Morini has a new burger and I tried this strip steak too. BOTH INCREDIBLE!
My wife was recently browsing around the Instagram foodporn landscape when she came across this image of a massive rib eye:
Photo Credit: Osteria Morini: @OsteriaMorini on Instagram
I was immediately intrigued when she shared it with me, but I kind of just put it on the mental list of places that I needed to try. Like any fool who is just looking at photos and not actually READING captions, I missed the integral part of what was going on and why my thoughtful wife sent it to me:
120 fucking days?!?? Wow. So a few days go by and I get this frantic text from my wife: “GET YOUR CAMERA AND MEET ME AT OSTERIA MORINI TONIGHT AT 6PM!”
I responded. “Okay. Why, what’s going on?” Then she proceeded to explain to me the details of what I had glanced over a few days earlier. She’s a very patient person. I do this often, apparently. But my mouth dropped. She had secured us one of the seven 52oz, 120-day dry-aged Pat Lafrieda/Creekstone Farms rib eyes just a week or two in advance of our 7-year wedding anniversary. They only offer them on the first Wednesday of every month, so scheduling is limited. Anyway, I ran home and got my camera, because we were about to celebrate with the best steak we’d ever eaten.
The steak is not trimmed of any excess fat, and the bone is left with all the meat still attached prior to cooking, as you can see in the Instagram photo above. This is ideal when dry-aging, because eventually you have to trim off the outer bark and you inevitably lose some meat when that happens. Better that it be fat and gristle than your spinalis dorsi. Even still, this particular cut is still left with tons of surrounding meat and tenderized fat. Ours came out to the table pre-sliced, beautifully plated and ready for gorging:
Everything is edible on this. Even the fat breaks down into a really delicious beef jelly after that much time aging.
The cap was truly something to behold. Packed with tons of flavor and so fucking tender. As for the eye (longissimus dorsi), just take a look at this perfectly cooked masterpiece of a slice:
I half expected something so funky and nutty that it would almost be unrecognizable as steak, and more akin to blue cheese. But it was mild and pleasant, not so robust that it became odd tasting, like what can happen with some long aging processes. This was just right. I was smiling the entire time. This is the best steak I’ve ever eaten. 10/10, and still a 10/10 on a second visit years later.
But let’s not brush aside the other great Italian cuisine going on here at Osteria Morini. The bar has a great selection of Italian-inspired cocktails that are really unique and interesting.
The atmosphere is home-ish and comfortable. It’s warm and inviting, with lots of wood tones.
By 8:30pm the lights had dimmed significantly and the place was wall-to-wall jammed. The food is so great, it is no wonder why. But when you take the stellar service into consideration, a packed house becomes a no-brainer. GM Phillip Buttacavoli made us feel very much at home, and all employees from servers, to kitchen staff, to bartenders were really helpful, pleasant and nice.
The foccacia table bread was warm, toasty and nicely seasoned.
We started with the stracci pasta: long, wide ribbons of egg-forward pasta with a braised wild mushroom sauce and rosemary oil.
Perfectly cooked, and delicious through and through. The other pasta dishes all sounded great too. I will definitely be back to survey more of those selections.
The steak, which was a very fair $145, came with our choice of two sides as well. We went with the parmigiano roasted asparagus and the parmigiano fingerling potatoes.
The asparagus reminded me of the kind my mother used to make. Very simply cooked but with parmigiano over the top to add in some salt and flavor. And the potatoes were perfectly crunchy and nicely seasoned all around.
For dessert, we tried the gianduja budino: a baked chocolate and hazelnut custard with candied hazelnuts, brown butter and salted chocolate cake crumbles.
I loved it. It had just the right amount of sweet and savory to strike a great balance. They even gave us some complimentary glasses of saffron and cardamom amaro to go with the dessert.
We ended up using a great Gilt City deal on this meal. My wife paid something like $145 for $200 worth of credit to apply to the bill at pretty much any Altamarea Group restaurant (except for Marea). That left us with a little bit to cover at the end.
What a fantastic meal. I can’t wait to go back!
UPDATE 8/1/18
Had a bunch of pasta dishes, which were all excellent:
Octopus was really tender, and had a nice char on the outside.
Incredible “White Label Burger.” Custom Pat LaFrieda beef blend with tomato, speck aioli, and fontina cheese with sides of parmesan and parsley onion rings and fonduta.
And crispy breaded veal wrapped in prosciutto and covered with truffle cream sauce.
OSTERIA MORINI
218 Lafayette Street
New York, NY 10012
Crispo is a gorgeous Italian joint down on 14th Street near 8th Avenue. My buddy and his girlfriend have been coming here for years. I had never heard of it, but when he told me about it, I knew we had to try it out together as a group.
We started with a bunch of apps. For that reason, and because I knew we were also going to eat pasta and steak, I took it easy on the delicious and generously portioned table bread.
First, we had a sampler app trio of speck, aged goat cheese and mozzarella rice balls. The meat and cheese came with dried fig and an apricot/fennel jam. Both the speck and the cheese were great, top quality products.
The rice balls were addicting. You can easily catch yourself popping a bunch of these in a row without even realizing what’s going on. They were perfectly fried to a golden crisp on the outside, and the inside was both firm from the rice yet oozing with delicious melty fresh mozzarella cheese. Not heavy, salty or greasy, which is the opposite of what you sometimes get when these are done wrong.
The next app was a nice, simple fried calamari. This also came with fried zucchini. There was a cornmeal aspect to the breading here, which made for a nice crisp crunch. That’s fried parsley on top, too.
Our favorite app was this crispy pork belly topped with a melted gorgonzola-stuffed fig. Underneath the pork belly was crispy polenta, and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
This was one of the most tasty apps I’ve had in a while. In fact, I think this could be an incredibly successful entree as well if just magnified in proportion. Seriously, I could eat this all day. The fat is cut with the acid, and the funk of the cheese takes the flavors off onto a ride that’s more wild than the fucking Great Space Coaster.
So after all of that, we were finally ready for some pasta. This place seems to be somewhat famous for two pasta dishes in particular: the Spaghetti Carbonara and the truffle ravioli. I know what you’re thinking. “Spaghetti Carbonara? I can get that crap at any halfway decent Italian joint.” But here’s the rub: most Italian joints fuck up their Carbonara with cream, making a dense, salty and overly-heavy pasta eating experience. Real Carbonara, from what I understand, doesn’t have any dairy, other than the cheese you grate over the top! The creaminess is achieved via egg yolk.
Break the yolk, mix it around a bit, and you’re ready to rock. Just sprinkle in a green veggie and some crispy pig bits. I must say, this Carbonara was divine, and like none I’ve ever really tasted before. Not only was the pasta cooked just right, but the ingredients were well-balanced, and nothing was too salty. A big problem I usually have with Carbonara is sweating like a pig while I eat, because of all the FFFFFFFFFFUCKING salt that’s usually in it…
The hand made truffle ravioli were nice and al-dente, served in a simple brown butter type sauce, and the portion was large for a very reasonable price. I was expecting like six somewhat large ravioli in the bowl, not a dozen.
Now to the meat. My wife and I shared the New York Strip steak, which was simply grilled and then topped with a mound of red wine reduced onions.
The steak was cooked perfectly to medium rare.
While I wasn’t a huge fan of the onions (I’m a purist), I did find myself going into them every so often out of an enjoyed curiosity. The meat itself was nice, tender and flavorful. 8/10.
The steak also came with parmesan herb fries. These were really crispy, and the parmesan acts as a cheese-funk seasoning that replaces the standard salt. Very nice.
Last, we had some creme brûlée, pot de creme and pistachio gelato. I didn’t snap the gelato pic for some reason, but I did pull the trigger on the cremes (the two come in one dessert order – bonus).
I was blown away by the quality of the food here, the service, the ambiance and decor, and the portion sizes. I’m ashamed that this place never made it onto my radar in all its years in operation. But not just that: the prices are really fair. All of the food described here, plus about two or three alcoholic drinks per person (wine, cocktails, beer, after dinner drinks), plus a round of coffee for everyone with dessert, only came to $105 per person, with tax and tip included (we had four people at the table total). I was shocked.
Needless to say, I’ll definitely be back here, because there is a lot of shit on the menu that I want to try (like the pork shank).
I rolled through Ocean Prime for a quick NYC Restaurant Week meal one night after work with a friend of mine. They were booked solid, so we grabbed a seat in the lounge area near the bar to eat. While the menu was limited to a small filet for restaurant week (in terms of beef), I figured it was a good opportunity to test-drive the steakhouse before going balls-deep with a big rib eye. Here’s what I thought:
Flavor: 9
The filet was delicious, and was cooked to an absolutely perfect medium rare. It had a good seasoned outside, and the inside was juicy and flavorful. While the outside wasn’t super crisp, it still managed to hold in all the juices.
I’m looking forward to heading back for a proper rib eye. I have to say… for a place to score an 88 on a test run with a severely limited restaurant week menu… I’m impressed.
Second trip: perfectly cooked rib eye. Similar notes regarding the sear, as the rib eye had a slight wetness on top. Otherwise absolutely delicious. With a bit more crisp on the edges, this would deb full points for flavor.
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 8
Three filets, two strips and a rib eye are offered here. There is no beef porterhouse. I have to take a few points for that. The menu indicates that all steaks are prime quality, but nothing is noted about aging. Perhaps a few more bone-in options would also beef up the selection here as well. But with consistent, top notch quality, it might not matter too much. Second trip: upgraded to 8/10.
Portion Size & Plating: 8
Portions are slightly smaller than most places for the price range of midtown steak joints. The plating is elegant and clean, nothing too fancy.
Price: 8
This is an expensive joint, with a small 8oz filet coming in at almost $50, however their most expensive steak is $57, a 12oz “bone-in filet,” so the range isn’t too wide. In any case, they do participate in NYC Restaurant Week, where they offer a three-course meal for $38 that includes an app, an entree, two sides and a dessert.
Bar: 10
This is a great bar for hanging out after work. The crowd is all suits from Bankville, USA, but the space is beautifully apportioned and you can watch the street from the well-lit seating arrangement.
Specials and Other Meats: 9
There’s lamb, chicken, and a pork porterhouse in terms of other meats. That’s a nice showing, especially considering that this place is a bit lighter on the beef selections and a bit heavier on the seafood selections. Also, on a second trip there were lots of specials read to us from all menu categories, including steak.
Second trip: 14oz strip steak with brie special. Upgraded to 9/10.
Apps, Sides & Desserts: 9
I had the Point Judith calamari, which was perfectly breaded and fried to a golden crisp, and drizzled with just the right amount of sweet chili sauce. It also comes with roasted cashews, which nails home the distinct Asian dimension to the dish.
My steak came with mashed potatoes and green beans for the restaurant week menu, so I got to taste a few items. Both were good, but nothing incredible.
The desserts, however, were a different story. I tried both the peanut butter mousse with chocolate ganache, and the carrot cake, which Ocean Prime is famous for at this point. Del Frisco’s has the lemon cake. Strip House has the chocolate cake. Ocean Prime has the carrot cake, which i shy far my favorite, and I DO love the lemon cake at Del’s. Typically, the cake is 10 layers high and a massive wedge. This restaurant week portion was just right for me, as I was already kind of full. The frosting had a great fall-spice to it, and the cake was moist without being too dense.
The full carrot cake slice from the dinner menu:
The peanut butter and chocolate pie was good too, but too sweet for my liking. It was light due to the mousse element, though, which is nice. It was also beautiful to look at.
Second trip: surf and turf appetizer of braised short rib and scallop was incredible. Perfectly executed.
Second trip: 99% meat in this crab cake. Lots of good crab flavor, nicely accented with a corn salad. This rivals Del Frisco’s.
Second trip: chop house corn. Very tasty, but I was expecting something more to it. Maybe the addition of some pancetta would do the trick.
Seafood Selection: 10
There’s a shitload of great looking seafood here. The menu is too extensive to list them all. I was able to try some of the scallops that my buddy ordered, and so far I’m impressed.
When I return, I’ll definitely be trying more seafood. I like the idea of a steak joint that really raises the bar on the seafood. A lot of places just do lobster and salmon, shrimp and oysters. They don’t go outside the box. Here it is a totally different seafood experience. And it is perfect place for dates: the men can eat their red meat, and the women can watch their figure with some seafood, because sexism rules.
Service: 10
Even in the busy and crowded bar area, we had excellent service. The first course came out fast, and the waitress, Jenny, was really nice and attentive. The fun part about sitting in the bar area is that they give you a free bowl of popcorn, which is wonderfully seasoned. The bread, by the way, is delicious. You get piping hot pretzel bread logs and bread with a soft, whipped butter. Excellent.
Ambiance: 9
While the main dining room is big and industrial looking, it still has a nice feel to it. It’s spacious, which is good, but it just lacks a little bit of character. One thing that’s cool is that you can view how the kitchen operates by peeking though the long glass window that is visible from the dining room. Upstairs there are some private dining areas, and the bathrooms are beautifully appointed. Second trip: I took more of the ambiance in and I am sold on it being a solid 9/10.
UPDATE 7/17/19
I recently returned to try some more stuff.
Steak Tartare
This was awesome. Up there with some of the best I’ve had. If tartare is your thing, then get this shit.
Lobster Mac & Cheese
This was incredible. I actually ate more of this than anything else the night we came back. Addictive!
Lobster Tails
These twin beauties tasted as great as they looked. You can’t go wrong on the seafood here.
Surf & Turf
Seared scallops with braised short rib? Yup. I loved this appetizer. Solid way to start a meal.
Mixed Sushi Rolls
Everything served on this platter was delicious but I kept hitting that thinly sliced wagyu beef roll. Amazing.
Crab Cake
If that sauce was spicy it would be on par with Del Frisco’s.
Assorted Sides
All great (especially the jalapeño au gratin), except they skimped on the cauliflower & broccoli.
Pork Porterhouse
This was nice. When comparing to Belcampo, this one fell a bit short. But it was by no means bad. Still probably a 7 or 8 out of 10.
Dry Aged Kansas City Strip
This bone in beauty brought a lot of earthy flavor to the table. Of the steaks we tried, this was the winner for sure. 9/10.
Dry Aged Rib Eye
This was less seasoned and had less aged flavor than the strip, but was still a great steak. 8/10.
Dessert Platter
As you may already know, the 10-layer carrot cake here is one of my favorite steakhouse desserts. They also served us a butter cake, which is also one of my favorite steakhouse desserts (but from Del Frisco’s).
Epcot Center in Disney World is famed for its “world walk,” highlighting about a dozen countries and offering some cuisine and culture from each. This place, in the French pavilion, is known to be one of the better places to eat in the park.
My wife scored us some reservations in advance of our trip, and I was looking forward to trying the steak selections.
First off, the bread at this place is amazing. You can choose from about four different kinds: mushroom onion bread, Swiss cheese bread, traditional baguette, poppy seed, etc.
My wife and I each had a price fix menu. For $89, we received the following:
The escargot was great. It had the texture of clams and a great truffle essence.
For my starter, I went with the oxtail soup. It was okay – not as robust in flavor as I hoped, but the use of truffle was generous, and the popover on top of the soup bowl was magnificent. French cuisine is great for shit like this.
My wife went with the lobster item, which came with a truffle broth, quail egg and some fancy foam.
For my entree, I went with the strip steak. It was cooked perfectly to medium rare. My only gripe is that I like my steak seared hard on the outside with a crust, whereas this was served almost like a sous vide style. It was still excellent though. I’d say an eight out of ten.
It came with some tomatoes, potatoes and asparagus:
And a nice truffle wine reduction sauce for the top:
My wife’s lamb rib chop was crusted with pistachio, and also cooked absolutely perfectly.
Some other guests at the table ordered the filet, which was equally delicious and nicely prepared. On top is a mushroom and bacon mash of some kind.
La Myrtille is a short bread base with a pistachio cake, topped with fresh blueberries and compote, vanilla cream, and creme fraiche ice cream. Not only was it beautiful, but it was the best dessert of the night, and we sampled a bunch from other plates. It was unique, and the right balance of sweet and savory for me. Perfect.
Here’s a look at the almond, mango yogurt and strawberry concoction that I also tried – pretty good!
And this was my wife’s dessert, L’ile Flottante, which was light meringue, vanilla creme Anglaise, rum raisons, toasted almonds and a vanilla tuile.
My wife and I went to Disney with her family for a short vacation. While there, we hit this steak joint.
Flavor: 8
We tried nearly every cut of steak, so I was able to get a good feel for the quality of the beef as well as the skill of the chef. This place can definitely hang with NYC’s greats. I wasn’t expecting much after my last experience at a Florida steakhouse, but my wife really did her research on the dining options for this trip.
First, the rib eye, which I didn’t order but I tried a good amount. It was perfectly cooked and remained tender and juicy, with a great crust on the outside as well as a creamy blue cheese butter. This was probably a nine, and it came with a beautiful, big serving of bone marrow!
My wife and I tried the porterhouse for two. This was an eight. It was cooked nicely but just fell a slight bit short on seasoning. Otherwise, top notch. Both sides were tender and juicy, with just a few areas where things got over cooked along the edges.
My brother in law had a chimichurri strip steak, which was ordered medium well (he’s not a good steak orderer), yet it still retained flavor and some juiciness despite the ruination. Eight.
My other brother in law had the filet, which was big and juicy. Also an eight.
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 9
They have a lot of options here, and several variants within – like aged and prime. Take a look at the menu. All that’s missing, really, is an aged bone in rib eye. Arguably the most important cut, but I only took a point.
With a few tweaks in preparation, and some longer aging times, this place could be incredible. They even have an aging room on the premises, visible to diners, where they age the beef and hang the charcuterie:
Portion Size & Plating: 9
Portions here are large; plating is nice without being overly elegant. High marks on the charcuterie board, porterhouse and pork belly with clams plating in particular.
Price: 8
The prices here are pretty steep for Florida, but then again you are at a Disney resort, so a mark-up is expected. On the other hand, the food is well worth the money here. This is comparable to a NYC steakhouse, both in quality and price.
Bar: 10
This joint has a full separate-but-attached bar called the Crew’s Cup that adjoins the restaurant. It’s a great looking country club kind of place, and the drinks are pretty good and cheap as well ($8.25 for a Beefeater martini is very fair in my eyes, being used to NYC).
Specials and Other Meats: 7
There were no specials read to us, and the menu is pretty bare when it comes to other meats aside from beef: only chicken. I don’t mind much though, because I don’t go to a steakhouse to eat any other protein but beef, and the showing of beef here is pretty excellent; it even includes prime rib and bison (which I still consider to be beef, in a weird way).
My mother in law tried this vegeterian pasta dish, which was beautifully plated:
Apps, Sides & Desserts: 8
The first appetizer that we tried was a charcuterie board. Here’s what was on it:
I’m always a bit underwhelmed by the amount of stuff on charcuterie boards at restaurants these days, but I get that this stuff is expensive and difficult to make. Anyway, this was all very good:
We also tried this pork belly and clams appetizer, which was incredible, although a bit salty.
The hunk of pork belly in the center was generous, and perfectly braised yet crispy on the outside. The fried lotus root was an elegant touch, and the broth was great to soak up with bread.
The sides here were great. Our porterhouse came with beef fat roasted potatoes and a trio of sides: caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms and creamed spinach. I enjoyed them all. The creamed spinach was more creamy than I usually like, but it wasn’t overpowering. The beef fat potatoes were incredible – the beefy marrow flavor really took me by surprise. They were just a bit greasy, unfortunately.
The last side we tried was the truffle mac and cheese. This was made with orecchiette pasta and some fried onions. It was really delicious, and probably one of the better truffle macs that I’ve had.
Unfortunately we had to skip dessert. Too full!
Seafood Selection: 7
There’s red snapper and scallops on the menu here in the entree section. Other than that there’s just the usual shellfish apps. I was a bit surprised not to see any lobster on the menu.
Service: 10
This place is over the top and excellent. As you might expect, this kind of thing happens all over Disney. The people who work here are amazing, and they really, sincerely want you to enjoy your time there. Our waiter, Ricardo, was fantastic.
I guess I should mention the bread here. It comes with a really nice soft and salty butter, as well as a head of roasted garlic for spreading!!! You can choose onion pull-apart bread, or baguette style bread – or both.
Ambiance: 9
The building and all surrounding areas are amazing at this part of the resort. When you enter the yacht club area, you’re greeted with an amazing, huge old fashioned globe in the entryway.
The Yachtsman Steakhouse itself (which is within the club near some other restaurants) attempts to hit the mark with the country club / yacht club look. It ALMOST nails it, but not quite. Something was missing, and I can’t put my finger on it.
I’ve heard lots of good things about Strip House over the years, and I was psyched to go there and use a gift card I received for my birthday (Thanks Jackie & Mike!). Check the verdict (about as close to perfect as you can get). On my second visit, Jackie & Mike took us out for a b-day/anniversary celebration. Things are still incredible here. See the italics text below for new updates.
Flavor: 10
This place lived up to its expectations, and then some. The ribeye was perfectly cooked. It had a great crispy sear on the outside, and it was the perfect pink color and temperature from edge to bone, no uneven cooking, no change in texture, nothing. It had a great fat cap, and all the fat was soft and edible. There was nothing left on the bone at the end of the meal. Aside from the meat, everything else was perfect as well. This place is fucking legit. On the second visit I had the bone-in strip, and it was on par with the ribeye: amazing. Perfectly cooked, very flavorful and juicy. I tried smearing some of the mushy garlic onto a few bites and it really enhhanced the taste. I suggest trying it a little bit here and there. I had a taste of the special bone-in filet as well, and it is top notch.
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 9
Strip house has all four of the basics covered; porterhouse (only offered for two), ribeye, filet mignon and strip. In addition they have a Chateaubriand for two. There was no mention in the menu or on the website regarding what grade or quality the beef is, but based on the flavor I’d say it is prime. On special they even had a bone-in filet (aka “the conundrum”). A wide variety of meat sizes and flavors. The only thing missing was a porterhouse for one. On special for the second trip they also had a boneless dry aged 16oz ribeye on the menu.
Portion Size & Plating: 10
Portion sizes are just right for the steaks. The strip comes in 16oz or 20oz (bone-in) portions; the filet is either 8oz or 12oz; and the ribeye is 20oz (bone-in). The porterhouse for two is 38oz, and the Chateaubriand for two is 24oz. The garnish on the plate was a nice roasted bundle of garlic, within its paper, sealing in all the heat to make it nice and spreadable. I didn’t delve into it too much, but it was a nice touch, and it even had a sprig of rosemary sticking out so it looked like a little pine tree (rosemary) with the roots wrapped (garlic bushel). Speaking of garlic, it seemed to be a common theme on many of the plates. For example, in the crispy goose fat potato dish, garlic was sliced and fried, and placed on top with a little bit of parsley. There was also some minced garlic cooked into the sear on the steak (nice!). The garlic wasn’t overpowering at all; just prevalent. The sides were a bit on the small side in comparison to other places I’ve been, but to be honest there is enough to feed two people on any one dish. The ripped potato app is a fairly large portion, however. See pic below:
Price: 9
At Strip House, the price for beef ranges from $41 to $49. The filets are $41 and $45; the ribeye is $46; and the strip is $45 and $49 – the larger of the two strips (bone-in) being the most expensive cut on the menu. The porterhouse runs $45pp, and the Chateaubriand is $43pp. The special bone-in filet was $52. Apps are $11 to $19, sides $8 to $12. A martini costs $12, which I thought was fair. These numbers are about right. The total bill, after tax, tip and deduction of gift card, came to under $200. A good deal indeed, though the sides were a bit small for their respective prices. Be sure to snack on some of the candied pecans that come in a small dish with the check – they are incredible.
Bar: 9
The bar is really nice. First, the martini was made perfectly. The bartender chilled a glass while preparing the drink, and he even had the courtesy to ask if I wanted it shaken or stirred, up, or on the rocks. The decor is awesome, and the tables and couch near the bar make for a cozy yet elegant and swanky old time feel, with a nice view of the wine room near the entrance. I can definitely see myself hanging out here for a drink. I just don’t know if anyone else would be there since it isn’t in the most jumping location (though there is plenty to do nearby). The cocktail menu has a few new style drinks; interesting mixes rather than the traditional old time types of classics, but they are still good. My wife had a “bluebird sing,” which was a nice blueberry flavored drink. On my second trip they didn’t chill the martini glass, and it only came with two olives instead of three. Also noteworthy is that it went up in price by $1. I also noticed that the end of the bar is very close to the ring-up station where all the waiters and servers hang by the registers and computer screens. It can get tight over there, but the lounge seating area makes up for that.
lounge seating
Specials and Other Meats: 9
Also on the menu is a Colorado lamb rack and a veal rib chop. This place is pretty much beef and seafood only; I don’t really mind so much, but a slab of pork or some chicken would round it out better. I say man up or shut up though. Off the menu, on special, they had something for each course: a spicy crab and lobster salad, the bone-in filet, and grilled asparagus. They also had two types of oysters (east and west coasters). On special for the second trip they also had the bone-in filet again, a dry aged boneless 16oz ribeye, a spicy tuna tartare, and a seafood tower for two. We tried three of those. Mike had the bone-in filet (delicious), I had the spicy tuna tartare (very nice – spicy, cold, wrapped in thinly sliced cucumber, and dressed just right), and the ladies had the seafood tower (though the waiter was helpful in telling us it is cheaper and better to order two seperate towers for one, as you get more food for less money).
Apps, Sides & Desserts: 10
I heard a lot of really great things about the apps at Strip House before going, so I was determined to make room for a serious order. It started to become really difficult to choose. Ultimately we went with the roasted bacon for an app. It was amazing, and a good portion to match the hefty $19 price tag. It came with a nice sized arugula salad, perfectly coated with a homemade thousand island type of dressing, with halved grape tomatoes on the side. Next we had the black truffle creamed spinach, which was rich and creamy but not overpowering. You could definitely taste the truffle in there, and it was served in a cool miniature copper pot. Then the creamed corn with pancetta; it was deliciously topped with a crispy crumble, like mac & cheese. And finally an order of the crispy goose fat potatoes. Yum! They seemed to be baked in a ramekin of some kind, because every side of the upside-down-pie-shaped disc was perfectly crisped to a brown color. The potatoes themselves had a rich goosey flavor, with a heavy dose of rosemary infusion. We were temped to order the ripped potatoes too (baked potato, ripped apart and deep fried with a rosemary salt). For dessert we had baked Alaska; chocolate ice cream with layers of pistachio, topped with brulee’d meringue and sitting in a pool of pistachio cream. One thing to note was that the menu online was different than the one at the restaurant (changes for the better, for the most part). One item missing was the house cured beef jerky, which I would have liked to try. For round two the only new item we tried was the ripped potato for an app. It was really crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, seasoned just right. Delicious. It may have benefitted from a little dish of sour cream on the side though (see a pic under the “portion size” section). For dessert we had the creme brulee (which I thought was more like flan and not as thick as I like it inside). It was okay, but a little too thin for my liking.
creme brulee
Seafood Selection: 10
Strip House has a nice seafood selection. Shrimp, crab cakes, scallops, and a seafood plateau for apps (along with lobster bisque); Yellow fin tuna and red snapper were mentioned on the menu online, but in the restaurant they had crispy skin Scottish salmon, and a sea bass entree. Solid change up. They also had Maine lobster (2- and 3-pounders) for entrees (along with a lobster linguine). They had a good selection of oysters and shellfish too, but the real kicker was the seafood plateau. Holy shit, my friends. Here is what was on the saucer of goodness: tuna tartare on a bed of seaweed salad; grilled calamari salad; lump crab meat ceviche; shrimp cocktail; a half lobster; a generous amount of Alaskan king crab legs; east and west coast oysters; and littleneck clams. It seemed never ending, and totally worth the $49 price tag. It came with an array of amazing sauces; a home made cocktail sauce that was creamy and generous with freshly grated horseradish; a cucumber vinegar bath; and of course the steak sauce (not with the plateau), which really was amazing with the seafood rather than the meat. Let’s put it this way: it makes Luger’s sauce look like bottled ape shit.
Service: 10
The service was fantastic. The waiters (and waitress) all had old fashioned period piece white jacket tuxedos on, and they all knew their shit when it came to meat, their preparations, etc. They were attentive but not annoying, and EVERY SINGLE PERSON WE WALKED PAST said HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to us, just because we mentioned it when making an online reservation. These people are classy. Our meal came with an amuse too – a shot of hot potato soup that was bacony and smoky as heck. Really delicious, though it could have been a bit smoother. The table breads were not only good, but they were REPLENISHED after we finished them (butter was a little hard though). There was an everything style onion roll with fresh charred onions and spices on top, a crispy raisin bun, and a log of salty bagel bread. The second trip was no different as far as service goes; only this time the amuse was a cool gazpacho instead of a warm potato soup. One bonus was that the waiter informed us it was cheaper and better to order two seperate seafood towers for one instead of the special tower for two – thanks buddy! In the lead up to the meal, a BR Guest PR person on Yelp found my reviews of Primehouse and Strip House, and wrote a nice response email to me. We had a conversation and it came out that I was about to eat at Strip House again that evening. She poked around the guest list and discovered that we were celebrating a birthday, so I knew we were in for some extra attention. As it turns out, they sent us a free slice of 24 layer chocolate cake. See below:
Service here never misses the top marks. When I came with a group of five guys, our waitress Asthma really knew her stuff and was incredible. I even noticed that when the sommelier helped us choose between two bottles of wine, he didn’t try to upwell us on one just because it was $5 more. He actually told us he preferred the cheaper bottle better and told us why. I like that.
Ambiance: 10
When you walk in, you feel like you just entered a movie set, or a place ripped right out of the old days. The walls are a deep wall-papered and patterned red. It is cozy and warm, but elegant. The filigree wallpaper even matches the cloth napkins at the table, and framed portraits of old timey nekkit ladies grace the walls, covering nearly every square inch with history. The cushions on the wall seats are a pillowed red; very art deco. The only thing that seemed out of place was the high-school style speckled large-tile floor. The bathroom was nice and fancy, old fashioned too, but a little small.
On my last visit, I had the filet mignon cooked crispy on the outside and rare on the inside. It was perfectly executed to my specifications.
My buddies and I tried the burrata app, which was super soft and flavorful. I could eat this every day and never get sick of it.
As always, the bacon was incredible as well:
UPDATED REVIEW AND PHOTOS as of 12/4/2015
My wife shared an article with me that detailed Chef Michael Vignola’s new 60oz bone-in filet mignon. At a cost of $183, I immediately took to the phones to set one aside for a group of four meat enthusiasts: me, The Cake Dealer, The Dishelin Guide and Matt Bruck.
Chef Vignola passed the torch off to Chef Andreas Seidel for the evening. Really great guy – Andreas and his team treated us like absolute kings! He brought out some really nice scallop crudo with uni and yuzu cream sauce for us to try. Very smooth and bright.
We also ordered the large seafood plateau.
Everything on it was top quality, super fresh and very tasty.
Andreas also brought out some bacon for us to gnaw on. Always a great thing…
Here’s the filet – that massive hunk of delicious, tender meat – prior to the table side slicing.
60oz Filet Mignon Slicing & Serving Video:
Standard issue plating at Strip House is this buttery smooth roasted garlic with a sprig of rosemary. I love this…
Here’s my plate:
There was a ton of flavor on the outside crust, but that meant I had to cut and portion carefully so as not to have a bite of all center with little seasoning. The meat was super tender and absolutely fatless. It was aged, so any fat that may have been in there melted away, leaving behind a dense, meaty and super soft hunk of beef.
On the side we tried the Pommes Dauphine (tater tots with aged gouda and crispy parsley). These were super soft inside, like mashed potatoes, but nice and crisp on the outside. I am now in love with crispy parsley too. It actually had flavor, which is so unlike parsley!
We also ordered creamed corn with pancetta. Great side. Probably the best on the menu here.
The chef also brought out some truffle creamed spinach as well. Very earthy and savory. This went really well when slathered onto the steak with each bite.
Green beans. Simple, but really well executed.
Andreas also sent out some crispy goose fat potatoes – delicious!
The chef also sent out two desserts for us. First was this beautiful Baked Alaska. Watch the service here:
Really nicely done. You could taste the booze but it wasn’t overpowering, and the marshmallow outside was perfectly seared.
There was also more of that massive 24-layer chocolate cake!
Here’s a shot of Team Bald – me and Matt Bruck, with chef Andreas Seidel. Great guy and a great sport!
I recently dined here for a fourth time, and I’ve confirmed that the wagyu long bone rib eye is by far the greatest steak I’ve ever eaten.
The quality of the flesh is just outstanding. Every bit of it is edible, juicy and savory. Del’s uses a lot of crushed pepper to get a good crust on their steaks, and that “rub,” so to speak, really permeates down to the center of the meat and imparts flavor from end to end.
Fucking unbelievable. I was even gnawing on the bone.
As you can see in the background of one of the other pics, there’s another chunk of steak on my plate. My buddy and I split both the wagyu long bone, and the boneless strip.
As you can see, it was also cooked perfectly, and crusted with that great peppercorn rub – the strip is on the left, and the wagyu is on the right. Although the strip can not hold a candle to that wagyu in terms of insane flavor, it was still one of the best strip steaks I’ve ever had. Del’s just really knows what’s up.
My wife ordered the special cowboy bone in rib eye that was on the menu. This, too was excellent.
You really can’t go wrong with any cut of meat here. Porterhouse is excellent as well:
My buddy’s wife ordered the 12oz filet, and that was great as well. Buttery, savory, peppery and juicy.
As you can see from the pics above, some of the plating wasn’t as pretty as in the past. It seems like Del’s got rid of their signature chopped parsley across the top and on the plate. They also failed to wipe up some of the juices from when they placed the steak on the plate and then adjusted the positioning. Not a big deal though, especially considering how delicious every cut of meat is at this joint.
The first app that we tried this time was burrata. I thought it was a little too light on the cheese and too heavy on the tomatoes, but the quality was excellent.
The escargot was nicely executed. While I’ve had better at French joints, this was served on toasted bread like bruscetta, and in a really nice buttery sauce.
The crab legs we ordered were super pricey, but super fresh. These are dangerous because you could really eat your entire paycheck in just a few minutes time.
After the crab legs, our awesome waiter Luke brought out some hot towels and a lemon wedge to clean up from handling the shells.
But in all honesty it wasn’t needed, because with the insane service you get at Del’s, the shells are already cracked, opened and easy for meat extracting.
The chateau potatoes we ordered on the side were a bit dry. They were skin-on mashed potatoes with garlic and some spinach greens. Perhaps if they were served with a gravy they’d be killer.
The pancetta is what made these brussels really great. I prefer a harder roast and some char on my brussels, in general, but they were nice and tiny so the surface area was coated nicely with all the seasonings and flavors. It didn’t get monotonous-tasting like brussels sometimes can.
For dessert, we tried the lemon cake, as it is a crowd favorite and secret menu gem, as well as the sweet potato casserole (with ice cream on top). I have to say that the version at Ruth’s Chris is better. That lemon cake, though, is wonderful. The cake is moist without being too heavy or dense. And while there is a LOT of frosting on this baby, it is really tasty and I didn’t think it was overly sweet.
The other cake on the plate there with the lemon cake is something that the staff sent out for us on the house, since it was my buddy’s birthday. It was a butter cake with caramel ice cream. That shit was the best desert of the night, and it’s right up there with my favorites of all time.
The outside held a nice crunchy sweet crust, but the inside was buttery sweet with a slight bit of savory to boot. Drizzled with a little bit of sweet caramel and maple syrup type of shit, it really hit the spot.
Then the bad news showed up. DAMN! But worth every penny.
The bar here is still amazing, as I remembered. It was packed out all night, really great buzz. And the bread served at the table comes with a really soft whipped butter that has just the right amount of salt content.
So Del’s ended up remaining at a 97/100. I pulled one point for the apps/sides, since the burrata and the potatoes were both somewhat failures. I considered pulling a point for the plating since the plates weren’t as pretty as the past, but I reconsidered because that seems petty and retarded. I tacked on a point for price, though, since I really feel that despite the astronomical pricing of some of the shit here, it really is worth the money. If you’re going to splurge on a steak dinner, you may as well do it the right way. That means going to Del’s and being fully aware of the wallet rape that is to come.
Del Frisco’s Overall Score: 97/100 – price moved from 8/10 to 9/10, and apps/sides/desserts moved from 10/10 to 9/10. So we evened out and remained at 97.
Ever since I became obsessed with NYC steakhouses back in 2000, I have heard overwhelmingly great things about Del Frisco’s “Double Eagle” Steakhouse. I finally nailed down a time to go with a group of old friends and coworkers when one was back in town from California. A nice 25 second stroll from my office took me to one of the best steakhouses in the city. A second trip to this joint in December of 2012 solidified Del Frisco’s place in my top five. New info added on that trip is in italics. After a third trip, comments in BOLD, this place is tied for first.
Flavor: 10
I ordered the ribeye that they had on special; a 22oz bone-in cut of heaven. It had a nice seasoned crust, the kind of marbled fat that just melts away and gets really soft, and it was perfectly cooked. It could have rested another two minutes, but that didn’t alter juice or flavor qualities. My friend ordered the filet. I had a bite of that, and it was delicious and well seasoned too. Del Frisco’s certainly lived up to the hype for me in terms of flavor. On a second trip with a couple of buddies from Junior High, High School and beyond, I ordered the house special: the double eagle bone-in strip. It, too was cooked perfectly and tasted delicious. On the third trip I had the $94 wagyu ribeye, which was easily one of the best steaks I’ve ever had in my life (if not THE best). It was 32oz of pure heaven. Delicious flavor from end to end; juicy, tender, and cooked to a perfect medium rare. See the pic below:
rib eye, strip, filet
32oz wagyu ribeye
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 10
Everything on the menu is prime quality. They only have the four basic cuts (filet, ribeye, porterhouse and strip), but they offer several varieties of each, like the 38oz longbone American “wagyu” ribeye and some specials (see below). This makes up for the initial point I was going to take for not having anything outside the basics. Del Frisco’s shows that when you do the basics the right way, nothing else is needed.
Portion Size & Plating: 9
The filet comes in two flavors: vaginal (8oz) and quasi-manly (12oz). They also have 16oz strips and ribeyes (boneless) – a bit on the small side but not horrific. They also offer a signature bone-in “double eagle” strip at 26oz, as well as a 24oz porterhouse, and a special bone-in filet at 16oz. The relatively smaller sizes make it easy for the eye to wander to the 38oz “wagyu” ribeye at 2x the price, or the specials at 1.5x the price. Well worth the up-charge, in my opinion. The plating is super-basic. But for real men with balls swinging between their legs, plating isn’t really something you go yammering to your friends about anyway.
Price: 8 (now 9/10)
In my opinion the price was a bit on the hefty side for the size of the cuts, but relatively on par with other NYC steakhouses of even footing. What they lack in size is made up for in taste, so you kinda even out on price value. The filets are $40 and $47, ribeye $46, and strip $48. The porterhouse comes in at $58, and the wagyu at $92. The specials ran in the mid $60 range. The signature crab cake comes in at a pricey, but worthy, $21 (crab cake went up $1 since last visit, but I guess that’s just standard inflation). My martini at the bar was $18.50 (an incredible $20 when you leave a tip). The total bill for two appetizers, three beers, a vodka tonic, two steaks, two sides and a dessert was about $300 (tax and tip included). On my second trip, I took a photo of the elusive Mr. William Price, that way you scumbags can see just exactly what everything cost:
William Price
I HAD to include the bill from the third visit, simply because it oozed manliness (with the exception of the trio of filets that was ordered… and the patron cafe’s were also mocked as well):
Bar: 10
The main bar is really beautiful. Del Frisco’s has a wide open floor plan with a nice wrap-around bar internally positioned alongside the high windows in the corner of the restaurant. There is also a nice sized second bar on the second floor with a couple of flat panel TVs for sports. The martini could have used a little less vermouth, and was a bit pricey, but overall the bar experience was great. This is definitely an after work spot worth checking out after a hard day at the office, even if you don’t eat the meat. On my second trip, the martinis were made much nicer, our incredible waiter Tim introduced me to one of the most delicious, peaty scotches I have ever tasted (Ardbeg Corryvreckan), and we also ordered a wine from the extensive wine list. I also took note of an interesting passage featured above the bar: DO RIGHT AND FEAR NO MAN. The quote, as far as I can tell, dates back to a 15th century proverb out of England, and then later common in 18th century Scotland. On the third visit I had a chat with the manager about my score for the bar. I flat out told him that I just have a personal hold-out in giving this place a 10 because the martini is so fucking expensive. It really is an awesome bar though, and there are actually two bars (there’s one upstairs with a TV)… so… in the interest of making sure this place ties for first among NYC steakhouses, I am reluctantly giving full points here despite the cost of a martini.
Specials and Other Meats: 10
Aside from the “wagyu” ribeye, the other carcasses were on the order of lamb chops, veal porterhouse, pork porterhouse and roasted chicken. That covers the whole basic range. Those are all standard menu items, so it is a good selection for people who don’t feel like being a man. On special there was the 22oz bone-in ribeye, which I had ($65). There was also the conundrum 16oz bone-in filet ($68) and trio of filets (also somewhere in the low to mid $60s range). They also had some seasonal shellfish special appetizers too.
two 8oz lamb chops – fantastic
Apps, Sides & Desserts: 10 (now 9/10)
I had been told – no ORDERED – by a friend to get the crab cake, so I did. It was a succulent 4oz ball with mostly lump crab meat and a bit of breadcrumb for texture. It sat upon a nice spicy lobster-based, peppery sauce. The creamed spinach, called “spinach supreme,” had bacon folded into it, perhaps cheese as well. Delicious. My friend recommended the skillet potato dish as well – which was like fresh homemade potato chips topped with sauteed caramelized onions; not too greasy, not too salty. Really tasty. For dessert, we ordered a massive slice of lemon cake that was not on the menu (a secret item they don’t generally offer – you have to know about it). To quote one friend, it was WAY more moist than Starbucks’ lemon loaf, that is for damned sure. I’m generally not a cake person but it was yummy, even if rumors say it is made from four boxes of Duncan Hines cake mix. On a second trip, we had a dozen oysters, lobster mac & cheese, steak tartare, and the obligatory crab cakes and creamed spinach. I must say, the lobster mac & cheese was freaking delicious. It was nice and creamy, it had great crunch for texture, and the lobster bits were pretty good too. The oysters were perfect, but the steak tartare was one of the best and largest orders I’ve ever had. It had to be a solid 2-3 inches high, and 3-4 inches on each side. A nice brick of raw meat. What better way to prime the gullet before a nice steak dinner?
tartare & oysters
special burrata app
Seafood Selection: 10
An impressive selection of caviar graced the appetizer menu in addition to the delicious shellfish selections. On the entree menu was sea bass, scallops, salmon, tuna and a special catch of the day, as well as lobster. They also offered some special seafood items on the appetizer angle that weren’t on the menu. If you have a bleeding vagina, these might tempt you to not get steak.
Service: 10
Our waitress may have forgotten a water here and there but it was busy. She was very nice though, thorough, and wanted to personally thank us and email us deals and things. She certainly presented the specials in such a way that they were deemed much better than the regular menu items; perhaps looking for that up charge? Hey, if she did, then it worked on me… but it was worth it. I asked her about the differences between the standard 16oz and special 22oz ribeyes. She showed a well-versed meat lingo, but essentially said that one was bone-in and one was boneless. When our steaks arrived, the server asked us to cut into the center so he could make sure it was cooked properly. There was a warm sesame bread loaf and soft whipped butter as well. Our service was excellent on the second trip. Our waiter Tim went really above and beyond expectations. Before we could even remind him that we had ordered two plates of oysters, he came by with the second. He offered great insight into our scotch selections at dessert, and he helped us navigate the extensive wine list when picking a bottle to drink while eating our steak. He certainly knew his meat too, so I am giving the full 10 points here. While settling up the bill, I handed Tim one of my cards to let him know that I’d be giving the joint a great review and adding some points on his account. After that, Scott, the regional manager of the Del Frisco’s restaurant group, came over to greet us and thank us for our business. This is the kind of top notch service that really makes me smile, and want to go back for thirds.
Ambiance: 10
Del Frisco’s is set up with a nice, classy open design. It is semi-corporate in feel, simply by virtue of the surrounding neighborhood, but it still feels like old, art-deco New York. Despite its vastness, it manages to be really warm and inviting. There are floor to ceiling windows 30ft high. Beautiful views. This place would be amazing around the holidays. There was a bathroom attendant, but otherwise it was a normal style bathroom, nothing fancy. Just clean.
UPDATE 7/23/17
Dry Aged Strip: 10/10
This baby is delicious. A bit pricey at $70 for the special “up-charge” steak, but the flavor was excellent.
I’ve updated this review here in the top portion of the entry. I’ve indicated below where my older reviews begin, for ease of reading. I’ve also indicated below which scores have changed, by how much, and why.
This recent update is based on my 3rd visit to the restaurant for steak (I’ve been to the bar a few times other than for meals). I was fortunate to be invited to lunch by Ruth’s Chris’ marketing and public relations execs. They brought me in to get to know me, know more about my blog, my plans, etc., and to talk about and try some new menu items they are rolling out, or have already rolled out.
A testament to the customer service here, and the type of people who work with and for Ruth’s Chris, I felt comfortable and at home with these folks. We DO share a profound love for meat, after all…
We started off with some really great appetizers. First was this New Orleans style BBQ shrimp dish. Laz, a really friendly and knowledgeable waiter who’s been with Ruth’s for 15+ years, explained how the sauce was made and how it brings in the traditional Louisiana flavors you might associate with a roux or something similar. Typically when I see something labeled “BBQ shrimp” on a menu, I shy away from it. For some reason I think “BBQ sauce,” and I’m generally not a fan of BBQ sauce (or buffalo sauce) with my seafood. But as soon as I heard Laz explain that it was NOLA inspired, I was intrigued.
My curiosity paid off. The sauce was buttery and had great soulful depth to it. You could taste the shrimp essence throughout, as if they simmered the shells for hours to make a perfect reduction.
Next was this spicy lobster app. It was lightly battered with a crispy, golden coating that grabbed hold of the lightly spicy, Asian-flavored and southern/vinegar-tinged sauce.
The meat was cooked perfectly. So tender and flavorful. The briny yet sweet pickled onion, cucumber and cilantro plated in the center paired perfectly with the buttery lobster meat. The crunch from the breading gave a nod to the classic Louisiana specialty known as the “Po’ Boy,” and the asian flavors were a tribute to the vibrant Vietnamese community in NOLA (just go visit Cafe DuMonde, or a shrimp boat operator on the mighty Mississippi – it’s almost all Vietnamese people working there). I loved it.
Why all the NOLA flavors? If you didn’t know, Ruth’s Chris began there, when a woman named Ruth struck out on her own to start this incredible brand of fine dining establishments. You can watch/read all about the rich history of Ruth’s Chris on their website. Ruth was a woman of many important “firsts,” especially in the restaurant biz, breaking down all sorts of social barriers, whether it was race, gender or just good old fashioned entrepreneurship and culinary ingenuity. Fascinating stuff, actually.
Okay so now on to the meat! One of the most important additions to the Ruth’s Chris menu (just a month ago) is this psychotic looking 40oz tomahawk rib eye.
I mean, holy shit… come on…
All the meat here is prime caliber, and wet aged for at least 28 days. At $115 this tomahawk may seem expensive, but it will definitely fill up two guests, especially if indulging in all the other great offerings when it comes to apps, sides and desserts.
The tomahawk was a clear 10/10 for flavor. It was cooked perfectly to medium rare. The fat content was all edible, melty and savory. Simply seasoned with salt and pepper, and cooked with butter, this steak truly hits the high mark for me, and is possibly one of my favorite steaks in town.
The chef even carved it up and portioned it out specifically for five diners right there at the table. I’ve posted a quick video of that below. If you pay attention to the audio, you can hear him explaining how the eye portion of the steak differs from the cap. That kind of interactive and knowledge-imparting commentary is what I want to see more of in my dining experiences in general. If I were the owner of a dining establishment, I would want my diners to know as much about what they’re eating as possible, to immerse them in the “insider knowledge” about the food they’re eating. At least that’s what I like, anyway, as someone who is obsessed with food. Okay so here is that video:
As you can see from the close up here: perfectly pink all the way through. That’s the fat cap on the left, and the eye on the right. I absolutely destroyed the cap in about 20 seconds.
We also shared a porterhouse, which, as you should by now be aware, is a NY strip on one side of the bone, and a filet on the other.
In these pics, the filet is on top, and the strip is on bottom.
I’d say the strip side came in at about a 7/10. The center of the meat tasted slightly under seasoned. It was thick, however, and the crust had good seasoning on it. My trick to getting even seasoning flavors in each bite is to cut the meat both latitudinally and longitudinally, if that makes sense. Essentially that means each slice is then cut so that the steak goes from, say, 2in thick to 1in thick, with seasoning on one end, and pink center on the other. That tends to maximize the surface area of the seasoning, especially if you can wipe up a little bit of juice, butter and other goodies from the plate before each bite.
The filet side was an 8/10. Everything about it was exactly the way it should be. If you’re a filet person, you’ll probably want to go with their signature “bone-in filet” though. It’s a much more dedicated cut for filet lovers. In the shots immediately above and below, you’ll see the strip portion on the left, and the filet portion on the right. Both perfectly cooked to medium rare.
So taking all things together, I’d say the flavor averages to about a 9/10. That’s an improvement on the score from the previous visits. This is a great sign. Each visit is a better experience than the last. That means I will be back again and again. For the choice of cuts and quality category, my score moves from an 8 to a 10, given the special new additions to the menu in the meat department. In addition to those points, a tacked a point back onto the plating section. As it turns out, this visit produced no problems in the sizzling plate department. In fact, the sizzle was subtle and enjoyable, as opposed to blazing hot, loud and obnoxious. Plates come out at 500 degrees, and they cool down relatively quickly, so there isn’t much of a danger in the overcooking department. The sizzle is done correctly here. By the way, here’s a nice shot of a plate with all the cuts on it:
So in addition to menu additions, this NYC location of Ruth’s Chris is going to get some upgrades in decor. There will be a stainless steel wine display case to replace the wood. The bar will get some new finishes, some tile work and a new backdrop. Last, the dining rooms will see new wallpaper, updated finishes and even a grand fireplace. I’ve tossed another point to the bar category here, because the place truly is an awesome spot to hang out. It’s big and beautiful.
The bar is also street side, and lively most nights of the week. I’ve been in for drinks a few times since my previous reviews, and I always love the atmosphere. A quick note about the bar at other Ruths’ Chris locations: they’re running a Happy Hour deal where everything is $8. That’s a steal! I don’t think it is available yet for the Manhattan location, but if you’re in Jersey, the Weehawken location will have it, and they just expanded their bar area from 9 seats to something like 62!
On the side we had some brussels sprouts with bacon, mushrooms, and garlic mashed potatoes. I found that mixing the potatoes with the mushrooms was the best way to go at those bad boys. Its almost like mashed potatoes with gravy when you eat it like that.
For dessert we had two items. First was another new menu feature: white chocolate bread pudding served with spirit reduction sauce.
You can choose from four sauces: Grand Mariner (citrus/orange), Chambord (berry), Kahlua (coffee) or Amaretto (nutty). The original bread pudding came with a pecan sauce and lacked the white chocolate. I’m generally not a white chocolate fan, so I think I might like the original better than I liked this dish. However the sauces were really great. I kept going back for the Chambord and Kahlua.
This next dessert is actually a side item, but since it has a sweet flavor profile, it goes really well with desert: sweet potato casserole. The secret to this is to order it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. That is absolutely KEY. Don’t question me on this.
I first have a confession to make: I am NOT a fan of sweet potato. But I am now a converted man. Most places try to pretend that sweet potato is some kind of savory item. They make sweet potato french fries, trying to pawn it off as some kind of healthier alternative. Or they serve it like a baked potato. Fuck that. I love the fact that Ruth’s Chris embraces the sweetness and goes full bore into what this tuber actually is.
While this is listed as a side item to have along with your steak – like you would have, say, a sweet potato pie on Thanksgiving – I firmly believe that people who dine here should consider ordering this for dessert. I highly recommend… No… I DEMAND that you order this in lieu of your regularly scheduled programming of creme brûlée, pecan pie, tiramisu, key lime pie or whatever other boring-ass nonsense you were thinking about ordering. I’ve gone on tirades, and so has my wife, about being sick and tired of restaurants throwing in the towel when it comes to dessert. It’s like they just fucking give up! But with this sweet potato casserole + ice cream, dessert is exciting again. It has a sweet pecan crust that’s almost like a graham cracker + brittle mixture. That’s the only spot that contains any savory element. The sweet potato itself is soft like a mashed potato, with no grainy texture. It’s creamy and velvety, without being overly sweet. The ice cream on top of this hot dish turns it into a riff on pie a la mode. Delicious. Needless to say, I gave another point here.
Not only am I excited to go back and get this again, but I am going to try making it at home, because Ruth’s Chris actually provides the recipe for this dish online (along with the original bread pudding, the BBQ shrimp and crab cakes). Pretty cool.
While ambiance and service are already at top marks here, one thing I’d like to mention was this new thing they’re doing where you get to choose what knife you want to use for eating your steaks:
Essentially you can choose a super sharp French knife, or the larger/thicker serrated knife that we New Yorkers are accustomed to seeing here in our fine steak joints. I tested both of them out, and the small straight edge works much more efficiently. Since it is super sharp, it works like a filet knife. It requires fewer strokes to separate the flesh, which means less work, less time cutting and a much faster delivery into your mouth. HA!
So we have a total of 6 points of improvement, taking us from 87 to 93. I’ll be back in here very soon, because my wife absolutely must try some of these things. My guess is that this location will climb yet again on that visit.
Thanks again to John, Amy, Cory and Mikella for this great experience, and for the confidence you place in me as a steak authority. I look forward to future visits: I’ll be eating through my leftovers very soon, and will need a Ruth’s Chris fix, posthaste!
To my loyal meat minions, if you’re still interested, you can see how my opinion of Ruth’s Chris evolved by reading on below, to the older review(s) which I’ve preserved here for your edification:
RUTH’S CHRIS NEW SCORE: 93
OLDER REVIEWS BELOW (from two separate, earlier visits)
Ruth’s Chris is a well known steakhouse chain across the US. I took my buddy there for lunch because he scored me an interview which eventually landed me a new jobby job. That said, this review should be taken with a grain of salt since we dined from a low cost prix fix menu. REVISED: On the second trip here, things have improved. See text in italics for new additions to the review. First, some commentary about this place being a chain: Many people would frown upon the chain aspect. But I disagree. A chain of this caliber allows the large company making big money to spend a little more and go that extra mile. With places like Outback or Fridays, they often cut corners to keep more profit… but a place like Ruth’s Chris is putting the extra $ into their decor (it looks nice regardless of whether it is “authentic” or not), into the quality of the product, and into the service. I have to say – I like this place. And if the food is good that is all that should matter, right? Right.
Flavor: 8
The steaks were good: tender, well seasoned, and a slight gamey flavor that was JUST the right amount – enough to remind you that you were eating a quality piece of meat, but not too much to the point where you feel like you are licking the peri-anal area of a barnyard animal. Downside? They overcooked both of our steaks; I ordered a 12oz strip, medium rare, which was surprisingly thick for a small portion. It was medium in parts, medium well in others, and medium rare in other parts. UNEVEN! Hey – what can you do – it was lunch in midtown. My buddy ordered the petite filet with shrimp, medium, and it was medium well to fully well. What a shame. The meat was good though, so I am only taking off three points. Butter. BUTTER is the secret here. Everything is soaked in it. I ordered the ribeye and the fat cap on it was delicious. The cut was nice and gamey from the aging process, just like last time. There was a strip or two that I couldn’t eat, but for the most part this was a great experience. My wife loved the flavor too. They serve it on a hot plate, which I dislike in general, but I ordered my steak a bit under just to be safe. As it turns out, they cooked it just right regardless of the hot plate. They’ve got the system down.
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 8
The lunch menu had tons to choose from. Ribeyes, cowboy ribeyes (bone in), porterhouses for multiple diners, t-bones (which I think they call their porterhouse for one), strips, several portions of filets, and lamb. They did, however, stick to the basics. No skirts, flanks or anything like that. The quality is all prime and aged. Very nice.
Portion Size & Plating: 8
We ordered from a prix fix menu: soup or salad; petite filet + shrimp or strip; creamed spinach or mashed potato; strawberry shortcake with hazelnut truffles. Even this lunch special had great portions, at 6 and 12 ounces for filet and strip. Their regular menu items are average to large sized, but I took points off for the “hot plate” style of plating that I despise. It ruins meat, and it MAY be why our meat was overcooked. Meat, after cooked, needs to rest! The size of the cowboy ribeye was probably about 20oz.
Price: 8
Ribeyes are mid to high $40s, which is normal for NYC steak joints. Our meal was $75 total with tax and tip (the prix fix is $28.95 for soup (gazpacho) or salad; petite filet + shrimp or strip; creamed spinach or mashed potato; and strawberry shortcake with hazelnut truffles). Total meal for two on the second visit was $243 including tax and tip, which was with several apps, sides, drinks, etc. Not bad!
Bar: 9
The bar is nice looking – dark wood, fancy looking. I’d definitely hang here for a martini, which they make well. And wine – WINE – everywhere. It is part of the decor, since almost every wall in the hallways are also wine racks, you can’t miss them. The collection is beautifully encased in glass and wood cabinetry throughout the entire restaurant.
Specials and Other Meats: 9
This is tough to rate on a lunch meal, but they do have chicken (for pussies) and lamb (for half pussies). As for the prix fix – it was awesome for the price. Well worth it. This place has some really great specials on and off the EXTENSIVE menu. Really take your time to poke around, because there are nice surf and turf combos and price fix deals. Also they will pretty much accomodate anything you ask for.
Apps, Sides & Desserts: 9
The creamed spinach and mashed potato were basic – nothing fancy – but when you combined a fork-full it was spectacular. The salads were basic, but my blue cheese dressing was top notch, with real chunks of blue cheese and a nice cream. The dessert, also, was basic, but the flavor of it surprised me in a good way (strawberry shortcake with strawberry whipped cream and hazelnut chocolate truffles). We had some new items on the second trip. The mandarin arugula and crispy prosciutto salad with shaved parmasean cheese was excellent, and a big portion. The sweet yet peppery, bacon-scented dressing was a great way to open the meal. We also had the spicy lobster plate, which was essentially a lobster tempura with a spicy kick to it. Yummy! Last, we had the amazing crabtini. Get it. Big juicy lumps of crabmeat dressed in a nice aioli. Totally worth it. My wife had a price fix deal that came with a side of broccolini. It was essentially steamed but then topped with a savory parmasean cheese crumble. Not too bad. For dessert we had some vanilla ice cream (rich and creamy), and our anniversary plate had some fruit + cream, a bit of ice cream, and a thick, rich, coffee-flavored chocolate cake.
Seafood Selection: 8
I have to be honest, I didn’t even look, but I will leave the score as a default 8. Some fools behind us ordered salmon – assholes. May as well order a plate of grilled veggies or a tofu steak, as my buddy said. They had an almond crusted seabass and some scallops on a price fix special that looked really enticing. My wife had a special seafood plateau that came with pre-cracked Alaskan king crab, a half lobster, and shrimp. The lobster was a bit over-boiled, but all else was good. They also have a good deal of other seafood items on the regular menu by way of apps, but not much in terms of mains. As such, I am keeping this as an 8.
Service: 10
Service is good here. They have male and female servers, but all wear the classic white button down with a tie of some sort. I didn’t quite get into it with the waitress about the meat, and she almost brought us a plate of fries on accident, but I can tell they know what they are doing. Warm crisp bread with spreadable, home-made whipped butter, and nice tables, etc. They pay close attention to the notes you add when you make your reservation online. They wished us happy anniversary multiple times, and they even created a special seafood plateau upon request, even though they don’t have one on the menu (though it was a bit pricey). They also brought out a special dessert plate with “happy anniversary” written on it in chocolate. Nice touch.
Ambiance: 10
Going into a chain steakhouse, I was expecting much less than what I experienced. This place is fantastic inside. Really beautiful, elegant, dark, woody, manly, fancy, and comfortable. Nice mural paintings of old style urbanites adorn the walls, which are half dark wood wainscoting on the bottom and half elegant patterned wallpaper on top (where there are no paintings/murals). An elegant stairway leads up from the entryway to an unknown dining area of further fancifulness. I didn’t use the shitter, so I don’t know how good it is. The shitter is nice. They have green marble tiles, dark wood trim and thick disposable hand towels. The place is also pretty big, with multiple seating areas for dining.
Our last meal was a great one, and this joint represents probably the only real-deal fine dining establishment we went to (with Koa’s coming close behind).
We celebrated our anniversary here in style, and had a really great waiter named Justin, who chatted with us about the all-natural grass-fed steak purveyors on Maui, and the Idaho aged beef guys with outposts in San Diego, which is where they get their meats. That naturally lead to NYC steakhouses and this blog, which he actually took the time to browse between check giving and check paying (when all the convo started).
We started with some awesome cocktails. Mine was a tequila, honey and smoked salt drink, and my wife’s was a jalapeño vodka and cinnamon syrup drink. Crazy good.
For starters, we had the “cake walk,” which was a trio of lobster cake, crab cake, and tuna cake. All were good, but the tuna was more like a tartare than a cake. Fine by me.
My wife had a chili relleno for her app. It was served with a blue corn crust and surrounded by a tomato sauce that tasted like homemade chili, and stuffed with cheeses, corn and all sorts of seafood goodies.
My entree, was, of course, the largest steak on the menu. They didn’t have rib eye but they did have a decently sized boneless NY strip steak. Pretty nice for 14oz.
I wasn’t crazy about the red wine reduction sauce, but the meat was good quality. It would hang tough in NYC, I think, though certainly not in my top 10. It was cooked perfectly to medium on a skillet – nothing fancy, just real technique:
My wife ordered the coffee crusted rack of lamb. This was a little gamey for my liking, but it was cooked nicely and the crust had a nice flavor, though not as strong in the coffee department as I might have expected.
We planned to skip dessert, since we wanted more Ululani’s before our trip home, but Justin brought us out a triple berry pie on the house.
This was awesome. The berries were smooth, fresh and delicious. The pie crust was crispy and covered with granulated sugar that gave it an awesome texture.
And then the management came by and took a nice photo of us. They even gave us a card from the staff for our anniversary.
When you’ve been to as many steakhouses as me, the whole experience can start to get a little bit stale (hence my reviews of almost everything else out there lately). As you can imagine, there’s not much variance in the menu or methods of preparation. There are certain things that are just tried and true. But chef Admir of Ben & Jack’s is constantly innovating, pushing himself to experiment with new flavors, and actually competing in top level food events all over the country (and winning them, to boot). With a background in science, Admir understands exactly how the beef aging process works, how much humidity is needed during the process to avoid drying too quickly, and precisely when to cut off the process and get the meat ready for cooking. His knowledge goes beyond beef though, and it shows in his end product. Although my wife and I didn’t get to try too many of his most creative innovations, the basics that are on the menu here are executed with exceptional precision. Let’s get into it.
Flavor: 9
I initially received an email from Ben & Jack’s inviting me to come in for a porterhouse. As you meat minions probably know, my preferred cut is a rib eye. I asked Admir if there was anything to the porterhouse that set it apart from the other cuts, or whether the rib eye was a good gauge of his best abilities. He suggested the rib eye and a strip, so that’s what my wife and I ordered.
I scored the rib eye at an eight, but the strip at a ten. Crazy, right? I usually am not a huge fan of strip, because it occasionally has a bit of chew to it – a bit tough. But the strip here was incredibly tender, juicy and soft. It was perfectly cooked to medium and beautifully presented pre-sliced on a hot plate.
You guys all know that I’m not a fan of the hot plate presentation (I worry about residual heat causing the slices to continue cooking the steak beyond medium rare), but the owners of Ben & Jack’s hail from a Peter Luger pedigree (some were there for nine and ten years before they struck out on their own). At Ben & Jack’s, they’ve preserved the traditions of great old standard bearers like Luger, but they have elevated and improved everything. The hot plate thing? It was fine here. Nothing got overcooked or continued cooking on the plate, and the lower edge of the strip, which tends to get a little overcooked because it is furthest from the bone, was still tender and delicious even though it went up to about a medium or medium well at the very tip.
Just so you know, the “they” that I am talking about are owners Jack (center), Harry (right), Ben and Russ (not pictured). And last but certainly not least, that’s Admir on the left.
Cousins, brothers, nephews, uncles, co-workers/co-owners, and all around great guys, they left Peter Luger and opened up the first Ben & Jack’s (44th street between 2nd & 3rd, currently being re-modeled) back in 2005.
Okay so back to flavor… As for the rib eye, the cap was delicious. The fat was entirely edible and tasted like meat bubblegum with a little charred crisp to it. The cut was a partial bone-in, meaning there was a small shard on one end, and a bit of bone across on the other side as well, but not connected completely.
This resulted in having some really nice fatty meat connecting the two bits of bone – like a good beef spare rib. The eye meat was tender and uniformly cooked the entire way through. This is what I’m talking about when I mean precision:
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 9
You’ve got all the basics represented here, with a prime rib to boot. Everything is prime and aged in house. I can confidently report that Admir knows what he’s doing in the kitchen, and I’m looking forward to coming back for a tour of the aging room and the kitchen.
Portion Size & Plating: 9
Portions are good here. If I had to guess, I’d say my rib eye was about 18oz and the strip was maybe 16oz. The plating is basic yet rustic and elegant on the steak and sides, but with the apps you will get some very beautiful looking plates.
Price: 10
The prices here were very fair as far as NYC steakhouses go, and you get a lot for your money – especially since the steaks are all great.
Bar: 10
Excellent bar. The place was filled up even on a rainy Thursday at 7pm. It wasn’t too loud, and everyone was having a good time. The bar is long and wide, stretching back from the front of the house with high tops and plenty of elbow room to move around.
I’d definitely hang out here, especially because they make a killer martini as well.
We also tried a nice cabernet with the steaks, served in their “B&J” wine glasses:
One or two of Admir’s innovative ideas actually came in the form of cocktails inspired by their versatile steak sauce, which hits stores like Whole Foods in about two weeks. The commercial sauce is on the left, and the in-house sauce is on the right.
This stuff was great. As I say, I like a good steak sauce on everything BUT steaks. This stuff can be used on shrimp, chicken, in Bloody Mary drinks or other cocktails, etc. And it will only retail for about $6! The addition of sweet items like molasses and orange juice in the ingredient list makes this round out very nicely.
Specials and Other Meats: 8
You’ve got lamb, veal and chicken by way of alternative meats. When I come back, I’d like to give the porterhouse or just the filet a try, but I’m also curious about the lamb as well. If Admir can knock the strip out of the park, then I can only imagine what he’d do with lamb.
Apps, Sides & Desserts: 8
We tried two apps, three sides, and a sampling of desserts. Let me dive in with the apps first.
This sesame crusted seared tuna was awesome. It was meaty and substantial, unlike other dainty tuna preparations.
The sesame crust gave it a really nice flavor and crunch to pair with the rare/raw sushi-grade interior. On the plate was a nice, lightly dressed mixed greens salad, and some pickled ginger. The black and white sauces you see are a soy reduction and a wasabi cream, both of which were very addictive. After the tuna was gone I was wiping my bread across those sauces!
We of course also had some thick cut bacon.
That’s only half of one slab (my wife and I shared one slice). This was nice and crisp, meaty, not too salty, and it went really well with the steak sauce. Admir explained that he also does a bacon where he marinates the slabs in steak sauce, bourbon and brown sugar before cooking. When it cooks, it caramelizes from the sweetness and takes on a great new flavor profile.
For sides, our first choice was a creamless creamed spinach. I had no idea there was no cream in it until the meal was over! This is probably the best “creamed” spinach dish I’ve ever had at a steakhouse.
It was thick but not heavy, it tasted very creamy and not too salty, it had good aromatics and it was SPINACH – not like some places where it is mainly cheese and cream soup with some bits of spinach floating around. Well done!
Next was mac and cheese. It comes served in a skillet with some crispy breadcrumbs and baked cheese on top.
Inside was a good mix of cheeses that held the pasta together with ooey gooey goodness. This was a big hit with my wife and me.
Our third side was the German potato dish. The potatoes are boiled, then sliced, and then fried with onions and dressed with a little bit of vinegar.
To be honest, I didn’t taste much vinegar (which is fine with me), but the potatoes themselves were a little overcooked and burnt. I didn’t see too many onions either. Overall the dish was more like hash browns or home fries (is there a difference between HBs and HFs?) than what I initially expected. This was our only miss on the apps and sides though. Everything else was top level excellence.
For dessert, Admir brought us a sampling of several menu selections, with some schlag in the middle.
First was their famous New York cheesecake.
It was dense, yet not heavy. It had good flavor as well – probably one of the better cheesecakes I’ve had at a restaurant, though I have to be honest in saying that I don’t often order cheesecake at dinner, because I’m spoiled by my sister’s cheesecake. Whatever she does, that shit is untouchable. Not sure if that is a fair critique for this slice at Ben & Jack’s, but that’s what I’m working with. Haha! Kind of like ordering meatballs when you’ve got grandma’s unbelievable Sunday pasta and meatballs dinner at home, you know? Unfortunately I’ve also got that with my mother’s pizza and my wife’s baking too, so I am a tough cookie when it comes to some stuff.
Next was chocolate mousse with oreo crust. I liked this a lot. It was rich and tasty, and not too overwhelming with sweet.
Then came the tira misu. This was on par with most other versions I’ve had recently. You won’t be disappointed, but you also won’t be too wow’d either. It is done correctly.
This carrot cake was my wife’s favorite. Since she is a semi-professional baker, you can probably bank on her word.
The addition of raisins into the cake was a really smart touch, as it adds a pop of sweetness and moisture to the occasional bite. This was probably my favorite of the dessert sampler as well, but as I mentioned above, I have some favorites from my wife that really can’t be topped. One of them happens to be her carrot cake.
Last was key lime pie.
This is a solid order to go with. It’s done properly. It’s refreshing, not overly creamy or tart with bitterness. It is smooth and has a great classic graham cracker crust.
I should also mention here that Admir came up with some pretty unique steak sauce cake pops for dessert during restaurant week. He mixed steak sauce into the chocolate, along with some other spices, to create a dynamic and unique coating for the pops. This once again showcased the diversity of their steak sauce in the realm of dessert and not just meats and drinks. I wish we had made it in for that. My wife was definitely interested in trying something new and different for dessert.
Seafood Selection: 10
There’s a TON of nice looking seafood on the entree menu: Seabass, salmon, sole, scallops, tuna, crab, shrimp and lobster. Based on the way the sesame crusted tuna was prepared, I can confidently say that you are in good hands if you happen to be a pussy who needs to eat seafood instead of steak here.
Service: 10
Thank God these guys didn’t bring the Luger service over with them. Luger’s service is famous for sucking, in case you aren’t aware. It’s almost a point of pride for those bastards. But here, you will be treated like royalty without it feeling awkward. Everyone is friendly. The owners are around and will come talk to you, the chef is mixing with customers and making sure everything is okay, and the waiters are professional, courteous and fast. Fantastic.
Let’s see… What else? Oh! Table breads could use a little warmth, but otherwise they’re good. Italian bread and onion loaf.
Ambiance: 9
This place was beautifully designed by Harry himself. I especially liked the front of the house and the bar. There is an elegant coat check, and a great upstairs dining area and bar too, with private rooms to boot.
On nice days, you can also eat on the broad, wide 5th Avenue sidewalk with plenty of elbow room while enjoying the weather.
UPDATE 3/17/17
Tried the porterhouse – also a 9/10. Really great Pat LaFrieda and Master Purveyors beef here, dry-aged on site.
Excellent, tender and butter-knife soft filet side.
Really juicy strip side.
Seafood tower for two – still holding strong on that 10/10 score.
