All posts by Johnny Prime

Full Points for Flavor, NY Strip, Other Cuts, Steakhouse Reviews

Gui Steakhouse

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Gui Steakhouse overall score: 84

First, check out my Ride & Review video HERE:

Flavor: 9

First, we went big on the king size prime rib.

This had a  kombu crust that made for a totally unique flavor. This was a 10, for sure. Perfectly cooked with some mild dry-aging on it.

We had the 48-day dry-aged bone-in strip steak that was on special for the day. The flavor was great, but there was definitely a good amount of chew to the meat. Due to that, the score is a 7. It was really beautiful though. Sadly, that drops the overall flavor score average to 8.5, which I have rounded up to 9.

Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 9

There’s a great selection of cuts here, showcasing everything from A5 grade Wagyu, US dry-aged prime, cuts for two, cuts for one, and even some off-cuts like Denver steak and top round. I only took a point due to the quality issue on the strip steak that we had (a bit “toothsome”).

Portion Size & Plating: 8

The portions are good here, especially for the steaks. The sides are certainly shareable, but the desserts seem to be made for one. Plating is simple and rustic, using cast iron platters, ramekins and things like that.

Price: 9

The price is high here in midtown, with a whopping $145 for the king cut prime rib (16oz). Some of the larger aged steaks are about $6/oz, which can get pricy if you go big. The good thing here is that the food is worth the price, and they have some very reasonable options for smaller appetites. They even participate in restaurant week.

Bar: 8

The bar downstairs (Bar 92) is a small  but beautiful art deco stretch. They make great cocktails, and the martini cart is fun. It’s dim and lively. I can see myself having a drink here before a meal, for sure.

Specials and Other Meats: 7

The only non-beef meat protein on the entree menu is chicken. I respect the clarity and focus, but I was surprised there wasn’t a nice big pork option. Perhaps they run it as a special some days, as they did read off some beef specials to us.

Apps, Sides & Desserts: 7

We started with four items. First, the brioche. The butter is delicious but I would skip this. It’s a bit pricey and slightly underwhelming.

The “double cut bacon” is nice though. Thick cut bacon with a gochujang type sauce.

I would skip the dumplings. They needed a bit more salt on the filling inside, and just didn’t hit the mark for us.

The shrimp were delicious. Four per order, head on, and with a nice szechuan chili oil sauce (could have used a bit more kick to it, but enjoyable nonetheless).

On the side, we had three items. First was the creamy, cheesy corn. This was nice.

I would skip the carrots. I bit into a forkful of them and there was some woody texture that I had to spit out. Perhaps stems were left on for visual appeal and I didn’t realize?

The mixed mushrooms were excellent, but could have used a bit more of the truffle flavor.

He had four desserts. My favorite was the coconut milk panna cotta.

The earl grey ice cream was nice too, but they need to put the crumble on top instead of at the bottom of the dish.

Their Korean spin on the Paris Brest (Jeju Brest) was nice. It wasn’t as crunchy as I expected, but it sort of ate like a jelly donut crepe. Very tasty.

Lastly, the black and white mousse cake was incredible. Rich, flavorful, well-balanced, and a really good portion size if you want to share a dessert. If I was more of a chocolate lover, this would have been my favorite dessert.

Seafood Selection: 8

There’s a bunch of nice looking seafood selections here. We only ate the shrimp, but based on how well the other stuff came out, I can confidently say that the seafood here will be good. Next time.

Service: 10

Amazing. One of my friends has an egg yolk allergy, and the staff was really considerate, knowledgeable and friendly when we were trying to navigate the menu and ask about special preparations. They were also really attentive, they knew their meats and cuts, and they were super generous, giving us a few items on the house as compliments of the chef. The only negative was they forgot a potato item that we ordered. We had plenty to eat, though, and didn’t even realize it until after we left.

Ambiance: 9

Despite being upstairs in the Times Square area, this place really transports you. It’s a mix of art deco, mid century modern and dark/dim classy. I really like the space, and I’ll definitely be back for more.

GUI STEAKHOUSE
776 8th Ave
New York, NY 10036

Brooklyn, Latin/Mexican & Caribbean, Restaurant Reviews

Tortilleria Mexicana Los Hermanos

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First, check out my Ride & Review HERE:

I pulled up on this Bushwick spot before hitting Electric Wednesday nearby at KCBC.

I went with their $11 special; three carnitas tacos.

These were really great. They’re served sort of gringo style, meaning they have lettuce, tomato and sour cream on them. I’m totally fine with that!

I think the tortillas could spend a bit more time getting toasted on the flat top, and the carnitas could have more variable chunks in the mix. The meat almost seemed more like pulled pork that had been crisped up a little bit on the plancha, but really no complaints about that at all.

I will definitely go back here and try more!

TORTILLERIA MEXICANA LOS HERMANOS
271 Starr St.
Brooklyn, NY 11237

Latin/Mexican & Caribbean, Midtown West, Rib Eye, Steakhouse Reviews

Cuerno

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Cuerno overall score: 81

First, check out my Ride & Review video HERE:

Flavor: 7

The rib eye with bone marrow and fried chives packs a ton of flavor. I’m not sure if there’s a lot of aged flavor happening, but we both enjoyed this steak.

Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 8

There are a few large format steaks and a few single portion steaks available on the menu here. I’m not really sure this place can be called a full blown steakhouse, but there is enough beef on the menu to justify the categorization.

Portion Size & Plating: 8

Portions are great here. The rib eye is 16oz, off the bone, which is pretty good. The only drawback is that the steak is skinny, and you run the risk of overcooking if you want a really good char on the outside. There was some gristle that I didn’t eat, but over all the fat was nice and tasty too.

Price: 7

The pricing here is scary. $85 for the 16oz rib eye seemd crazy to me. However, there are other places around the menu that are more budget friendly, and since this place is in the heart of midtown, you sort of have to expect crazy pricing.

Bar: 8

This place has a gorgeous bar at the entrance, and they mix up some great cocktails.

Specials and Other Meats: 7

The move here for “other meats” is to go with the tacos. We tried the carnitas, because we saw that there were two in the order; one for each of us.

The braised pork shank was good, but the sauce was slightly bland. I was expected a deeper, more earthy punch with heat.

Apps, Sides & Desserts: 9

We loved the roasted truffle cauliflower app. It packed a ton of flavor and was huge. This could be a meal if you’re going veg.

I already mentioned the tacos above, which we had an an appetizer; and below in the seafood section I will touch on the octopus chicharrones.

The grilled mango dessert was unique and light, just what we wanted to close out the meal.

Seafood Selection: 8

There’s a nice selection of fish here. We tried the octopus chicharrones with our appetizers, and the meat was tender inside and crisp outside. Very nicely cooked.

Service: 10

Service was excellent here, as is expected when considering the location and the price. The chips and sauces that come to the table here on the house are fantastic.

Since we were celebrating a special occasion, they even gave us each a little passionfruit frozen martini on the house. Awesome!

Ambiance: 9

This place is absolutely gorgeous inside. It’s big, it smells good, and it isn’t too loud either. I would definitely go back to try more of the menu – especially the steak tacos.

CUERNO
1271 6th Avenue
New York, NY 10020

East Village, Italian, Parms, Restaurant Reviews

House of Pasta

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First, check out my Ride & Review video HERE:

My wife and I popped in here because we heard good things. We started with some nice cocktails, and a beautiful bread basket with focaccia and basil-infused olive oil.

Then moved on to the roasted octopus and crispy artichokes.

Both of these were great, and the octopus came with a few pieces of crispy artichoke as well. We were glad that we ordered the artichoke side dish for some extra though. They were delicious! Also the cauliflower puree underneath the octopus was so flavorful. I could eat that like a dip all day!

In the middle course, we had the dinner special of truffle pappardelle with chicken milanese, as well as the fusili with red pesto and straciatella.

Both of these were expertly seasoned and beautifully plated. We really enjoyed these. The red pesto was a unique mix of walnuts and red pepper that I had never had before. The Milanese was fried super crisp and pounded super thin. Perfect.

For the main course, we had their crispy pork shoulder with fennel and arugula salad. At $22 this is an absolute steal.

The skin was perfectly crisp, covering a layer of deliciously sticky fat and tender, juicy braised pork. Amazing.

For dessert, we had their tiramisu. This was really nice as well.

We love this place, and we can’t wait to go back! We also noticed that they have some excellent buy-one get-one free deals on Uber Eats. Needless to say, we will definitely be going back and also ordering delivery.

HOUSE OF PASTA
511 E 12th St.
New York, NY 10009

American, German, Italian, Parms, Restaurant Reviews, West Village

Anton’s

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First, check out my Ride & Review HERE:

This place was pretty good! We rode here in the afternoon on July 4th, so we took advantage of their hot dog special.

This was a really tasty veal dog with dijon and kraut on a sesame seed bun.

We also had their bucatini made with thick cut bacon in a sort of Amatriciana sauce.

The pasta was perfectly cooked!

Then we moved on to their chicken schnitzel.

Crispy fried, pounded flat dark meat served with a side of cucumber and baby romaine salad and a dijon relish. Awesome.

I would definitely go back here again to try more items.

ANTON’S
570 Hudson St.
New York, NY 10014

Hot Pot, Lower East Side/Chinatown, Restaurant Reviews

Gangnam Hot Pot

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First, check out my Ride & Review video HERE:

This place was pretty great. I didn’t take any photos, so you’ll just have to check out the video to see what we had. The best items were the shellfish, the fishballs, and the sliced meats like lamb, rib eye and pork belly.

Definitely give this place a shot! It was really a great deal at just about $100 for two people including drinks!

GANGNAM HOT POT
125 Division St Suite B
New York, NY 10002

African/Middle Eastern, East Village, Greek, Mediterranean, Restaurant Reviews

Au Za’atar

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First, check out my Ride & Review video HERE:

This place is pretty great. We started with some nicely mixed cocktails, and then dug into a nice stuffed zucchini app.

It came with a bunch of dips, pickled items, sauces and bread.

We also did the lamb shank, which was served in a delicious yogurt sauce with toasted pistachios. This was awesome.

Next up, the smaller sized mixed grill. The star here was the minced lamb kebab.

The fries were good, but could have used just a bit more crisp.

For dessert, a delicious and light yogurt based pudding with banana and strawberry. Similar to a nice flan.

I would definitely come back here to try more stuff, especially their braised lamb sholder.

AU ZA’ATAR
188 Avenue A
New York, NY 10009

Italian, Nolita/Soho, Non-Steakhouse Steaks, Parms, Restaurant Reviews, Rib Eye

Sartiano’s

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First, watch my Ride & Review video HERE:

I went to Sartiano’s with four of my law school buddies after a round or two of drinks at Zero Bond, so we were able to try a lot of stuff.

I apologize for the lack of quality images. I really just shot video here, so as to minimize my use of the light. All the pics below are screen grabs from my video.

The caviar cannoli were delicious bites of savory goodness. They’re pricey, but when you’re going big with a meal like Sartiano’s, you get these! As a matter of fact, these were on the house thanks to my friend being a regular here.

The steak tartare was one of the best I’ve had in a while. There were some crispy sunchokes on top that really made this dish pop!

The fried calamari was almost fried in like a tempura batter, and it came with fried slices of zucchini and squash. I really loved this. perfectly seasoned!

The baked clams are fantastic here. I highly recommend those as well. We grabbed two orders, that way everyone got a few. I actually forgot to mention these in the Ride & Review.

Even the Caesar salad was great. It’s served in layers; almost like a salad lasagna.

The tomahawk was pricey, but it was a solid 8/10 in terms of flavor. The aged flavor was mild, but they do dry-age meats on the premises. It was really nicely cooked (clearly grilled and not seared or broiled)), and adorned with delicious roasted garlic and herbs.

A real beauty.

The veal parm was excellent. This stole the show for us. It rivals Carbone, Ballato and all the other greats in the area. Perfectly crisp with some nice melty mozz and grated parm on tip.

We had some roasted carrots and smash-fried fingerling potatoes to go with the mains, but we also threw down on some pasta as well.

We even had some meatballs on the side, not realizing that we would be getting some more with the “Sunday Sauce.”

The “Sunday Sauce” has a serving of baked ziti (tubes arranged vertically in the dish for extra presentation points) along with a heaping bowl of tomato sauce with slow cooked short rib, sausage, and more meatballs within. Awesome.

We also tried the green cavatelli with Jonah crab, which was really nice and fresh. I wish I had the stomach space to eat more of this.

For dessert, we had some chocolate ice cream for my boring-ass friend Paul, and tiramisu. Both were great.

All in, this was a fantastic meal. I can definitely understand the hype for this place. If you can get a table, do it! Personally, I would love to go again if I could.

SARTIANO’S
99 Prince St.
New York, NY 10012

East Village, Japanese, Restaurant Reviews

Kawa Omakase

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First, check out my Ride & Review video HERE:

This new spot is located on 1st Street near 2nd Avenue. They offer a 14-course omakase for $88. We enjoyed the fatty tuna pieces, the shrimp, the king salmon appetizer, and especially the “New York” salmon piece (with tomato) and the tuna hand roll at the end.

I would definitely go back for seasonal menu changes and specials.

KAWA OMAKASE
37 E 1st St.
New York, NY 10003

Downtown, Pub Food, Restaurant Reviews

Dorlan’s Tavern & Oyster Bar

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First, check out my Ride & Review HERE:

My wife and I stopped in this place for drinks a while back, and we made note to come back to try the food next time we were down by the seaport. Here’s what we had:

Fried Calamari with Banana Peppers

I wish the banana peppers were battered and fried too, but these were really nicely seasoned and fried.

Al Pastor Tacos

These were expensive at essentially $6/ea, but they were tasty and nicely made.

Fish & Chips

Great fries. Great fish quality, but the batter needs to rest on a cooling rack before being served on the plate. The spots that were touching the plate turned to mush or got soggy, most likely because they hit the plate when they were too hot and couldn’t properly “breathe” on those sides.

I would definitely go back to try the Old Bay flavored chicken tenders, and of course to enjoy their $10 shot and beer special.

DORLAN’S TAVERN & OYSTER BAR
213 Front St.
New York, NY 10038