger said. The vegetables will be organic.

“We want to bring the healthful way of eating to Silvera’s Steakhouse,” said Carpenter, who worked as a chef before moving into a managerial role at Tuna Town.

“You can have the biggest place and the funnest place, but if you don’t serve quality food, you are not going to be getting people in the door,” he added.

The restaurant will offer more than 50 wines, as well as a wide selection of cocktails. The lounge area will feature live entertainment and dancing after dinner.

The restaurant is already drawing attention on Main Street. Carpenter said he has gotten 15 to 20 e-mails asking when it will open.

“The buzz on the street is strong,” he said.

The August grand opening will serve as a fundraiser for either the Boys & Girls Club or the Huntington Beach Community Clinic, where Carpenter’s daughter was born. hbi.11-silvira-CPhotoInfoH71QQFUO20060511iz19jwncLINDA NGUYEN / INDEPENDENT(LA)Greg Carpenter, Shane Hollinger and David Silvera are opening a new high-end restaurant called Silvera Steakhouse and Lounge at PCH and Main.