All posts by Johnny Prime

Joy Burger Bar

So I got this sweet ass Groupon deal for the west village location of Joy Burger Bar.

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I paid under $10 for two burgers and two shakes or fries. My buddy and I mixed it up a bit. We got one shake, one fries, and added an order of o-rings. It was also two for one beers during happy hour so we nabbed a pair of fucking Blue Moons as well.

I had a “midi” (5oz) burger with American cheese, jalapeño peppers, lettuce, onion, tomato and spicy mayo. Shit was good, but the burger was a little beyond medium. Thank God for melty cheese. Fries were better than mediocre – good seasoning but not as crispy as I like. Onion rings were delicious, and the shake was killer (B&W, bitch).

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Really reasonable prices even without a Groupon deal, so I say go for it.

Check out the burgerporn below, assholes:

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JOY BURGER BAR
361 6th Ave
New York, NY 10014

Bill’s Bar & Burger

I gotta say, the burger at this place impressed me. I ordered a classic American cheeseburger, double patty, with bacon and jalapeños. Shit was awesome. I wasn’t a huge fan of the lettuce so much (dark green, wavy leaf bullshit) and I think the bun could have used a little mayo to shield the bottom layer from burger juice, but man — this place was great. FRESH sliced jalapeños, LOTS of cheese, and a well-seasoned hunk of meat. Almost perfect.

The fries were not up to par with the burger. I recently learned that they changed from wedge to regular fries, but they tasted nice with the cheese on them regardless. Onion rings were excellent.

Bonus: $3 “cold ass beers” on tap during happy hour, but ONLY AT THE BAR. We were literally 2 feet away, on a tiny high-top table that was right next to the bar, and they were going to try to charge us $8 for a beer at the seat instead of $3 at the bar that I could reach with my hand if I stretched. So we happily moved to the bar when a spot opened up for us. Stupid ass policy regarding the cold ass beers, if you ask me, but whatever. Guacamole app was decent but not worth talking much about here on a burger review.

So here’s the beef – enjoy:

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I came back one night after a  burger at another joint, and I put down a nice Chicago dog. I have to say – the Chicago dog is much better than the New York dog, but the New York pizza is much better than the Chicago pizza. And that’s that.

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I don’t know what it is… sport peppers, relish (which I normally hate), yellow mustard (which I normally hate), onions, tomato, poppy seed bun… it’s like Zeus busted his nut on a bon and we all have the please of eating it and becoming demo-gods for a small moment of time. Perfection.

I also got to try this fucking delicious beer, which comes in at a whopping 11.1% ABV. Fuck yeah. Blithering idiot. I know a lot of those…

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Third visit: single burger with jalapeños and an order of cheese fries to go with, plus an app of the fried pickles and peppers, which were awesome.

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Fourth visit – more of the same. Great consistent product.

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BBB beer

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BILL’S BAR & BURGER
16 W 51st St
New York, NY 10019

Lucky’s Famous Burgers

I’ve been to two locations for Lucky’s Famous Burger so far: 23rd Street and 52nd Street.

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Both locations serve up essentially the same good quality burgers and they even transport well in the sack for delivery. I always worry about fries getting sogged the fuck up when hot and enclosed, with all that fucking steam ruining the crisp and shit, but Lucky fries and onion rings travel extremely well. The burgers are highly customizable, and they even do a solid job with their chicken sandwiches. They offer a few sauce varieties, all of which are good for either dipping fries/o-rings or dumping all over your burger. I particularly like the onion rings and cajun spice fries here (think Old Bay seasoning on the fries). This is one of two go-to joints in the new ‘hood for a burg. Check out the porn below:

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LUCKY’S FAMOUS BURGERS
370 W 52nd St
New York, NY 10019

5 Boro Burger

I snatched up a few burger-based Groupon deals this week when I noticed that they were offering an additional 15% off with a promo code. The first was for this joint, 5 Boro Burger: $25 gets you two special burger deluxe plates (with fries), and two pints of beer.

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The fries were nice, dusted with some herbs and fried to a robust crisp.

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I tried the Brooklyn burger, which involved cheddar, grilled onions and bacon.

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It was slightly over cooked beyond medium, but I didn’t mind too much because it was really tasty.

My wife went with the Bronx burger, which had guacamole, bacon and mozzarella cheese. Her’s was cooked perfectly, and I think was the winner between the two we tried.

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I’d definitely come back here to try some more goodies. Give it a shot yourself while the Groupon deal is still active. Only down side about this place was the pickle (too sour), and the over abundance of gnats and fruit flies near the curbside seating on the first floor.

5 BORO BURGER
80 W 36th St
New York, NY 10018

Spiegel

My wife and I were invited to a press dinner for Spiegel, a downtown spot that opened in May of this year on 1st Avenue at 2nd Street (very close to the famed Nexus of the Universe, ala Seinfeld).

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Restaurateur/owner Shmulik Avital and Executive Chef Dario Tapia (formerly at Westville and Maison Kayser) serve up a truly wide variety of foods with multi-national influences, spanning from classic to eclectic with everything in between. Shmulik spoke with us at length about how he was raised in a mixed-tenant building in Israel, where his neighbors were from nearly every country throughout Europe, the middle east, and northern Africa. Growing up, the mothers would exchange recipes with their neighbors, and soon the building was a true melting pot of international cuisine. His family is Moroccan, but you’ll see influences from all over the world on his menu. Truly fantastic. Shmulik also spoke about his motorcycle trip through Central America, where he gained inspiration to add a fish taco dish to his menu because he loved and enjoyed it so much.

They sport an equally varied wine list, directed by Vino-Man Kirk Struble, featuring selections from across the globe as well as a gaggle of imported beers (I love the Weihenstephan).

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The ambiance is like a cafe, with a nice, large, custom U-shaped bar, oak and fabric seating, decorative brick walls, massive windows and tiled floors. An outdoor searing area that wraps around from avenue to street is set to open in April of 2015 as well.

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The name Spiegel comes from Shmulik’s love of old cinema, particularly Lawrence of Arabia, his favorite film, which was produced by Sam Spiegel. Shmulik intends to have classic film nights in the restaurant to pay tribute to his love of classic, pre-1960s/1970s film.

Also worth noting: if you like what you see and read below, go check this joint out. They’re running a 50% Groupon deal right now that’s $15 for $30 worth of food. You can find it HERE.

Here’s a look at what we gobbled up, in menu form:

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First, some starters and salads:

The zucchini fritters were nice and crispy outside, and flavorful inside. They came with a yogurt type sauce and a small side of nicely dressed arugula.

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The star of the apps was the fried and stuffed mushrooms. Filled with cream cheese and smoked salmon, this was like a dream. Nicely seasoned as well. A real winner.

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The baked feta fish was okay. I wasn’t too much of a fan of the tomato and eggplant sauce here, but the cheese was delightful.

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The Spiegel chopped salad was nice and refreshing. All the veggies were treated superbly. I especially liked the hearts of palm: one of my favorite things to eat outside of the meat realm.

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The kale salad was excellent. Expertly dressed and no bitterness. Sweet and savory all at once. I’d definitely recommend this one.

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Next, a few sides. The carrots had a great cumin flavor going on that really made them stand out and punch up.

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The broccoli had good flavor but it could have benefitted from a bit more salt and maybe some cracked black pepper. Otherwise it was great.

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The star of the sides was the beet dish. I just kept going back at this plate. Really good shit, and beautifully colored.

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Then some entrees. First was the veggie couscous. It packed enough flavor to stand on its own without the addition of any meats. It reminded me of pastina that my mother used to make, only more soupy and less creamy. This was an okay dish, but I’d probably go for something with a bit more substance on a subsequent visit.

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The salmon was perfect. Juicy, tender, brimming with mild flavor. It came on a bed of roasted, chopped potatoes.

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The veal schnitzel was the favorite for me and my wife. The breading was nice and crispy, and it had a great spicy kick to it.

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And then came a pair of burgers, which were prepared specially for me, the meat man (the other dishes were mostly just fish and veg). The first one is called “The Kipling,” named after a patron who always orders it. It has a topping of the same tomato and eggplant sauce from the baked feta dish. To me, it was very reminiscent of a Sloppy Joe in terms of flavor profile. The burger was solid and held together, not like the mushy chopped meat in a Sloppy Joe. I think what took me to that “Sloppy Joe” place was the tomato flavor.  On the other side of things, the french fries were some of the best I’ve ever had. They were absolutely perfect. There was a crisp batter texture to the outside, but the inside was soft and flavorful like mashed potatoes.

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The other burger was the classic. Liberally seasoned beef, lettuce, onion and tomato. I prefer this to the Kipling. The only issues for me were that both burgers were a bit over cooked, and I think this classic burger could have benefitted from some cheese. This plate came with a small chic pea salad which was herby and refreshing, and topped with a little bit of crumbled feta.

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Last, dessert. First was flan, which I really liked because it was firm yet creamy and smooth. The chocolate mousse was killer. I think I may have finished one whole order by myself. Last was the apple pie tart crumble thingy, which was very well executed and delicious. Overall I think the desserts were excellent, and I suppose that is a nod to the head chef’s experience at Maison Kayser.

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I had an espresso, which was strong and tasty, from a roaster in California that the owner knows personally. This shot below is a nice decorative foam on top of a cappucino.

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A quick note on their hours of operation:

Breakfast is 7:00am – Noon, every day.
Lunch/Dinner is 11:00am – 11:00pm Sunday – Thursday, and ’til Midnight on Friday and Saturday.
Brunch is 11:00am – 5:00pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
Happy Hour, with $7 select wines by the glass and $3 – $4 imported beers, runs every day from 4:00pm – 8:00pm.

SPIEGEL
26 1st Ave.
New York, NY 10009

Inti

My bargain hunter wife found a sweet deal for 50% off (up to $20 off total) of a local Peruvian food joint called Inti. I had never had Peruvian food before, but always heard good things about their rotisserie chicken and their Chinese fusion dishes. So here’s what we had:

I guess I should first mention the puffed corn kernels and green sauce that are on the table. The kernels are nice and crispy, not too salty. The sauce is amazing. A mix of jalapeño, celery, cilantro, and other goodies. We were shoveling this shit into our mouths, that’s how good it was.

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We ordered a couple of potato-based apps. The first one was essentially mashed potatoes with meat and veggies in the middle, then deep fried to a light crispy outside shell. My wife described it as being like Shepherd’s Pie. This was incredible. A definite re-order on the next trip.

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The other potato app was a cold dish, with crabmeat and avocado stuffed inside a yellow potato mash. This was also very tasty and refreshing, but I think the other potato app just nudged this out by a bit.

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Then the rotisserie chicken came out. This shit was excellent. Our table fell silent as we dug into the juicy, tender and flavorful meat. The skin was coated with such a great, earthy spice mix. Throw a little green sauce on the chicken breast meat to spice it up too. This is a real winner, especially at only $14.

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Next was the Peruvian/Chinese fusion beef fried rice. They certainly don’t short you on fillings here: the rice was packed with beef, egg and scallion, and it too had a nice earthy and soy flavor. Guess what? The green sauce went really well on this too.

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We also had a nice array of beverages too. Although I didn’t get a pic, my wife had this really great purple corn drink that was sweet like a soda but without any bubbles or fake flavoring. She also had a can of carbonated beverage that was like a strange mix of mountain dew plus bubble gum.

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I had a pair of Peruvian beers. very nice.

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Bottom line: this place is worthy of a visit. I already purchased another deal through Groupon for a dinner for two. Go for it.

INTI
820 10th Ave.
New York, NY 10019

Stecchino

STECCHINO IS NOW CLOSED

My wife and I met some friends at Stecchino for dinner last night. The menu is pretty interesting, and features some really great products.

First we had some starters, like fried artichokes, burrata, and octopus carpaccio. All were fantastic. The artichokes were packed with flavor, and mostly heart. The burrata was incredibly smooth and creamy. And the octopus was tender and we’ll dressed.

For my entrée I had the burger, as it may go to the way side after management’s upcoming planned menu changes. It was a solid burger. Check it out:

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It came with fries, which could have benefited from some more crisp.

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My wife had rabbit fettuccine. The meat was tender but be careful: in my bite i had a small piece of rabbit bone. Look at that beautiful blob of ricotta on top!

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I had to grab a pic of this. It was a limited quantity menu item: short rib. But a huge piece of rib. Tremendous, and really juicy, tender and delicious.

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I also had a bite of my other friend’s chicken scarpariello. Both the sausage and the chicken in the dish were very flavorful.

Bottom line: Stecchino (which means toothpick in Italian, and is the name of my friend’s whippet) is a great place to eat. I’m excited to see how the menu changes in the upcoming weeks, especially because my wife purchased a brunch Groupon for $23, which gets us two entrées and two pitchers of bloody Mary. Yes!

The breakfast burger turned out to be amazing. Really tasty maple bacon, cheddar cheese, and a fried egg. Wonderful.

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The real highlight was the potato dish that came with my wife’s smoked salmon eggs benedict. They were like baked potatoes that had been ripped apart and then deep fried with a light crispy breading. FUCKING MINT!

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The Penrose

Last week when I was introduced to BurgerFi by my buddy, he also showed me The Penrose. The decor was mad cool – old fashioned gastro pub look and feel. Really nicely done. I made a thick, bold mental note, in sharpie, to make sure I went back to give that shit a try. So I did, with my wife in tow.

Here’s the breakdown:

We started with chicharones (pork rinds). There were really crispy, crackly and light. The lime juice really took them to the next level.

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Next the entrees came out. I had the Penrose burger with cheddar. Really nicely cooked and seasoned. Loved every bite.

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My wife had the mussels, which came with perfectly buttery and toasty bread and a really unique broth, which included almonds, that we were sucking up with straws at the end.

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A really great meal. And these three items, with 2 drinks included (it was happy hour), only came to about $50. You can’t beat it. We will be back for sure.

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THE PENROSE
1590 2nd Ave.
New York, NY 10028

Burger Fi

A buddy of mine has been telling me how great Burger Fi is for a while now. I finally made it up there to give it the old Johnny Prime try.

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I had a “Breakfast All Day” burger (aka the B.A.D. Burger), a Chicago dog, and “cry & fries” (french fries and onion rings). And, of course, a vanilla shake. My buddy had a New York dog and a Bud.

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First, a bit about the burger: it’s a natural Angus burger topped with American cheese, hickory bacon drizzled with maple syrup, a fried egg, hash browns and grilled diced onions. This thing is a fucking beast. Typically you get a double burger patty, but with this monster you don’t, because of all the good toppings.

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It was really tasty. The ratio of all the different shit is just right.

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The Chicago dog was great. The dog itself is split and grilled, and then popped onto a poppy seed bun and topped with relish, diced onion, tomato, sport peppers, celery salt and pickles. This shit is legit. A little messy as you get down on it, but the flavor is fantastic.

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The fries and O-rings are good, but I would make sure to order my fries extra crispy next time. They’re seasoned correctly and they are flavorful. Onion rings are solid, real crispy and not too greasy at all. I actually enjoyed those more.

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And that’s that. Make sure you get up to the UES to try this place out. It’s pretty great.

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UPDATE – On a second visit the following week, I tried a BurgerFi Cheeseburger with onions and jalapenos, along with EXTRA CRISPY cry & fries. All was amazing. Extra crispy is definitely the way to go, and I prefer the regular burger over the B.A.D. burger.

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BURGER FI
1571 2nd Ave
New York, NY 10028

Angus Club

Angus Club overall score: 96*

UPDATE: THIS JOINT IS NOW CLOSED

Tonight I had a crazy press dinner at the newly opened Angus Club Steakhouse in midtown, on 55th and Lex. Despite it being a free press meal, I’ve popped this write-up into my traditional steakhouse review format, complete with 100 point scoring system and everything. I’m committed.

Flavor: 10
We had what was probably one of the best porterhouse steaks I have ever eaten. I am usually a rib eye man, but this was good enough to make me reconsider my religion. The 35-day aging process really adds a ton of flavor to the meat, without getting overly gamey and barn-yardish.

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Also a 10/10 is their “bone in filet mignon” (tenderloin).

Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 10
Everything here is prime, aged 30-35 days in house, certified black angus quality meat. Eddie, the chef, hand picks the cuts from the meat supplier (Masters) in Hunts Point. You can rest assured that you are in good hands here. One “bone” to pick: some outlier meat cuts would be a great addition, perhaps as daily specials, such as flank, skirt, or perhaps a hanger.

Portion Size & Plating: 10
Portion sizes are great, and the decorative plating is nice without going overboard. You have a 14oz filet, which is beefy, and 22oz rib eyes and/or strips (bone-in). This is a great size, especially considering that the meat is well-aged (aging reduces the weight, as meat fat fibers break down and subsume into the muscle tissue, causing increased tenderness and flavor). The porterhouse for two, if I had to render a guess, would be about 42oz, bone-in. Not too bad, and every ounce edible, fat and all.

Price: 10
I was given the wonderful opportunity to eat for free this night, as part of a press dinner, but I wouldn’t complain even if I was paying. At $48 for a 22oz rib eye in the heart of Manhattan’s prime real estate area, and with a restaurant this size (tremendous), I’d say that this is a bargain.

Bar: 8
There was a nice happy hour crowd here despite the bar being off-street and somewhat small. There is a larger bar downstairs, but it kinda gets lost in the shuffle. A featured bar, in my opinion, should be along the window on the main floor, to attract passers-by and entice them in for a meal. The bar did have incredible homemade potato chips though; crisp, salty, and textured. They mixed a great, crisp, smooth martini as well. Nicely done.

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Specials and Other Meats: 9
We weren’t offered any particular specials for the press dinner, but the menu does offer other meats such as veal and lamb. These are solid additions to a traditional steakhouse menu.

Apps, Sides & Desserts: 10
We had some crab cakes to start. They were crispy on the outside, and meaty/juicy on the inside. A fairly generous portion size too: two little pucks of goodness, which nearly doubles the great and famous Del Frisco’s portion size.

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Next we had a nice, classic iceberg wedge salad, with mighty chunks of bacon and a hearty blue cheese dressing. Delicious and refreshing.

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On the side we had “creamless” creamed spinach, which was miraculously creamy despite not using cream. It was a perfect cut to the savory meat. Slather that shit on your meat and chomp away!

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We also indulged in some truffle oil mushrooms as well. Nice and earthy.

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Last, we had the angus home fries. These were crispy on the outside, and soft/fluffy on the inside. Lots of flavor and nuance in these little morsels. I had lots of fun eating them, and you will too.

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For dessert we tried two items. First was the coconut tiramisu. This was really light, airy, delicate, and packed with flavor. Wonderful.

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Then we had the key lime pie. This was the star for me. I love a nice tart dessert. This was creamy and sour without being overwhelming. Just to my liking.

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The bacon here is one of my top five in all of NYC.

Also the bone marrow app is amazing.

Seafood Selection: 9
There’s lots to choose from here by way of the sea. Unfortunately I didn’t get to try anything aside from the crab cakes, so I can only give it my baseline score of 8 (now 9). Based on how well prepared the other items are, though, I would wager that these guys know what they’re doing when it comes to seafood as well. Don’t be shy – go ahead and try something. And I might add that the steak sauce here is absolutely perfect for seafood. It has a nice acidic horseradish tang that is reminiscent of very good cocktail sauce.

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Tuna tartare – excellent. Jumping the score up to a 9/10.

Also dollar oysters at happy hour from 4-7pm.

Service: 10
Outstanding is the word that best describes the service here. If you have the good fortune to come here on a day when all four owners/partners are around (usually most days), then you will be treated with the utmost respect. Pure class.

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They all met years ago while working together at Benjamin Steakhouse. In time it was only natural for them to strike out on their own venture.  This place just opened in February and they seem to be off to a great start. I got to meet them all, but the two partners of note were Eddie, the executive chef, and Margent, the wine director and front of the house, with whom I spoke at length. Our waiter and bus boy, if I recall, was named Ray. He too was magnificent, always ready with a fresh glass of wine or a new pour of water.

Also, the bread came quick and was good. Here’s a shot of it:

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Ambiance: 10
This place is really nicely decorated. The walls are elegantly and artfully done up with weathered, reclaimed barn wood, to create  a warm and inviting vibe. They used a well-known decorator who is famous for setting up the private homes of millionaires around the city, so nothing is stale or out of fashion. It is contemporary and sophisticated, yet also art deco-inspired. The restaurant seats 40 people upstairs, and 76 downstairs, where there are a host of private rooms that give a nod back to the old school traditional steakhouse culture.

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There’s even a cool rendition of a bull or steer made from scraps of wood on the stairs as you go down to the large dining room.

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Once downstairs, there’s the chef room:

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The cork room (walls make of cork decor):

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The leather room (walls padded with elegant deep red-brown leather):

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And the oak room, which abuts the main lower dining area and can be closed off from the main downstairs dining room to form a separate party area:

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There’s also a great temperature controlled wine cellar, complete with an old, non-functional decorative wooden wine press, just like the kind my grandfather used to squeeze every last drop of juice from the stems and skins of grapes. They feature lots of California wines, though the selection is very international.

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One last thing I noticed was that the bathroom smells really great. Just thought I’d mention that. I was once told that sometimes you can judge the cleanliness of a kitchen by the cleanliness of the patrons’ bathroom. Not sure if there’s any truth to that, but this shitter was spotless.

On a second visit, the management hooked me and my wife up with a free meal. I couldn’t believe it! We tried some new stuff, so I have some things to write about.

First was the steak tartare. This was really different from other tartare dishes I’ve had. It was substantial. I hate to say meaty, since it is made of meat, but that’s what it was. It’s made from prime aged beef, and not just the typical filet cut.

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My wife had the bacon app. It was a big slab of delicious:

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For dinner, my wife had the seafood platter. It was good, but it felt like it may have needed a few extra pieces; perhaps two more of each: shrimp, oysters, clams.

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For me, I had the mother fucker of all rib eyes. This was one of the most perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned, juicy, tasty, and absolutely insane cuts of meat I have ever eaten. Let the pictures do the talking. Amazing.

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I popped another three points onto the score. I think after a third visit, when I try a strip or a filet, this place could go sky high. What an amazing dinner.

ANGUS CLUB
135 E. 55th St.
New York, NY 10022