Category Archives: Steakhouse Reviews

Filet Mignon, Nolita/Soho, NY Strip, Rib Eye, Steakhouse Reviews

Il Mulino Prime

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Il Mulino Prime overall score: 84

I came here with two other guys from law school, so we were able to give the menu a real good attack! Check it out.

Flavor: 9

We had the dry aged strip, the dry aged rib eye, and the 10oz filet mignon. All were really great. Nicely cooked to medium rare, and good aged flavor on these prime cuts.

Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 9

There’s a great selection of prime cuts here with multiple sizes and age statements.

Portion Size & Plating: 10

The portions here are big, and the plating is a step above the rest, with garnishes of cherry tomato, charred lemon and rosemary. One thing I wish they did was roast those tomatoes a little bit.

Price: 9

Beef prices are sky high right now, but Il Mulino Prime keeps the cost in check. I was really happy with the pricing on the menu here.

Bar: 8

The bar here is beautiful. Sean mixed a great martini. The cocktail menu looked nice, and the wine list is impressive.

Specials and Other Meats: 9

We tried the veal chop (parm style), which was listed on the specials menu. Despite not having a bone (really just for presentation purposes), this packed a ton of flavor and was a stunner in the looks department.

Apps, Sides & Desserts: 8

We tried the garlic sauteed spinach and the fries on the side. Both were good, but the fries stole the show here for me. We did not try any desserts (just coffee).

Seafood Selection: 7

There’s standard steakhouse seafood fare here. We didn’t try any so can’t really rate it, but I would definitely try the clams.

Service: 8

Service was good albeit a little slow. We sat at 5:30 and didn’t finish until 8:30. They also initially forgot to bring out or fire our Filet Mignon, and I had some water spilled on me at one point (really not a big deal). Otherwise the people were super nice and pleasant.

Table bread was a nice focaccia (cold), and there was also a nice plate of olives, cheese and tapenade.

Ambiance: 7

Despite being small, the place feels bright and airy due to the high ceilings. It’s a nice space and it felt more like a mom and pop joint than part of the larger group of Il Mulino restaurants that now span the country. I would definitely go back to try more – especially the pasta dishes.

IL MULINO PRIME
331 West Broadway
New York, NY 10013

Lower East Side/Chinatown, Porterhouse, Steakhouse Reviews

Essex Restaurant

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Essex Restaurant overall score: 84

My wife and I came here during the joint’s opening week. We ate at a high top near the bar so we could enjoy some of the awesome happy hour deals.

Flavor: 7

We had the porterhouse. There is a nice amount of dry aged flavor on this steak, but it just needed a bit more seasoning to really pop.

The steak was also a little overcooked, rendering some of the slices dry and mealy in texture. But nothing that a sauce couldn’t fix. I chalk this up to opening week jitters.

Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 8

There are five different steaks on the menu, including some wagyu. All the bases are covered (filet, strip, rib eye, porterhouse), but perhaps something like a skirt or flat iron could round out the selections for their steak frites item (currently that is just another strip steak, likely boneless and smaller than their dry-aged offering). My suspicion is that everything here is choice, given the low pricing and the lack of “prime” statement on the menu (with the exception of the wagyu filet – ungraded Mishima Reserve, 8oz for $83).

Portion Size & Plating: 8

All of the portions here seemed generous for the price. We had a few happy hour items that were discounted, so that definitely helped in the whole “bang for your buck” department. Plating was very nicely executed in steel platters.

Price: 10

You get a lot for your money here. The prices feel like they’re dialed back to 10 years ago. Happy hour drinks were $9, which is excellent. And $1.50 oysters and other discounted plates made the appetizer round a steal.

Bar: 9

Gorgeous bar. A great place out hang out and people watch along the windows on the high tops. It can be a bit crammed along the side wall, but the bar is roomy and beautiful. Their Applewood Smoked Old Fashioned was a steal at $9 for happy hour.

Specials and Other Meats: 7

We had the lamb shank and kofta meatballs alongside our steak. Both could have used a bit more salt, but execution and flavor was on point for these.

Apps, Sides & Desserts: 8

We ordered some happy hour starters like oysters, truffle parm fries, and fried calamari. These were all excellent and at a great price for happy hour.

The steak came with za’atar spiced smashed fingerling potatoes (also comes with their steak frites). These were actually my favorite item of the night!

The broccolini was nice, but also needed some salt. In fact the only things that didn’t need salt were the fried items and the dessert

For dessert, we tried the pineapple cake, which sort of tasted like corn bread – both in flavor and texture. I enjoyed it but the cake dealer did not.

Seafood Selection: 7

There’s standard steakhouse seafood fare here on the appetizer menu, but the only offering on the entree menu is branzino. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and maybe the menu will change seasonally. But the seafood we DID have was great.

Service: 10

Service was great here. Staff knew their menu well, and they were considerate enough to ask us if we wanted to sit in the bar area to take advantage of happy hour.

Ambiance: 10

The dining space here is gorgeous. There is an upstairs seating area, and a high ceiling downstairs area in back. They really did a great job of creating a big steakhouse feel in a small-ish neighborhood joint. I will definitely be back to try their burger, rib eye, strip steak and steak frites.

ESSEX RESTAURANT
124 Rivington Street
New York, NY 10002

New Orleans, Other Cuts, Porterhouse, Rib Eye, Steakhouse Reviews

Chophouse New Orleans

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Chophouse New Orleans overall score: 85

My buddies from law school and I were on a “mancation” and needed to hit a steakhouse during our visit. I had been eyeballing this place for a while, so it was time to go big.

Flavor: 8

We had the porterhouse, the tomahawk, and the chopped steak. All were great, but I think we were all surprised by how good the chopped steak was. A pleasant surprise for sure.

Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 8

There’s a good selection of cuts here, as well as some nice alternatives like the chopped steak for those on a budget. All steaks were listed as prime, and some were dry-aged. They offered an abundance of solo cuts as well as large format cuts for two or more people.

Portion Size & Plating: 8

Portions are big, and plating is simple here, which is what one would expect from a steakhouse. Nothing too fancy.

Price: 9

Coming from the insane menu prices in NYC, this bill felt refreshing. A huge blowout steak meal for five came to just $728. Great deal.

Bar: 10

The bar here is awesome. There’s a piano right there with stools around it, so you can sit and watch the piano player, make requests, etc. They also mix a great martini.

Specials and Other Meats: 7

I don’t think there were any specials read to us, but I didn’t expect much from a focused-menu steakhouse. As far as other meats go, there was nothing; only beef. I respect the shit out of that. But that means a few points will come off the score in this category.

Apps, Sides & Desserts: 8

We started with a chopped wedge salad, which was great.

Then, some bacon. This was nice but I wish I had gotten a photo before they cut it up and served it.

The carpaccio was beautiful and delicious. I could have had this as a main course.

The garlic spinach was nice, and gave us some much needed greenery.

We also had some steak fries as well. I was hesitant when the guys wanted these, because I usually dislike them. But they were excellent!

Dessert was excellent as well. we went with the gigantic chocolate cake and the key lime pie. I liked the pie better.

Seafood Selection: 8

There’s standard steakhouse seafood fare here, plus a few local favorites with NOLA-inspired preparation styles. We had the baked shrimp entree and it was great. Unfortunately the only photo I got was the single shrimp that was served to me on my plate (we shared this dish along with the appetizers). Based on this, I think the other seafood items would be pretty good as well. Next time.

Service: 10

Service was great here, and the phrase “southern hospitality” comes to mind. Our waitress was excellent and knew everything when asked about the various cuts and menu items.

Ambiance: 9

The real win here for ambiance relates to the bar. Being able to sit face to face with the piano player and request songs was so cool. The dining place was beautiful as well. I would definitely go back.

CHOPHOUSE NEW ORLEANS
322 Magazine St.
New Orleans, LA 70130

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

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

Midtown East, Porterhouse, Rib Eye, Steakhouse Reviews

Rocco Steakhouse (57th Street)

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Rocco Steakhouse (57th St.) overall score: 86

First, check out my Ride & Review HERE:

Rocco’s recently opened up a new location on 57th just east of Park Avenue. My friend Dom Pepe is the head chef there, so I went in with some other friends to visit.

Flavor: 9

We tried the porterhouse and the rib eye. Both were mildly aged, but perfectly cooked.

Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 8

Everything here is prime except for the filet, which is common at most steakhouses. I only know of two that serve prime filets (Keens and Lugers). There’s a great selection of cuts here.

Portion Size & Plating: 8

This place is on par with most midtown steak joints when it comes to portion sizes and plating. Nothing is too small, and if anything the portions tend to lean toward the large side.

Price: 8

Again, this place, like their first location, has pricing that’s on par with all the big major steakhouses in the area. I feel like, with Dom at the helm, you’re getting much better bang for the buck, since he is an amazing chef.

Bar: 8

The bar here is actually nice. Big. I would definitely have a drink there again, and the cocktails, spirits and wine selections were excellent.

Specials and Other Meats: 9

The lobster ravioli special was incredible!

I would definitely go back to try more from their specials. Especially if they’re in the meat department.

Apps, Sides & Desserts: 9

We tried the creamed spinach, sauteed broccoli rabe with cherry peppers, beef fat german potatoes, and the mac & cheese for sides. All were incredible, particularly the mac and cheese being my favorite. It was crack!

For starters, we did shrimp cocktail, baked clams, thick cut bacon and the crab cake. All were great, but I think my favorite were the baked clams!

For dessert, we had a tray of assorted cakes, pies, ice cream, and fruit. Classic.

Seafood Selection: 9

Every piece of seafood we tried was delicious, from the cold starters, to the cooked apps, to the pasta.

Service: 10

Service was excellent. These guys are the real deal. They also serve a nice basket of fresh/hot potato chips at the bar, which I love. And the bread basket is a good mix of Italian bread and onions rolls.

Ambiance: 8

They did a really nice job with the build out here. It definitely feels like a mix between midtown and mom and pop steak joints. They have private rooms available upstairs, and a really cozy dining room in back.

ROCCO STEAKHOUSE
106 East 57th St.
New York, NY 10022

California, Porterhouse, Rib Eye, Steakhouse Reviews

Greystone Prime Steakhouse

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Greystone Prime Steakhouse overall score: 80

My wife and I came here with another couple when we were in San Diego. We tried a bunch of shit, so let me get right into it…

Flavor: 8

We shared a porterhouse for two and a 20oz bone-in rib eye among three people.

The Porterhouse was a 7/10. The strip side had some grey-banding on the edges, and was definitely a bit toothsome in parts. The filet side, however, was magnificent. The only down side was that it lacked the flavor that the strip side had.

The rib eye ate almost like cured ham. It was cooked a bit under, but none of us minded. It was lean in the eye, but there was a ton of flavor in the cap. 8/10.

Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 9

There’s a good selection of cuts here; wet aged, dry aged, large format, single cuts, everything. Everything is also prime grade. The numerous selections available are why I chose this place over others in the area.

Portion Size & Plating: 8

The portions here were good, and measured up nicely with what I expect from a NYC steakhouse, only a bit cheaper on the budget by about five or ten bucks, which was a nice change of pace.

Price: 8

The total bill was $713 with tax and tip included. As I mentioned above, this would be up a bit if it were in NYC.

Bar: 6

The bar here is actually nice, but the bar tender sucked. He was ignoring my wife when she tried to order (three times), and the drinks were sloppily made. Two of our glasses had massive cracks in them too, and the one we had at the bar as just dumped hastily into a new glass, not re-made from scratch. Cocktails were meh too. Could use some work!

 

Specials and Other Meats: 9

I had to jump at this elk chop dish.

It turned out to be my favorite item of the meal. It was a nice lean but flavorful cross between lamb and venison. 9/10.

Apps, Sides & Desserts: 8

We should have ordered our sides better, because the elk came with both mashed potatoes and spinach, and we ordered bot mashed potatoes and creamed spinach. They were all pretty good, but the versions on the composed elk chops dish were better.

For dessert, we tried a yuzu cheese cake and a delicious chocolate and peanut butter mousse pie that was perfect.

Seafood Selection: 9

Delicious tower for four, which included massive shrimp, a whole lobster, oysters, and tuna tartare.

Service: 8

Service was great at the table, but less than desirable at the bar. The bread came after our appetizers, which was odd, but we were glad it came. It was tasty with a whipped, soft garlic and herb butter.

Ambiance: 7

Ambiance could use a little kick in the balls, as the place glows neon red and purple at times. It feels sort of like a club. But over all it was a good vibe, and I’m glad we went. Here’s the other couple below – we were celebrating his retirement from the Navy.

GREYSTONE PRIME STEAKHOUSE
658 Fifth Ave.
San Diego, CA 92101

Nolita/Soho, Rib Eye, Steakhouse Reviews

Lucky’s Soho

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Lucky’s Soho overall score: 82

First, check out my Ride & Review video HERE:

My wife and I came here almost immediately after discovering that the place existed. It’s relatively new, having just opened up, I think, in June or July.

Flavor: 7

We had the rib eye.

This had a nice crust despite being slightly undercooked. I didn’t mind the flesh being rare, but I prefer the fat to render out a bit more than it had, that way I can eat it all!

The menu didn’t note any steaks being dry aged. There was a hint of that aged flavor in some bites, but it was not pervasive by any stretch.

Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 8

There’s a good selection of cuts here to cover all the basics that you should expect at any steak joint, along with some flourishes like a gorgonzola strip, or some special filets cooked in various ways. I think they could boost their special cuts section a bit with some dry aged selections.

Portion Size & Plating: 9

The rib eye was 20oz on the bone, which is just right for a single serving steakhouse cut of beef. The porterhouse is listed at 28oz, which I think it nice for sharing. The plating here is nice and simple, nothing too crazy!

Price: 7

The price is a bit hefty at $125 for a bone-in 20oz rib eye with no significant aged flavor. Same goes for a martini at $25, and the crab cocktail at $30. I imagine this is a really high rent location, and a mom and pop spot like this needs to cover their food costs, overhead, etc. You really can’t get too upset. But, sadly, we have seen several restaurants turn over recently on this stretch of Lafayette, and I hope there aren’t any more that fold.

Bar: 8

The bar here is really nice. They did a nice job on the decor, and I was almost wishing we sat at the bar rather than the small 2-top, as we may have had a little more elbow room. The wine pours are very generous, and their cocktails are also great, albeit pricey.

Specials and Other Meats: 8

We ordered the Long Island duck that was on special, and we were glad we did! The breast part was perfectly cooked; the fat was nicely rendered, and the skin was crisp. As for the confit portion, I wish they had left it on the bone and kept the skin intact for some crisp. It needed a bit of seasoning, too. I took two points for that.

Other than duck, they also had some nice looking lamb chops on the menu, some chicken, and other animals worthy of consumption.

Apps, Sides & Desserts: 8

We started with the Peekytoe crab cocktail. This scoop will run you $30, but it is indeed delicious. I loved it.

We also had the thick cut cajun bacon. This was nice, but again the fat needed to be rendered a bit more. Some parts were stringy, chewy and just unappetizing. I usually love eating fat, but some of this I just could not.

The creamed spinach and “potato skins” (similar to wedge fries) were both awesome. We coursed these out separately because of table space concerns (the potatoes came with the duck, then the spinach came with the steak). I think if you dipped the potatoes into the spinach you’d have a winning combo!

We decided to skip dessert, but I was definitely eyeballing the menu.

Seafood Selection: 9

There’s some nice looking seafood on the menu, and based on the quality of the Peekytoe crab, I would venture to say that these items would be similarly delicious.

Service: 10

Service was excellent, and every staff member we interacted with was really knowledgeable and helpful. Our waiter, Thomas, was awesome!

I think their table bread needs a little work though. The skillet brioche was a bit dry, as if it might have been baked earlier and reheated. It was still tasty though.

Ambiance: 8

For a small spot that almost looks more like a dedicated bar than a small restaurant, this place was really beautiful inside. The music was good and the place was packed at 6pm on a Sunday. That bodes well for Lucky’s!

I would definitely come back to try the porterhouse.

LUCKY’S SOHO
224 Lafayette St.
New York, NY 10012

Midtown West, Rib Eye, Steakhouse Reviews

Bourbon Steak

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Bourbon Steak overall score: 91

Bourbon Steak is a brand new spot that just took over the restaurant and bar space at the luxurious Essex House/JW Marriott hotel on Central Park South. They opened two weeks ago. Check out the review below!

Flavor: 8

We had the 20oz bone in rib eye.

While it was a bit thin, it packed a punch for flavor. Good crust outside and lots of juiciness inside.

Not dry aged, but still a good one.

Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 9

There’s a great selection of cuts here, but only one was dry aged (the 40oz porterhouse). I took a point for that. I was impressed to see domestic, Aussie and Japanese wagyu on the menu as well. Great stuff!

Portion Size & Plating: 8

The sizes are all pretty standard for NYC steakhouses, and the plating was a mix of simple/elegant, and modern.

Price: 8

Everything is so expensive now, so this category is going through a big renovation, but here is the bill:

Bar: 10

The bar here is big and gorgeous. They offer a lot of really unique signature cocktails as well as standards, and there’s a huge wine list.

Specials and Other Meats: 8

This place offers veal and duck as far as other meat items go. We tried the veal, which came out very late (we were already done with our steak). It was good/tasty, but a bit overcooked (we asked for medium rare, it was closer to well done).

Apps, Sides & Desserts: 10

We started with a custom seafood tower with items we selected from the seafood cart:

We went with clams, oysters, abalone, prawns and uni/sea urchin.

Everything was incredible! Our next app was the soft shell crab, which is stuffed with crab cake. Very unique and delicious! They said there were two here, but that was not the case… I don’t know where they learned to count…

For sides, we went with the very unique creamed spinach souffle, which ate similar to a popover.

We also did some mushrooms.

For dessert, another unique item, the banana tart with macadamia nut ice cream. Really nice!

Seafood Selection: 10

Based on the apps we had, I would definitely suspect the entree fish items are great as well. The tuna foie-poivre sounds insanely good.

Service: 10

Service was great despite the restaurant opening just two weeks ago. We had two staff members attending to us. One seemed seasoned, and the other seemed new (he was good – very attentive). The only hiccup we had was the veal coming out much later than we expected. We thought maybe they forgot it, so we told them to cancel it if they hadn’t fired it. But then brought it out anyway as we were finishing our steak, and they took it off the bill for us in the end. Totally unnecessary! We made sure to tip well for that.

Also worth noting here is that the table bread is scrapped in favor of a trio of French fries! Knowing this was the case, we skipped a potato side altogether. These were amazing.

They also give you some chocolate bars with your check. These toffee and caramel milk chocolate bars blow those Peter Luger chocolate coins out of the water.

The staff was also great at wishing me a happy birthday. They had a card for me, signed by the staff, and there was even a little miniature ice cream cone that came out with dessert (forgot to take a pic).

Ambiance: 10

This place is absolutely stunning inside. Really beautiful. I can’t wait to go back and try more stuff.

BOURBON STEAK
160 Central Park South
New York, NY 10019

Other Cuts, Parms, Press Reviews, Steakhouse Reviews

Delbianco Prime

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Delbianco Prime overall score: UNRATED

This Italian steak joint just opened up in midtown on Madison Avenue, and the owners were kind enough to invite me in to take photos and promote on social media. Read on below, but first check out my Ride and Review video HERE!

Flavor:

We tried the t-bone, which was a beautiful 24oz hunk of beef. The filet side had a lot of aged flavor on it, and it was incredibly tender. The strip side had an awesome rosemary flavor to it, and was also very tender. I don’t know what they do to their steaks, but you can cut them with a spoon here! That’s how soft the meat is.

Choice of Cuts & Quality Available:

There’s a good selection of cuts here, and the menu notes that they are all USDA prime. You have all your standard steakhouse selections, plus some larger format items for sharing.

Portion Size & Plating:

Everything we had was a good portion size for the price point listed on the menu. The plating was nice also – no sizzling plate for the t-bone, of which I am not a fan, so that was good. I am not sure if they do that for the porterhouse.

Price:

Given the location and competition in the area, price is always a tough nut to crack, but this place offers great quality meat for a very fair price.

Bar:

The bar here is really beautiful. A thick marble slab with some princely stools. A beautifully appointed wall of booze, and a nicely mixed martini with Castelvetrano olives is all you need to tie it off.

Specials and Other Meats:

There is a great selection of other proteins here, including pork, veal, lamb and chicken. We went with the veal pizzaiola, which was as delicious as it was beautiful. What a beast!

You can also hit up some alternative meats in the pasta section of the menu. We had the opportunity to try this delicious bowl of cavatelli with an oxtail ragu that was incredible.

Apps, Sides & Desserts:

We didn’t get to try any sides, but the appetizers and desserts were excellent. Most notable were the baked clams and octopus carpaccio, which were both unique and delicious.

We also tried the Caesar salad, which was served on a nicely composed dish with some crispy croutons and three delicious, clean and flavorful anchovies.

This crab cake also really hit the spot, and it is one of their most popular items. I can taste why.

For dessert, we tried the apple strudel and the chocolate salami. We both preferred the chocolate salami, hands down! It was a unique cross between a cookie/cake type thing, and fudge.

Seafood Selection:

We didn’t try any seafood mains, but if the quality of the starters is any indication for those, then the seafood here will be tip-top. We really enjoyed what we tried!

Service:

Service was awesome here. The chef, Diego, even came out to the tables to say hello to all the folks in the dining room, asking if everything was okay. Also worth noting the nice selection of bread for the table here – good stuff!

Ambiance:

The decor here is gorgeous. They have a nice modern but elegant setup here, and the space doubles when you go upstairs. I really can’t wait to come back and try some more of their proteins, especially the lamb loin!

DELBIANCO PRIME
423 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10017