At The Federal, a miracle to go: perfectly cooked steak

The model doesn’t lend itself to takeout, but steakhouses are finding ways to make it work.

The Federal's 8-ounce filet mignonJonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff

It seems like magic. Nearly 30 minutes after I pick up my to-go order, I cut into my steak and find it the perfect medium-rare I requested. It’s sitting in an octagonal black plastic tray with a hinged lid that opens upward, like a spaceship revealing a creature from a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.

I remember steakhouses. It’s been a minute since I ate a meal from one. They have not traditionally been part of the takeout circuit, and for good reason. “Steakhouse food does not travel well,” says Richard Brackett, managing partner of The Federal, the Waltham steakhouse from whence cometh this rosy-tender meat, cross-hatched with sear marks.

Steakhouses are also oriented toward business dining, events, large gatherings — the rare breed of restaurant that manages to be both impressive and crowd-pleasing. But these revenue sources vanished with COVID. Nobody’s been out celebrating or wooing clients. “That’s where we’ve seen the biggest hit in business,” Brackett says. “We did a significant amount of private dining in our previous life, the bulk based on corporate entertaining Tuesday through Thursday nights. That’s ground to a complete halt.” Business from March 2020 through January 2021 was down 56 percent from the same time period a year prior.

The story is similar at other area steakhouses. Located at Encore Boston Harbor Casino in Everett, Rare Steakhouse saw a drop-off early in the pandemic, says executive chef John Ross. In Downtown Crossing, where office traffic has dwindled, Boston Chops remains closed: Private events usually make up 35 to 40 percent of revenue, with Theatre District traffic accounting for about the same, says chef-owner Chris Coombs. The South End branch of Boston Chops is open, better positioned for COVID, with outdoor seating and a residential location. “My real motivation to stay open there is to provide people with jobs and do a service to our neighborhood,” Coombs says. “Steakhouses have always been business dining destinations, so when you remove business dining completely, we’re still off 60 to 70 percent from what we were before. I can’t think of a dining concept more unfriendly during a pandemic than a steakhouse.”

After indoor dining shut down a year ago, The Federal closed for a while. But the restaurant kept getting calls asking for takeout, something it had never offered. The time had come to figure out how to make steakhouse food travel well.

The Federal's oysters in a to-go container.Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff

A sister restaurant, Stazione di Federal, had opened just before the shutdown. (“Nobody knew who we were,” Brackett says. “It was a slow train wreck.”) They took dishes from its Italian menu — spaghetti alle vongole, squash ravioli — and brought them to The Federal. They tinkered with presentation: The whole-leaf Caesar salad that was so handsome on a plate looked terrible in a takeout container, so they began serving it chopped. They incorporated more takeout-friendly classics and comfort food, like oysters Rockefeller and clams casino, and onion soup gratinée. (That recipe comes from legendary French chef Jacky Robert; Brackett’s career took root with colleague Lydia Shire at Biba.)

“We really got away from trying to push the culinary envelope. We brought it back to things that are easily identifiable, more appealing to a broader audience,” Brackett says. Takeout wasn’t profitable, but it helped the restaurant make it through and kept staffers working. “I see to-go being part of what we do for a long period of time.”

And so, as with some but not all apparent magic, there is a handy explanation for my perfectly cooked steak-at-home. The Federal undercooks its takeout cuts a bit so they’re just right, or close to it, by the time they arrive at the table. Mine is filet mignon, which I never order. I don’t eat much steak; when I do, I want to chew it. I want flavor and a bone to gnaw on after the fact. But right now, I also want basic luxury that melts in my mouth, a little ease, a neatly shaped, easily cut 8-ounce portion.

The Federal's crab cakes.Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff

I also want crab cakes. All the sides. And, above all, oysters. The Federal has them, in another feat of takeout engineering. I order a half-dozen. They come with lemon wedges, mignonette, and cocktail sauce on a bed of crushed ice, pre-shucked. The shells are then closed back down over the oysters to hold flesh and liquor in place. I drive home like my car is filled with precious breakables, turning the wheel so slowly I almost want to honk at myself. My reward: unjostled, ice cold oysters, which don’t even make it to the table. I eat them standing at the counter, a pure pleasure.

The crab cakes are plump golden patties made with generous bites of meat and served with tangy, creamy remoulade. (The leftovers taste even better, heated and crisped in a pan with butter.) Chicken under a brick arrives juicy and golden-brown, skin still crisp, over Brussels sprouts with mustard sauce and Parmesan-crusted turnips — one of those dishes you order in part because the vegetables sound so good, and they are.

The Federal's Richard BrackettJonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff

For sides, I’m sad to find must-have mashed potatoes out of stock for the day, but glad because it means I’m going to order fries. These may be takeout’s trickiest trick. “Originally, we were putting them in a closed container, but they started steaming themselves. Now they’re going out in paper bags like you’d get at a fry shack at the beach,” Brackett says. Alas, mine come in the original closed container, ever so lightly wilted. A more patient person would bring them back to life in the oven. I’m not that patient where fries are concerned. Other sides — sauteed broccolini with garlic butter, mushrooms with roasted onions — travel better and help round out the meal. There is cheesecake, of course, at the end.

When you order your steak, be it bone-in prime rib eye or New York sirloin au poivre, a pull-down menu lets you select the temperature you’d like it cooked, along with sauce choice (bordelaise? bearnaise? horseradish crema?) and add-ons like bone marrow and lobster tail. There’s a checklist of potential allergy concerns. The rest of the takeout menu includes charcuterie boards, shrimp cocktail, and steak tartare; grilled swordfish and sesame-crusted tuna; duck two ways and pork chops with polenta and red wine-poached pear; and cannoli, tiramisu, and chocolate cake. There’s a kids’ menu, too. The Federal has a deep wine list, and bottles are available to go. And curbside pickup makes things easy: Just add the option to your cart, with the make and model of your vehicle.

Wine at The Federal.Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff

After a challenging year, Brackett says things are starting to look up. Valentine’s Day was busy. This week sees the lifting of some restrictions for indoor dining. Restaurants no longer have a percent capacity limit, although there must be 6 feet of social distancing and no more than six people per table, with a 90-minute time limit. “If we had this conversation six weeks ago, I don’t think I would be this cheerful,” Brackett says. “The holidays were horrific for us. Gift card sales weren’t there. The month of December, the entire month this past year, didn’t beat our biggest week from the year before. Right now I truly believe we’re on the other side of it.” People are getting vaccinated and making reservations. The weather is getting warmer, and The Federal’s year-round patio with fire pit awaits.

“As the weather starts to break, that’s only going to be better for everybody,” Brackett says. “People want to come out for a little bit of joy, for a break from everything. At this point in time, we’ve got to look to the future.”

The Federal, 74 Tower Road, Waltham, 781-373-1245, www.the-federalrestaurant.com