I am a big proponent of getting prime cuts when it makes sense. Generally speaking, the difference in quality is outstanding. However, you have to be careful. Don’t buy blind at the grocery store. Look at the photo below. Choice is $14.99/lb and prime is $21.99/lb. The up-charge is primarily for more and better marbling. But look with your own eyes. Does that boneless prime rib eye on top look any more marbled or better than the bone-in choice rib eye? In this case, I might buy the choice cut, even though the prime cut has a bigger Spinalis / fat cap.
Okay so listen up. I saw this awesome photo on Chef David Burke’s Instagram feed. I showed my wife and we immediately decided that we needed to go.
We made a reservation for an hour or two later, psyched as all hell to dig into that incredible looking hunk of beef.
When we sat, the waiter brought out a little shot of strained cold gazpacho; tomato with melon. Very refreshing.
I had the “rabbit hunter” cocktail: bourbon, lime, ginger beer and mint. It was good; like a bourbon mojito.
My wife had the “antica Manhattan,” which was made with buffalo trace bourbon, antica carpano, maple syrup, bitters and brandied cherry. It was excellent, except for the fact that later on during the meal we found a gnat floating belly up in it. Doh!
We started with a pair of apps. First was the “skin and bones,” which was essentially chicken liver pate sandwiched between two pieces of crispy chicken skin, and served with chicken dumplings drizzled with vindaloo sauce. The cool thing about these dumplings was that they were “bone-in.” The chicken bones were little handles to grab the dumplings. Observe:
Next was octopus tacos (can we call them tactos?) with guacamole, chipotle sauce and salsa. These were excellent. The octopus was nice and charred but tender inside, and the sauces were great. Maybe a few jalapeno slices or some lettuce would have made this dish perfect.
We ordered a side of chic pea fries to go with our steak too. These were interesting. Crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. The dipping sauce was more of the chipotle cream from the tacos.
So now for the big fucker. The Bronx filet for two, with bone marrow. The presentation is gorgeous, isn’t it?
Even that first slice up front. Looks delectable, no? Hmm… Maybe just a little too much grey on the edges?
Oh FUCK. After that first, nice looking piece, it looks like whoever sliced this puppy was trying to hide the incredibly overcooked portions!
I kid about the hiding. But, yeah… It turns out that the rest of the steak was really well done. We ordered it medium rare. I guess with these big hunks, lots of chefs have trouble getting an even cook across the meat. The bone still had blood on it. It certainly was an awkward size and shape. What a shame. When it’s done properly it is probably an incredible meal.
When the waiter came around to ask how everything was, I mentioned that it tasted good but that it was severely overcooked. He grabbed a manager and she agreed, though she relayed what the chef said, which was that the edges are over but the middle is okay. Unfortunately that just wasn’t the case. There were about 3 or 4 bites of medium rare combined from all slices, and the rest was hockey puck. The manager generously offered to have the chef fire up another for us, which would be ready in 25 minutes, but we declined because we had to get back home to field some interview calls for a New York Times story that is being written up about the two of us. The steak normally takes 40 minutes to cook, and we were already pushing it on time. So we put on our big-boy pants and ate the dry, grey meat as best as we could. It was still yummy, but really dry and over done. I imagine it to be a great item when properly cooked. 5/10.
The manager was kind enough to send out some free desserts for us, and we were not charged for the overcooked steak. For dessert we had the “Burke-n-bag.” This one is great for photo ops. It is essentially a really amazing candy bar dolled up to look like a purse, and served with a little scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.
We also had the frozen yogurt banana split. This was pretty good. The fro-yo was actually delicious, and the pink stuff you see is the sauce that was poured over and then hardened into a shell. Magic Shell!?! Total blast from the past. The banana was just so-so; maybe a little under-ripe. The brownies weren’t really needed, I don’t think.
Last are the cheese cake pops with bubble gum whipped cream. I wasn’t a big fan of these, but I can see how someone could love them. When it comes to all-things cheesecake, nothing can compare to my sister’s cheesecake. MY sister’s cheesecake is so good that it’ll make you want to murder YOUR sister.
So anyway – moral of the story is this: beautiful pics of food can be deceiving. Also the table next door had a wrong item taken to them. Red snapper instead of tuna. So maybe this place was just having a bad night. Our steak was ruined, there was a gnat in my wife’s drink and the table next door had the wrong item delivered to them that apparently no one at any other table had ordered. Ehh, whatever. We all know David Burke is an amazing chef. It’s just too bad he wasn’t actually there cooking for us this evening.
FABRICK
Archer Hotel New York
47 W. 38th St.
New York, NY 10018
212 Steakhouse is relatively new on the steakhouse scene. It seems like they are offering some pretty amazing deals via Living Social to draw business and to introduce people to real-deal kobe beef, imported from Japan. This place is the only joint that’s actually certified by the Japanese Kobe Beef Marketing and Distribution Promotion Association on America’s east coast.
So the deal is for about $90 (my wife got it for about $70). You get one appetizer to share, up to $30 value. You get two glasses of wine (one each) and two 4oz pieces of steak, either strip loin or rib eye. It may seem like very little, size-wise, but there is no waste, and tremendous flavor. Right now 212 is offering 60-80% off the regular price for this steak. At a regular price of $45/oz, these pieces at $15/oz are a steal.
When I first walked in and sat at the bar, I was greeted warmly by the bartender, who mixed up a great martini for me. Soon afterward I noticed the chef was out on the floor, having his staff taste the souffle he just made in the back. Christos, the chef, is a really friendly and outgoing guy. His heritage is Greek, and he’s spent almost 20 years in the kitchens around New York, with even a little international experience in Brazil. He’s the kind of chef that always tries changing recipes to make a dish better, never serves something he thinks is bad, and is constantly looking to learn and improve his trade.
I’m going to do my best to fit the review of this place into my cookie-cutter review format, but in reality this place breaks the mold. The quality is so high off the charts here that it almost makes me want to reassess all my other 10-point scores for flavor and quality. Real kobe is just incredible. Okay so here we go…
Flavor: 10 (now an average of 8 after below update)
Easily some of the very best steak I’ve ever had and will ever have in my life. You can taste the flavor of the meat more in the strip loin, and you can taste the flavor of the fat more in the rib eye. I think both my wife and I preferred the strip. Typically I will pick the rib eye because I enjoy the fat flavor more, and there tends to be better marbling in the rib eye. But with meat like kobe, there is plenty of good, melty, intra-muscular fat and marbling in the strip cuts as well. Listen, assholes… The point is this: you can’t go wrong either way. Just look at this shit! Strip 10/10, rib eye 9/10.
rib eyestrip loin
More from another visit (strip, tenderloin [10/10] and rib eye).
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 10
You have a choice of Japanese kobe, US kobe, US wagyu or Japanese wagyu. The cuts are either rib eye, tenderloin, strip, or skirt. Most items are offered by the ounce, so, for the most part, you can tailor your steak to your appetite. While they don’t have the full gamut of cuts you find at traditional steakhouses, the quality here is so high that I would be remiss to give nothing less than full points here.
Portion Size & Plating: 9
Portions are pretty much DIY, so if you’re willing to spend to get more, then you’ll be a happy camper. The pre-set size cuts are 8oz, 10oz or 12oz, which is pretty standard for the high quality meat game, and they’re typically boneless as well. Otherwise you’re looking at a minimum of 4oz on the Japanese meats. And before you freak out about the bone being taken out, ask yourself if you’ve ever tried meat like this before. The bone is not needed when there is so much flavor in the beef and you can literally melt the marbling with the warmth in your finger! The plating for the beef is really nice, on slate plates. But don’t run your knife across the plate or you might get the chills. EEEEEEK!
Price: 10
I have to give a 10 here because we felt like we got such an amazing deal. If you’re going to blow your budget on a steak meal then this might be the right place to do it. It’s not a traditional steakhouse atmosphere, so know that going into the transaction. What you are coming here for is once-in-a-lifetime steak. And since they are still running mega-discounts on their menu right now, both as a walk in and via the Living Social deal, I suggest you high-tail your asses over there ASAP to take advantage of these prices. They have every justification to charge double. Believe me; it’s worth every bite. Not only that but they seemingly knocked some items off our bill as well, like the desserts. That said, the minimum 4oz order will run you $60, and that’s at the super-duper-blowout-sale price. The normal price is $45/oz, muthafucka! Let’s put it in yet another way: Had we paid full price for this meal, it would have cost us about $460. Even the discounted price, as you see below, was still over $200. We paid just about $150 I think, with tax and tip included.
Bar: 8
The bar is nice, so don’t get me wrong here with the lower score. They were out of Beefeater gin, which isn’t a big deal. My martini was $13, which is fair for NYC (yet also crazy when you think about what a bottle of gin costs). I just prefer a bar that sits close to the street, with an open feel and views. It’s nicely decorated, the bartender is excellent and friendly, and there’s lots of high quality booze and wine to match the high quality beef. It’s just not exactly a happening spot. The great thing is that they serve kalamata olives at the bar as a free snack. Awesome.
Specials and Other Meats: 7
What you see is what you get, as far as the menu goes. Christos told me that he likes to make a few special items from time to time, like scallops, but that the menu is pretty strictly adhered to by the big boss man. As far as other meats go, well, it’s either beef or seafood, my friends. Deal with it.
New to the menu is some lamb. 7/10.
Apps, Sides & Desserts: 9 (now 8 after below update)
We had baked parmesan polenta fries, which were light, crispy, and surprisingly flavorful.
The grilled octopus app was highly recommended by all the staff, including Christos. It was soft, tender and really flavorful with a classic Mediterranean profile. The liquid that it was served in (oil and lemon, with capers, peppers and herbs) took away some of that nice grilled char that I love so much, but the liquid was perfect for dipping bread in afterward.
For dessert we had espresso chocolate chip coffee ice cream and creme brulee. These were both really good, both texture-wise and flavor-wise. But we will definitely be coming back for the chocolate souffle, which is one of Christos’ specialty items.
Seafood Selection: 9
There’s lots to choose from here, including a highly diverse menu of whole cooked fish. We will definitely be back to try the mussels, which, along with the octopus, are seafood dishes of particular note and considered signature items by the staff. But the whole fish plates sound amazing, and so did the various raw items on the cold apps menu. Until then, I can only judge this category based on the octopus, which was just shy of absolutely amazing.
Service: 10
Our waiter, Glenn, was very attentive and kind. He recommended a great Italian wine to go with our meal, and we really enjoyed it (Tuscany Bolgheri Elisabeta-Aulo Rosso IGT 2009).
Christos is, simply put, a highly valuable asset. He’s as good in the front of the house as he is in the back. He kept coming to our table for each course to make sure we enjoyed everything, and he was a delight to talk to. We truly felt like honored guests. The staff even made some special bread slices to serve up just for us at the start of the meal, toasted with olive oil, oregano, smoked salt and lemon. Regular bread and plain butter is absolute shit after you’ve tasted something like this.
Ambiance: 8
They’ve done the absolute best they could with the space they have. The decor is very classy, dark woods, elegant fixtures. It’s done very well. It won’t compare to some of the mega-giganto steakhouses elsewhere in midtown, but you’re primarily here for the food. So stop looking around the room and focus on your amazing plate of the world’s best beef.
UPDATE 8/2/17
I went back with a Groupon (paid $18, got $60 to spend) and a friend to try out their Australian wagyu porterhouse. Well, I should say we started with 4oz of Kobe strip loin, which was just as excellent as I remembered from my last visit. 10/10. Natural buttery flavor, lean enough to still taste like beef, and every bit of fat completely edible.
The porterhouse was really nice, but something was lacking. The menu said it was dry aged, but we really only tasted it on a few bits that were on the edges and had a good char.
The cook temp was slightly more than medium rare (which is what we ordered) and more towards the medium side.
We enjoyed it, and ate every last bit of it.
However, I think the issue with this cut is the method of preparation. We both felt that the filet side had more flavor than the strip side, which is odd and backwards. Only a few bits of the strip side were better, along the outside edge. That ridge of fat was very tender and edible, which was a nice change. 8/10.
I also tried their dry aged Australian Wagyu rib eye for two (36oz) when I went for complimentary a press meal.
It lacked a little bit of aged flavor, and was slightly overcooked. Still really tasty though, so 7/10.
On another visit, I had the USDA strip steak. Also a 7/10.
We also tried the creamed spinach, which was a bit too soupy on the bottom as compared to the crisp on top. The cheese crisp on top basically slid off in one piece and underneath was like a spinach stew. It had nice flavor but I wasn’t happy with the consistency. Dessert was just okay. I had a mandarin soufflé but to me it was more like orange flavored ice cream. I’ve taken the apps, sides and desserts score down to an 8.
The seafood platter for two contains three items: warm octopus salad, a half lobster cocktail, and eight oysters. Not too bad for $55.
We also sampled their pasta, which was incredible. This is the strozzapreti with wagyu beef bolognese sauce. A must try.
NOTE: This review is for the old location in Tribeca.
My bargain hunter wife got a crazy deal through Gilt City for the Omakase tasting menu at Megu, and on top of the amazing deal, she had some coupons to use on Gilt City, which made this meal a real steal (How does that feel? Feels like a deal.)
ONE
So this seven (and a half) course meal began with a really beautiful, delicate, and palette-opening salmon tartare, topped with caviar. Holy shit the rhyming is bizarre. Have I gone too far?
TWO
Next up was grilled asparagus on a stick, covered in a crispy semi-fried coating that was a little too thick. Nice, but a dipping sauce would have been pretty sick.
THREE
After that bowlshit came some shit in a bowl: sebring to be exact, atop an oriental salad of shredded veggies, assorted nuts, and herbs. The waiter drizzled some hot grape seed oil over the fish to give it a quick sear, and then deftly placed two goji berries on top, there and here. Mine looked like a ghost, or a KKK member; either way it was something to fear.
FOUR
Then we have a nice little trio of appetizers. Softshell crab with a house made tartar sauce. I usually hate soft shell crab, because usually the shell is not truly soft, because crabs are constantly molting at different rates across different parts of their body, because they are inconsiderate assholes (the crabby fucks that they are). This one, however, was nice. No choking on flakes of chitinous shell.
Along with this was some grilled veg, consisting of tomato, shishito pepper, and shitake mushroom.
Last was a chunk of miso black cod. Fucking delicious.
FIVE
After that came the mutherfucking sushi. A full spicy tuna roll (too much, in my opinion: three pieces would have been fine instead of six), along with three pieces of sushi: tuna, live octopus, and yellowtail. Everything was good except the octopus. it was too chewy; difficult to get down.
FIVE AND A HALF
Here comes that 0.5 course: liquid. First beer, and then miso soup. The soup was very fragrant and aromatic, but just average in terms of flavor. The good thing is that it was not thin or light, yet not overly salty or too robust.
SIX
The good shit. I had the Kobe steak, which was a sirloin cut. It was cooked perfectly to medium rare, and presented on a hot stone for the extra earthy sear. The waiter poured a little cognac across it for showmanship. Check that shit out below:
Here’s a pair of close up shots of the meat. It came with some crispy garlic chips. I was hoping for a nice thick core of onion too, but whatever. Who can complain with meat of this quality?
My wife had the grilled salmon, which came with some various mushrooms, squash, and veggie items. This was nicely cooked. Juicy but a good crust, flavorful but delicate, topped with chives.
SEVEN
Last was the dessert plate, which had green tea cake, vanilla ice cream with mango sorbet, chocolate truffles, mixed fruit compote with yuzu, and yuzu creme brulee. All were pretty good here, but I slurped at the leftover yuzu compote liquids like a baby goat at the teet. So, so sweet. Tingles from my head down to my feet. And now my rhymes are complete, because it’s getting late, and I’m fucking beat.
BUT WAIT!!! There’s more. I almost forgot the fucking decor. Take a look, you little foodie whores:
After reading this Eater article, and adding to the comments, I decided I needed to go do this gigantic rib eye at Momofuku Ssam Bar. I went with my wife and two friends from Tabelog. We rocked it. Check out the pics and details below.
We started out with what we thought was a complimentary plate of sardines on toast with fermented chic peas and pickled hearts of palm. Why did we think it was complimentary, you ask? Because (1) we didn’t fucking order it, and (2) the fucking waiter told us that he brought it out to us because he wanted us to try his favorite item. I’m not gonna complain any more than dropping two F-bombs, but needless to say I was a little confused and pissed when I saw the bill and realized we were charged for it (after leaving and already paying, mind you). The app was great. Salty, juicy, earthy, “umami,” and all that good shit. But there was plenty of meat, potatoes and greens to go around with the rib eye special that we didn’t need an app. Now, the waiter was great and all, but a surprise charge like this, couched in “freebie” behavior, is kinda fucked up. Okay that’s three F-bombs now. Readers: make sure you check out the coolness of what Momofuku did in response to this review, which I updated at the very bottom. All is right and well.
I’ll leave the meat for last… aside from dessert, of course. The art of anticipation…
Next was the bowl of perfectly fried french fries. Delicious. They came with a nice, smokey bacon ketchup too. Crispy outside, mashed potatoes inside. Mmmmm.
Then a massive Caesar salad with brown butter croutons. Crisp and refreshing.
Okay now for the blowout. This is a 107oz hunk of GODmeat. Dry aged for 50 days, originally hailing from the Niman farm in California, this cut of rib contains the outer fat slabs as well as what you normally get with a traditional cut of rib eye + fat cap.
Here are some before shots of a slightly smaller cut (not ours):
It was cooked to a perfect medium rare, allowed to cool, and then sliced and plated on a thick cutting board. Some of the fat was the gristled kind, but much of it was the edible, meat bubblegum kind. Savory beef jelly. Awesome.
It was served with four sauces: the bacon ketchup mentioned earlier, a bernaise sauce, a red wine + shallot marmalade, and rendered steak fat + brown butter and herbs.
Also, four bundles of roasted garlic cloves, so soft that you could smear the garlic on your steak like creamy mashed potatoes or some shit.
Was all this enough? Nope. Of course not. I’m a former fat guy. So we followed up with some dessert.
First was a popcorn cake. Instead of sifting flower in the pre-baking process, they sifted popcorn. It was really unique, and served with a little side bowl of strawberry jam to spread across each forkfull. All I can say is that you should get it if you go here.
And finally we had the Thai tea pie. This cold dessert had the unique characteristic flavor of Thai tea with an added tangy tamarind sauce and some sort of chocolatey, tea-infused puffed rice kinda thing on top. Nice.
So that’s all. Great fucking meal, aside from the fact that I was charged for something that we didn’t order. On the slightly brighter side of things, however, it looks as though they forgot to charge us for our third beer. So we were still overcharged, but only by $9 instead of $15.
UPDATE!!! The management over at Ssam Bar saw this review and made good on their mishap. Good people as well as good food! An honest mistake that stemmed from a desire to provide top notch customer service. And 100% classy that they reached out to me. See below:
People who plan to go here should realize and appreciate the fact that this is primarily a meat house, so the menu is limited on purpose. It is NOT meant to be a massive, traditional steakhouse with a never-ending menu and a gigantic, full-staffed kitchen. What they are doing here is focused and directed, purposeful and deliberate. Think ramen menu (limited, small) as opposed to diner menu (everything but the kitchen sink). So as a caveat, low scores in some of these categories really mean nothing when you think about it. Flavor is the big essential here, and they did a great job in that category. My wife and I came here for a secret $50 deal and to cash in some OpenTable rewards. The deal, running through the end of the month, is for a glass of wine, a soup or salad, a choice of app, and a wet or dry aged strip steak. Essentially you get the wine, soup/salad and app for free, since $50 is the regular cost for just the steak.
Flavor: 8
My bone-in rib eye was under-seasoned and unevenly seasoned (some parts had the needed salt, others were flat on taste). However it was very evenly cooked; quite impressive, actually. The scallion and anchovy sauce added that necessary salt back into the bite. Use it. I expected the fat to be broken down more from the 9 week aging on mine. It definitely had some waste. By itself the rib eye was a 7 out of 10, but the rating here jumps up because of the strip.
scallion & anchovy sauce topping
The strip was nicely seasoned. And similar with the perfectly even cook job. The strip was a juicy wet-aged boneless cut that had been aging at least 20 days. You can definitely can tell the difference. It was better than the rib eye (9/10). The strip portion was a little thin, but since it was part of the $50 price fix it was to be expected.
Both steaks a little under (these were somewhere between rare and medium rare, closer to rare) but I was expecting that from the minions at yelp.
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 10
You have a lot to choose from here, both in the single cut steak section and the steak for two section. Kevin took me to the aging room downstairs and showed me all the goodies through the glass. Before they cook your meat, they will bring out a plate with your cuts to show you the superb marbling. The dry aged selections are a 50 day minimum in the aging process. The steak I had was at 9 weeks. For wet-aged, the minimum is 20 days. They have all the essential cuts and then some. Bravo.
Portion Size & Plating: 9
Portions are good here, considering how much is lost during the lengthy aging process. My rib eye was 20oz, bone-in.
Price: 9
As I mentioned above, we had some OpenTable cash AND took advantage of a special deal, so the price was right for us on this trip. The steak prices are average and on par with other competitors, and the appetizers are fairly large portions, but you are in a very different kind of atmosphere here, so you have to take that into consideration for your own pricing judgment. When you see the ambiance section you’ll understand.
Bar: 5
This is not a proper bar, but it really doesn’t matter for what this place is about. They only offer wine, beer (bottles and taps) and soju. Good enough. I couldn’t have a martini, but this is the kind of environment where it’s not needed. The bar is small, with room for only 4 people, but it is close to windows and the steps up to street level.
Specials and Other Meats: 6
The menu is pretty much beef-centric with the exception of the apps, which offer some great pork selections. They have kalbi and bulgolgi, and a really delicious looking “burger rice” item that I may have to come back for some day soon.
Apps, Sides & Desserts: 9
The apps here are strong. We had a bunch of shit.
The bacon was perfectly roasted, then cut up and served with a spice salt.
The yuzu dressing salad was very refreshing and properly dressed.
The butternut squash soup was flavorful and not too thick and filling, though I was sort of taken back that it was being served in the summer.
The Wagyu salami was incredibly soft and spicy. There was a LOT of it too, for only $8. I would almost prefer this to be available per slice as opposed to a large app size order of 8 slices. It was too much, almost. Maybe they should make it $1/slice?
The pork soo yook is essentially braised pork belly in a sweet, tangy, and spicy BBQ sauce. So soft and delicious. The sauce was a little too sweet and too salty, but still really yummy. It came with braised carrots and peppers, as well as some crispy chip things to add texture. The mixed greens on the side went perfect with the excess sauce used as a dressing.
Dessert was called “the planetarium.” It was milk choc mousse with a pear filling. Pretty good. Not overly sweet but I definitely had to chug water to calm down the taste buds.
Seafood Selection: 2
Unfortunately there’s only scallops and crab cake on the app menu. But please recall what I said above in the introductory paragraph. That said, perhaps some shellfish or octopus could make their way onto the menu in some prominent form. Korean cuisine is known for excellence in preparing those great items.
Service: 9
Our experience here was great. Nathan was a great waiter, very attentive, and with great suggestions. And Kevin was very helpful and informative when he took me down to see the aging room.
Ambiance: 7
This has the feel of a small neighborhood restaurant. It’s clean, white interior and painted bricks make the dark brown tables and chairs pop. The old timey 1930s and 1940s music was great too.
I always thought Long Island steakhouses couldn’t hit the same high marks as some NYC steakhouses, but George Martin changed my view on that. One of several restaurants within the George Martin group, the Strip Steak restaurant in Great River is simply amazing. We went with a group of six for the “restaurant week” price fix deal ($25), but some of us ended up ordering off the regular steak menu. If you are ever on the island and looking for steak, skip Tellers. Skip Prime. Skip Blackstone, Lugers and 21 Main. Go to George Martin. He knows his beef. The same group of us (plus two more) went back for yet another visit, for a friend’s birthday, and we had another amazing meal.
Flavor:10
I ordered the ribeye. It had a beautifully seasoned crust, packed with tons of flavor. The inside was very juicy, and the chef allowed it to rest just long enough before serving. It was cooked to perfection from end to end, and the meat itself was top notch quality that must have had some really nice marbling, because not one scrap was left behind. The actual flavor was similar to the steak I had at Dylan Prime, but the cut here was bigger and on the bone. I also had a taste of the filet, which was really delicious as well; tender juicy and evenly cooked all the way through. My only regret was not getting to taste the signature strip steak. On the second visit, I ordered the 20oz partial-bone strip steak. It was perfectly cooked, juicy, and well rested as expected. My wife had the braised short rib, which was moist and tender. On the third visit I tried the filet, which was excellent; nice crispy charred edges and a perfect medium rare center. I also got to try the rosemary and garlic rubbed skirt steak, as well as the braised short rib. Everything is top notch here. You really can’t miss. On a fourth visit, the entire group I ate with said that this was the best steak they had ever eaten. It really is an amazing establishment.
A rib eye and a filet:
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 10
They offer a bone-in strip, a bone-in porterhouse for two, a bone-in ribeye, an assortment of filets prepared in various ways (no less than five preparations), and even a skirt steak. Beef quality seems to be Certified Angus brand across the board for all the main cuts (not sure about the skirt, but it is prepared with a molasses soy marinade).
Portion Size & Plating: 10
The portion sizes were just right: the ribeye was 24oz, the strip was 20oz, and the porterhouse for two was 38oz. The filets were offered at either 8oz or 12oz portions, so there is variety based on appetite. The skirt steak was 12oz. All the steaks come with a side of delicious fried onion “shoestrings.” My wife ordered the duck that was offered with the price fix; a HALF DUCK I should say. Huge and delicious, crispy skin, succulent meat. The Berkshire pork chop is a manly 14oz as well. Big shit!
Price: 9
The price felt a little high at the end of the meal, but we had ordered a few drinks, sides, wine, desserts, etc. The menu prices are fair; ranging from $27 (skirt) to $40 (ribeye). The porterhouse for two comes in at $78. The filet was available on a price fix menu for restaurant week, which came with an appetizer, the filet, and a dessert for $35. Nice deal (Only $25 if you don’t substitute the entree for the filet at an upcharge of $10)! They also offer price fix deals on Sundays ($40 for four courses, one of which is flank steak + braised short rib). Check out the bill for 6 people at the end of a fourth visit, no restaurant week deals involved (still very reasonable!):
Bill from another visit:
Bar: 8
This place has a nice long bar, and it is tucked away in a really nice neighborhood near the Great South Bay. They have a great specialty cocktail menu, and an extensive selection of wines. I’m not sure I’d go out of my way to come and hang out here if I wasn’t getting a steak dinner, but the martini was perfectly mixed, and even topped with blue cheese stuffed olives. On the second trip we tried a bathtub gin from the cocktail menu – delicious! Pomegranate, simple syrup, and gin. Also give the black cherry whisky sour, dark & stormy, and Strip Steak Manhattan mixers a try.
Specials and Other Meats: 10
Great selection of alternative meats here, as well as price fix menu offerings for those looking to save a bit of money. They offer a veal chop, and they even had a few specials like a pork porterhouse chop. I didn’t order anything from the specials, but definitely happy to see the other meats represented in full force. I will be back here again in the future, so I might try something from here next time. On return trips, I’ve had the filet, the strip, the skirt steak, and the braised short rib. All were great. Below is a picture of the pork chop they offer, which was cooked absolutely perfect – juicy, thick, cooked evenly throughout. It is rare to find a place that does a pork chop this well. Most places fuck it up and dry the shit out, and it becomes a chore to eat it. The chef at George Martin is really awesome, and I was happy to learn that he actually has seen this blog! They also had some shellfish on special (PEI mussels), a crsipy salmon topped with crab meat, and a butternut squash soup.
Apps, Sides & Desserts: 8
I ordered a deconstructed BLT with avocado and fresh mozzarella. The description said thick cut bacon was involved, but the app didn’t really deliver on the promise. I was expecting a slab type, not the kind you find on a burger at McDonalds. On the bright side, the crab cake was fantastic – mostly crab meat with a dusting of breading for texture. The creamed spinach was awesome: it was garnished with some shaved cheese and breadcrumbs to give it some separation and individuality. Each plate came with delicious fried onions as well. For dessert we tried the cheesecake (not too heavy – lots of good flavor), the apple crisp with ice cream (really nice, warm), and chocolate cake. The chocolate cake was the largest of the three in size, with the other two being somewhat smaller (probably because they were price fix items). I had a frozen hot chocolate, which was essentially like an ice cream/chocolate/caramel parfait with a vodka whipped cream that was made using liquid nitrogen. Delicious. On the second visit, we had the braised filet appetizer, which was great aside from the bland and slightly sweet polenta underneath. The oysters were ice cold and really crisp. The string beans were a little bland, despite being slathered with blue cheese and bacon. For dessert we had liquid nitrogen espresso mint chocolate ice cream. INCREDIBLY SMOOTH! Perfect way to end the awesome meal. On my third visit, we tried the cheesecake creme brulee (essentially a cheesecake with a brulee’d top), the lobster & crab fontina cheese fondue (nice and creamy, tasty), and the chili pop shrimp (best app on the menu – crunchy tempura batter with a sweet spice kick). On the side we got to try the GM salad, which was pretty good, though not as fantastic as they make it out to be. We also had sauteed spinach and mashed potatos, which were both solid choices. Fourth visit: see some seafood apps in the below section, but we also had a flavorful butternut squash soup, the baked mac & cheese, which was really creamy and crisp on the top, duo of chocolate and vanilla creme brulee, and an amazing liquid nitrogen chocolate ice cream that tasted almost like frozen pudding (along with a complimentary birthday cake for the birthday girl). See the pics below:
Check out these desserts that we got FREE on another visit: strawberries and cream, due of creme brulee, and a creme brulee style cheesecake.
Mussels and clams app:
Wedge salad and oysters:
Seafood Selection: 9
The seafood ranged from the typical steakhouse fare (crab cakes, lobster, shellfish) to more interesting items like chimichurri rubbed wild salmon. There is definitely something to eat here if you are an asshole who doesn’t eat “real” animals. If you don’t eat fish either, then go hang yourself, because you are a fucking loser. On the fourth trip we had some great seafood apps; crisp clean oysters, amazing sauteed little neck clams, delicious PEI mussels, and some crispy fried calamari. All really fanastic. My brother had twin Brazilian lobster tails for his meal, and he said they were really good as well. My wife almost went for the salmon that was on special the fourth time we went, but ultimately she went with the pork chop instead. Something tells me she would have loved her meal regardless of what she ordered. Yes – this place is that good. You can blindly point to any item on the menu and it will be great.
Service: 10
Not only is the food great, but the staff is really top notch. The hostess Jenn is very friendly, always smiling, and regularly checking in to make sure everything is okay (as well as the manager). It is a real treat to find people that put so much effort into making diners happy and comfortable. Everything else was really good here too. Even good, clean tableware and a good bread selection with a cool, but whipped and spreadable flavored butter. Praise must be given to the George Martin group for knowing how to hire incredibly friendly, helpful, knowledgeable, and attentive wait staff, and an absolutey all star chef. Our waitress also knew a lot about wine and was accommodating with any questions or changes we had to orders.
On a recent visit we had a waitress named Alyson. She was awesome! One of our guests eats a gluten free diet, and Alyson knew SO MUCH about the food items served at GM that she was able to really converse with the gluten free guest about what could be eaten, which items/sauces to avoid, etc. We were all very impressed.
Ambiance: 10
Set up in an old home by the bay that used to be a brothel, George Martin boasts some really elegant decor with an upscale yet warm atmosphere. They even had a live keyboardist playing some piano tunes. In classic steakhouse fashion, the room is dim, but not dark. The walls are warm with pinstripe wallpaper and interesting old fancy-time 1920’s era photos of nude broads in the main dining room. One side dining room had a beautiful chandelier and fireplace; it looked like the dining room from the Clue mansion or something. A third dining room that I was able to see had what looked like cushioned red padded walls with mirrors interspersed. I later learned that area used to be the stage spot where burlesque performers would dance in the old days. The place is very interesting; art deco but modern, cozy and cool. On a subsequent visit, I learned that the restaurant is fabled to be haunted. One of our dining guests even said she felt the presence of a man in a suit standing beside her, and this happened BEFORE we heard about the place possibly being haunted. Creepy. There are tales of people being murdered, hanging themselves, and getting into shootouts at the former speakeasy establishment – really fun local lore that makes the dining experience more vivid. Also, lots of the original decor still remains in the place, like the old window shutter treatments that sport bullet holes and now adorn the fireplace in the “please don’t tell” room (a fourth, more private dining area).
Take a look at this photo of the room where my friend felt the presence of an otherworldly spirit. Do you notice anything out of the ordinary?
Some additional photos and notes from my recent birthday dinner here. My parents took my wife and I out.
They started us with a freebie order of pulled filet on cabbage with spicy pomegranate sauce. There were tasty little bites!
Here are some shots of the filet and prime rib (a Sunday special menu item):
And finally, as always, the amazing staff had something special because they knew we were celebrating:
They even knocked off a chunk of money from the bill. God I love this place!
GEORGE MARTIN STRIP STEAK
60 River Rd.
Great River, NY 11739
This is a pretty simple one, and a close riff on one of my earlier skirt steak recipes. Buy yourself a bunch of skirts, some habanero peppers and some tomato juice (or Bloody Mary mix), and you should be pretty much set with the rest of the shit in your pantry.
Shit you’ll need:
Tomato Juice or Bloody Mary mix
Garlic Powder
Sea Salt
Cracked Black Pepper
Crushed Red Pepper
Fresh Habanero Peppers (optional)
Horseradish (optional)
Grab a large, long piece tupperware and pour some tomato juice into the bottom to create a little layer of marinade. Season with crushed red pepper, cracked black pepper, salt, and garlic powder. Drop a few slices of your habanero pepper in too. Then place two of your steaks in, and repeat in layers until you run out of steaks. I like to use a whole pepper per layer, because I like spicy shit. Top off your tupperware with a little more juice and spices so every square milimeter of meat is covered with the marinade. Then throw that shit in the fridge for several hours, or overnight.
When you’re ready to eat, get your grill screaming hot. I’m talking 500 degrees or more. Drip-dry or paper-towel-dry the meat before you slap it on the grill. You want to get as much of the liquid off as you can, so that you end up with GRILLED meat instead of STEAMED meat. If you need that sauce for some reason, you can boil up the remainder of the marinade in a sauce pot to use as gravy topping, or you can baste lightly as the meat grills. If you have a little more time, you can reduce the marinade into a really awesome, thick BBQ sauce. It comes out delicious when you do it right.
You’ll only need about three minutes per side, max, to get a nice medium rare temperature. So three minutes, flip, three minutes, then pull them off and let them rest.
Now here’s the key part of the process – the slicing… First, cut your skirts WITH the grain into four or five inch chunks. Then, spin each piece 90 degrees and slice AGAINST the grain for plating and serving. This cross-grain cutting is absolutely key to eating this kind of steak. It makes for an easier-to-chew bite of meat; way more tender.
The finished product: a plate of delicious meat. Pour some of your boiled marinade over the slices if you want, and throw a little horseradish on top. Enjoy with a refreshing Bloody Mary to double down on the flavors.
A fun part of this – take your leftover meat and broil in the oven on some garlic bread smothered with mozzarella cheese to make an incredible sandwich. Good shit.
UPDATE 5/18/2023: I came back with a nice Ride & Review, which you can watch HERE:
The Prime Rib was an easy 9/10 or maybe even a 10/10. Good aged flavor. The Porterhouse was small but still tasty. The rib eye was good too. Both 7 or 8/10. No real score change here other than to say that I would come back for that prime rib any time!
UPDATE 4/27/14: I came here with my dad, my brother in law, and my nephew for a quick lunch after checking out the NY auto show. There was definitely a slight improvement since my last visit, as I bumped it two points.
We started with the sweet chili fried calamari. They were good – nice and crisp, good flavor. We had to ask for the bread basket, which was kinda strange, but the highlight of that was the raisin nut bread. Very nice.
I had the 19oz bone-in filet, some onion rings, and the truffle mac & cheese. Big respect to our fun waiter Sarko, who guided me in the right direction to order the filet medium rare instead of rare. He explained that if it was boneless, then rare would be the way to go. However, since the bone inhibits the center from warming up fast enough, he cautioned me that some of the fat near the bone may not render properly unless I went to medium rare. It turned out perfectly. I was really happy with my hunk of red meat.
The onion rings were a bit too juicy but otherwise really tasty. The truffle mac and cheese didn’t have the truffle abundance I was expecting, but they were still pretty yummy regardless.
I still need to come back here for a proper dinner seating, as I feel like the experience would be a bit different for that service. But this visit definitely re-sparked my interest in the joint. Like Arnold, I’ll be back.
My wife, who is awesome, took me here for a birthday lunch after shooting some .22 rifle rounds at the pistol range. Talk about a guy’s perfect day! I thought it would be difficult to review a steakhouse based on the lunch menu, but Old Homestead basically offers the same food for lunch that they offer for dinner, the only difference being that the lunch menu is a little bit cheaper (by $2, generally, for each item) and they don’t offer some of the more massive steak cuts at lunch time (Shame – I probably would have gotten the larger cut too – oh well – their loss).
Flavor: 9
The steak tasted great. I ordered the gotham ribeye, a bone-in 22oz cut that tasted like a prime rib that kissed the grill. It was juicy like a roast, and had a little crisp going (more would have been nice). Great taste but one point off for missing the mark with not enough crisp and a bit more non-chewable gristle than I like to see. They let it rest just the right amount of time, so there was no blood loss and it stayed very juicy.
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 9
This place has lots of sizes and cuts available for the four main steaks. I think I counted five filet mignon items of varying preparations, sizes and bone structures. Two sizes for the ribeye (not at lunch, however), and a prime rib to boot (essentially, a slow roasted ribeye). They offer two sizes of “New York Sirloin” as well as an au poivre and a top round – not quite sure why they were calling some steaks a sirloin and not a strip. Perhaps it is from the T-bone (the lesser porterhouse, not good enough to be called a strip when cut off the bone). They also offer a “Kobe” sirloin for a big price upgrade. The porterhouse is only offered for two, which is common at many steakhouses.
Portion Size & Plating: 9
The portions here are average to above average, but they also offer items for smaller appetites. The filets ranged from 10oz (still a good size for a filet) to 18oz (biggest I’ve seen), the “sirloins” from 14oz to 18oz (a little on the average side, but not bad), and the ribeyes from 22oz to 32oz (good). Plating was nice. Usually you just see bare bones stuff at steak houses, but here they went that extra step to make the presentation pop. The tuna tartar was served with some crispy fried wanton chips, and the oysters rockefeller were served on a bed of rock salt that looked like ice, and garnished with seaweed pods. Also of note were the tots/fries – they were served in mini deep fryer baskets. Very cool (see service section as well). I took off a point because the creamed spinach was a little small, though enough for two at $7, and the tots were not numerous enough, but probably enough for one.
Price: 8
The prices are average to slightly high for NYC steak. You certainly don’t go home hungry, so that is a plus. The prices seemed to match nicely with the size and quality for the steak, so no exceptional marks here, but there were a few bad marks. First the oysters rockefeller: There were only four on the plate, which may be normal (I don’t know), but they were essentially a dollop of creamed spinach on top of an oyster and then broiled for a few minutes. Nothing spectacular. I wasn’t impressed, and I think they essentially ruined four perfectly good oysters for the high price of $17 (that’s $4.25 each, dicks). The dessert sundae was pretty expensive too at $11 for what you could get at Friendly’s for $3. The martini was a bit high at $15, the beer average at $8. Our total was $204 with tax and tip included. As for the steak ($40, actually not too bad), you get a good slab of meat for the price, and that’s all one can really ask for these days.
Bar: 7
The bar is small, but very elegant – nice wood cabinetry and wine racks up behind he serving dugout, and a nice selection of top shelf potent potables (Alex Trebek would be happy). This isn’t the kind of place I can see myself hanging out for a drink or a bite at the bar though. It is essentially just a restaurant. The martini was made perfectly, however, so that is a plus. Also the bar has some nice basket weave black & white tile flooring – real classic looking. I like that.
Specials and Other Meats: 7
Old Homestead has a narrow range of alternative meats – rack of lamb, which is semi-industry standard, and a chicken item. It would have been interesting to see a pork porterhouse or a veal chop of some kind. The word “homestead” makes me think of game too, like perhaps venison. I think this would go over well in a place like NYC, where diners are more culinarily curious. Specials were not offered, but I imagine that is because it was the lunch hour. They DO offer some secret menu items that you need to know about in advance though, like the really awesome sounding burger specials. Look into it, asshole. You won’t be let down.
Apps, Sides & Desserts: 7
Before we even came here, I knew what I was ordering because I looked at the menu online. I’d never had oysters rockefeller until now. I was always the kind of guy who ate them raw and raw only. Cooking an oyster is blasphemy! Sadly I have not turned a corner; I didn’t like the oysters, but everything else was pretty good. The oysters had some bits of shell in them, and the topping was just a blob of creamed spinach – no special care was given to make them different. My wife had the tuna tartar, which was very nice, served with avocado mixed into it, but it was not as good as Primehouse’s take on the dish. To go with the steak, of course, we had creamed spinach; it was just average: nothing to write about (though I just did). The steak came with a mound of fried onions, which were nice and crisp and flavorful. We also ordered the “Kobe” slab bacon, which was sort-of out of place based on the flavor profile. It was really charred, smokey and piggy. It had some rubbery fat on it, but it was really delicious. It just felt so “BBQ” that it almost seemed like it was from a different restaurant. It was tough to mix that flavor (which was awesome by the way) with the steak flavors. Tots were crispy and nice – a fun alternative to fries. For dessert we had the drug store old fashioned sundae. That was pretty yummy, and I found myself continually digging into it even though I was stuffed.
Seafood Selection: 8
This section of my reviews is starting to become increasingly important to me, since my wife has been staying away from red meats after her gallbladder surgery. Old Homestead offers a nice selection of fish cuts for entrees, like salmon, tuna and sea bass, in addition to the shellfish appetizers and basic broiled lobster and crab cake crustacean fare. The sea bass was a big hunk of fish (probably 12-14oz). I was amazed that it was properly cooked through without any over- or undercooked portions. It was bold (fishy) and rich, but it had a nice crisp to it on the outside, served on a bed of green beans in a dark fish broth.
Service: 9
The waiters are all male, wearing ties and aprons. They were attentive, nice, and not in our faces. The menu says that bread will not be served unless you ask. I wasn’t going to, but my wife insisted for the integrity and consistency of the blog. So here goes: the bread was not warm, the butter was semi-solid/cool. They did have two types of bread though; a raisin nut roll, and a ciabatta type of roll. One thing I will add here: the fries and tots come in these really cool mini deep-fryer baskets lined with old fashioned newspaper print (wax paper with print on it). That was fun in terms of plating/presentation. I guess the steak sauce can go here too. And no, asshole, I didn’t put it on my steak. It was delicious however. I would use that shit for BBQ ribs or chicken any day. It had hints of orange, tamarind, horseradish, molasses and fried garlic (okay we peeked at the ingredients too). Try it.
Ambiance: 8
Old Homestead is long and narrow, unlike other steakhouses that are very large spaces. The dining room is dark. The tables are all very nice dark jacobean colored wood, and they match the paneled wainscoting that goes all the way up the wall and meets with the elegant build-out ceiling that has a fancy painted pressed-tin pattern that is illuminated by built-in up-lighting. Hanging below that are modern, Japanese looking square block lights covered in what looked like paper or tightly woven burlap. A stark contrast to the cheap, ugly rust-colored tile floor that adorns the dining room. Old Homestead – replace that shit with some nice wide-plank bamboo flooring. Come on! The bathroom was unisex for one – neat and clean, but with cheap-ass paper towels.
UPDATE 4/16/14: This place just skyrocketed into the top of my list. On a whim a small gang of us misfits decided to grab a steak.
The place was so crowded that we ended up having to sit at the charcuterie and cheese bar (formerly the ice cream and cake serving area), but it was an incredible meal. We started with some steak and tuna tartares, and an order of bone marrow. This place has, hands down, the best steak tartare I’ve ever eaten.
I seriously could have eaten JUST THAT for my entire meal, like 6 orders of it. The marrow is pretty incredible too, and the tuna tartare was nice, cool, fresh, and peppery.
The meal kept getting progressively better. The steaks came out. three of us got rib eyes, and one of us got a filet. Let me start with the filet: I retract all comments previously made about filets being for pussies and broads. When my buddy was ordering his filet, I heard him throwing around words like “bloody” and phrases like “black and blue” and “cold inside.” I think he even suggested they just torch the outside to get a crust, and bring the thing over still pulsing in the final clutches of life. So when it came over I was interested to see how it looked.
Looks marvelous! I had a bite. Best filet to date, and I am not exaggerating just because I had three martinis. From now on I am ordering my filets this way. Awesome. Juicy, flavorful, soft, well seasoned.
So now for the rib eye. Check out the slab of dinosaur meat on this puppy:
As I predicted (below, in earlier review), the single cut rib steak at 24oz is MUCH better than the large format 64oz cut. It cooks more evenly, and it has a better ratio of crust to soft inside. The super thick steaks often get over-cooked on the outside and under-cooked on the inside. This one was perfect in every way. Do you see anything left? Yes – I even picked up the bone and chewed off the gristle.
On the side we had some cheese gnocchi (below), creamed spinach, and baby potatoes (on plate above). All were delicious. The creamed spinach was just right; not overwhelmed with salt and just the right amount of creaminess.
I guess that pretty much wraps it up. OH WAIT! The guy working the cheese and cuts counter was named Danny. Really awesome guy and he gave us a plate of four assorted cheeses. All were really fantastic but the blue cheese was my favorite.
This place is one of my new top steak joints. Please do yourself a favor and get the fuck over there ASAP.
My wife and I dined at Quality Meats once before I started reviewing steakhouses. I remember thinking it was a pretty good spot, and liking the massive bone that came attached to my ribeye. At the time I remember liking Smith & Wollensky better. By the way this place is owned by the same people as Smith & Wollensky, as well as Maloney & Porcelli; so right off the bat you know you are stepping into a place that knows what’s up. This time around we went with a friend of ours to give it the full Johnny Prime rundown.
Flavor: 10
On my first go at QM, I had the bone-in ribeye. I remember being impressed with the size of it, and the huge frenched bone – it was like an axe. My wife had a trio of filets that time. I wasn’t blown away by that, but I do remember liking the ribeye. This time me and the other ass-kicking manimal at the table split a 64oz ribeye for two, and my wife had a seafood tower. The meat was delicious. While it is difficult to ensure even cooking throughout such a huge hunk of meat, Quality Meats did a pretty damn good job. There was only one spot where the meat was a little too under, and not seasoned enough (in the center), and portions of the fat cap were a bit too salty and overcooked. However, if you combined a bite of each, it was a perfect medium. In hindsight it might have been better to go with two 24oz ribeyes (one each), but I was certainly impressed with the flavor. There was a distinct char on the meat, crispy edges, and an abundance of rosemary flavor, which after a while I thought was too much. In fact rosemary seemed to be pretty much the theme of the meal. It was also baked into the table breads. See below – there is a massive sprig of rosemary sticking out of the meat. You will also notice it is chopped up on the bread as well. This isn’t necessarily BAD; I like the aroma and flavor of rosemary, but I DO NOT like the actual needles themselves. They bother me. They also served the steak with a really vinegary mushroom and onion mix. They were black and just way too overpowering; we avoided that shit like the plague.
Strip & Porterhouse were both great. 9/10.
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 10
There is a lot to choose from here, and I like that. A porterhouse for two was on special, as was a bone-in filet, so that makes up for what isn’t on the standard menu. Otherwise there’s a great selection: a regular filet, a trio of filets, a “sirloin” (Why am I starting to get used to steakhouses cheaping out and putting aged sirloin on the menu instead of a real strip?), a hanger, a ribeye, and a ribeye for two. I was going to take a point off for having sirloin instead of strip, but given the fact that they have a double ribeye AND a hanger, I am graciously awarding the full score here. They also have several nice alternative meats if beef isn’t your thing (you know, if you’re an asshole).
Portion Size & Plating: 10
The sizes are as follows: 12oz filet; 18oz bone-in sirloin; 24oz bone-in ribeye; 64oz double ribeye. These are on the upper end of the spectrum. Well played.
Price: 9
Our total bill came to just over $300; not bad at all. To top it off we had a $100 gift card from spending so much money with our AMEX card. POINTS = MEAT! Otherwise the steaks are average priced, with the double ribeye being a bit more per person than a normal cut of meat. We ended up paying about $255 for everything, with the tip included and the $100 deducted. Check out the breakdown of the original bill below:
Bar: 8
The bar was a lot more “hopping” than I thought it would be. A solid crowd despite it not being a big bar. The bar itself has a white marble top, and it feels like you are at a butcher’s counter. They made a good martini with three pit-in Castelvetrano olives skewered as garnish; my favorite. They also had a great selection of whiskeys and bourbons. The bartender was very friendly, and he even tried his best to make a Pimm’s Cup for my wife despite not having all the required liquors to make it. Quality Meats also has a bunch of great beers. They offer some good old fashioned cans of PBR, as well as some higher end beers; a good mix. I tried a “Quality Beer,” which was a nice, round, non-bitter, amber colored beer specially brewed by the Magic Hat company. They also keep a truncated drinks and desserts menu by the bar for ordering booze, desserts or charcuterie (a nice selection of four different cured meats and four different cheeses), which is the same menu they give you for dessert. Despite all of this awesomeness, I just can’t see myself hanging out too often at the bar here.
Specials and Other Meats: 10
On special for beef they had a porterhouse for two, and a bone-in “filet.” They also had a soft shell crab appetizer, which was delicious. Light, golden, and crispy. They also had a Brazilian lobster tail (a lobster tail with no vagina hair) and an “Olympia” west coast oyster. As far as other meats go, they have a veal chop, roasted chicken, baby back ribs, and roasted veal shank for two. Perhaps a pork chop or a lamb dish would round this out better. Maybe make it a lamb shank or lamb chops instead of a second veal dish? In any case – a great showing on the beef specials here helped to bump the score up for choice of cuts available.
Apps, Sides & Desserts: 10
We ordered the special soft shell crab, a dozen oysters (two of each kind they had, including the one on special), bone marrow, and steak tartare to start. As I said above the crab was delicious. I was absolutely blown away by the steak tartare, though. The meat was served in a little bowl with an egg yolk sitting on top, just waiting to be busted open and mushed around the meat. The plate came with a wooden spatula of salt, herbs, and a nice mustard that get dumped in and also slathered around the meat. It was unbelievable. The oysters were all very unique in flavor. I tend to like the less fishy tasting ones (usually I prefer east coast in general or Bluepoint specifically). My friend and I each had three east and three west a piece (total of 12 at the table). The marrow was delicious too; nice to spread on some of the toasted bread. On the side we had creamed spinach, which was served in what looked like a bread bowl popover. It was average in comparison to other places, but still good enough to keep shoveling down my throat. For dessert I had a jalapeno and cucumber sparkling lemonade. It was awesome. We also shared a “cookie monster” ice cream (oreo, cookie cough, and chocolate chip cookies mixed into a light, soft chocolate ice cream), and tropical fruit sorbet (a mix of a bunch of flavors sitting on top of fresh fruit and topped with a dried, crispy pineapple chip). The sorbet was the winner there. As a matter of fact they have a little bar set up, which at first I thought was a sushi bar, right near the front entrance, where you can score “Quality Cakes” and all their special ice creams for take-out. Pretty sweet.
Seafood Selection: 8
For fish they have tuna, Scottish salmon and black sea bass; a little basic in terms of entrees, but there was a lobster tail on special to fill it out a little. If you don’t like the preparations they have on the menu for the entree fish items, you can also opt for simply roasted. They have a nice selection of oysters on the app menu ($3 a piece), two sizes of shellfish bouquets, and cocktails (crab, lobster, U7 shrimp). The soft shell crab was also a special, which I mentioned above was great. The shellfish bouquet was really great. The small one was two-tiered, and it came with lobster, lump crab meat, ceviche, four massive shrimp, four oysters, four clams and tuna tartare. it rivaled the platter at Strip House, which is a feat. Worth mentioning here is that the oysters come with a great array of sauces; a traditional cocktail sauce, a cilantro cream (awesome), a mustard horseradish type, and a bowl of crispy herbs for mixing in with vinegar or sprinkling on top of the oysters. I only took points here because there was no whole lobster item and only a few basic cuts of fish for entrees. Not like it matters – you don’t come to a place called Quality Meats for a fucking slab of salmon.
Service: 10
Our waiter was awesome. In fact we sort of had two waiters throughout the night, which I thought was really attentive. The table bread was a delicious pan of bread lumps that were buttery and hot, sprinkled with fresh salt and chopped rosemary. It was baked fresh while we waited. They even sent us home with some. The most interesting part of the meal was when the waiter came over and made us the steak sauce from scratch at the table. We watched him mix everything into a mortar and pestle and start mashing away (of course he cut some rosemary right into the bowl too hahaha!). It was a great sauce – really awesome with the gigantic shrimp from the shellfish plateau. I’d put it right up there with the sauce at Frankie & Johnnie’s and Strip House, but with extra points for the display and interactive dining experience. Also of note was the little freebie of traditional and white watermelon cubes, served with a really interesting flavored salt for dipping.
sauce making and bread/fruit freebies
Ambiance: 9
The decor in here is modern slaughterhouse chic: something that Patrick Bateman would like. Upscale horror. They have dim filament bulbs hanging overhead, butcher’s knives and meat hooks hanging on the wall, and an overall cool look to the place. Where we sat, there was horizontal wood slatted walls. The wood almost looks like flooring. Other spots have meat hook lights dangling overhead (custom fixtures) and exposed brick walls with grooves or nooks in them for candles or decorations. It has more of a lounge feel than most places, more trendy. The bathroom, for example, has dim lighting and flickering candles. It’s got to be one of the most romantic places for someone to take a shit. The walls in there are lined with cloth towels – really awesome. The front doors are great, heavy, old wooden gates. When you walk in, you almost feel like you are walking into a butcher’s shop with the tiled walls and glass. It’s even like heading down into a really clean, yummy smelling subway station. Cool place. Not traditional, but well played.
