NOTE: THIS PLACE IS NOW CALLED BILL’S TOWNHOUSE AND MAY FEATURE A DIFFERENT MENU AND CHEF.
I grabbed a Groupon for this place: $55 for a three course meal for two. Not bad. At first I was almost going to include this in my steakhouse reviews page, but after speaking with the waiter I got the sense that their aim was to go for American restaurant as opposed to just steak. They’ve trimmed the steak selection from five cuts to three, so don’t be fooled by the paintings of steaks on the walls – that ain’t necessarily their main aim.
Oh, porterhouse… How I love thee… Let me count the ways…
I really liked this place. Great atmosphere, cool decor: taxidermy, framed old timey maps, and odd portrait paintings in a grand ballroom type of room with a massive fireplace and ornate mirrors.
The bar was jam packed for the after work happy hour, and I noticed that they even have a piano for live music performances down there.
So here was the menu for the three course price fix deal:
We started with drinks, and by far the two best cocktails were the lowlands old fashioned, and the Spanish gin and tonic. Really expertly mixed by the bartender. Then the bread came out – warm and toasty on the outside, soft and hot on the inside, and great smooth butter.
I had the roasted beets and my wife had the fennel and arugula salad with citrus. Both were really great. Mine was hearty, and her’s was light and fresh.
The entrees were both pretty much perfect. I had the peppercorn sauce strip steak. It was very slightly overcooked from how I ordered, but it was delicious nonetheless. The truffle herb fries were some of the best I’ve ever had. The addition of crispy fried basil on top was a great touch.
My wife had the Berkshire pork chop. This thing was THICK, and perfectly cooked. I’ve never had a pork chop like this that wasn’t dried out in some spots. This was juicy through and through.
Dessert was okay. I had a pumpkin cheesecake and my wife had a chocolate cake. The chocolate cake was like a very dense mousse; very rich, almost too sweet for me. It was a very big portion too – like a brick! The pumpkin cheesecake was light and fluffy, with a chocolate-based crust as opposed to graham cracker.
Here’s the total bill:
I definitely recommend this place. I will be back for sure. They have a rib eye for two on the regular menu that needs to be eaten…
On a second trip I tried both the wild Alaskan salmon and the roasted chicken. Both dishes had incredibly crispy skin, tons of flavor and perfect execution in terms of cooking temperature and juiciness. This place is fucking great.
The garbanzo bean soup was a little bit thin and light, but the smoky pork meat in it gave a flavor that reminded me of a split pea soup.
Dessert was soft serve ice cream. Simple but really hit the spot.
BILL’S FOOD & DRINK
57 E. 54th St.
New York, NY 10022
Morton’s was one of my top three favorite steakhouses in NYC, but things have changed since I started reviewing so many places.
EDITS IN ITALICS from updated review, 11/1/14
Flavor: 9
I’ve been to Morton’s twice, and both times I was extremely pleased with the flavor. They seem to cherish the meat, and they know just how to prepare it to maximize and enhance the natural flavor of the beef. I’ve tried the rib eye, the NY strip, and the filet. I think my wife liked the filet Oskar, an interesting preparation of the filet.
Here are some shots of the 22oz Chicago bone-in rib eye – perfectly cooked, very juicy. The only issue was that there was a bit of bleed-out, and the steak had a wet appearance, as if not seared hot enough or rubbed with enough spice to form a crust.
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 9
The main four cuts (strip, filet, porterhouse, and ribeye) are all represented on the basic menu, however they really only offer those four in terms of beef, varying them slightly in size to accomodate different appetites (double cut, single cut, petit cuts). Other meats are represented, like lamb, but no other types of beef. Only the ribeye and the porterhouse are offered on the bone (though their website pictures a bone-in “Kansas City” steak, which is another name for a NY Strip). This is common, since strips and filets are usually separated from the bone in order to serve them as individual cuts. I haven’t been here enough to assess whether they offer specials often, or vary the cuts. However I am giving it a high rating because the quality of the meats offered is exceptional, and everything is prime grade.
I noticed on this visit that they had a short rib to offer as well. Nice showing!
Portion Size & Plating: 8
The portions are average in size, but the great thing is that there is something from each cut of meat to suit every size appetite. Plating is basic – nothing fancy.
Price: 10
Both times my wife and I have gone to Morton’s it was during an awesome promotional period where they were offering a $50/pp prix fix menu. Portion size for the entrees and appetizers were the same as normal menu items; I think there was just a slight surcharge for the filet or the lobster, which is reasonable, and we were limited slightly on which desserts and appetizers we could choose from. Well worth the money for this kind of quality and flavor.
This visit they offered a $35 three course price fix menu. What a steal! The filet was only 6oz, but it was deliciously cilantro-ish in flavor. I liked it (had a bite of someone’s).
Bar: 9
Morton’s has a really nice big bar. This is the kind of swanky, old-school place to go for some sazeracs, slow gin fizzes, and pimm’s cups. It harks back to 1920’s elegance. I don’t recall if there are TVs, but if so, this is the kind of place to go watch the Belmont Stakes if you can’t get out to the track.
Situated along the sidewalk, the bar/lounge area is great for people watching as well. They even offer some happy hour and late night food and drink discounts. One of these days I will make it over there to try a burger at the bar. They also mix a great martini and stuff their olives with blue cheese:
Specials and Other Meats: 8
Other than beef, Morton’s really only offers lamb and chicken. This is normal for steakhouses, since the main focus is on red meat. Morton’s strikes me as the kind of place, however, that could execute a good double cut pork chop as well, perhaps roasted or boiled with whole fresh cherry peppers; something robust and bold. They offer specials off-menu with regularity as well.
Apps, Sides & Desserts: 8
For appetizers, Morton’s offers typical steakhouse style shellfish items. We had bacon wrapped scallops, which were fine, but not amazing (the scallops were cooked properly, but the bacon wasn’t crispy enough for my liking). We enjoyed the shrimp alexander, however. The crabcake was above average, and I vaguely recall my wife trying the 5-onion soup and liking it very much. Sides and desserts were average to above average. We were slightly limited in what we could choose since we were eating off of a prix fix menu, so I have not deducted points based on an incomplete review. I would imagine the Oysters Rockefeller are wonderful.
On this visit we tried the escargot to share. They were great, buttery yet light, and no funky taste – better than the ones I tried at Les Halles downtown.
Next up was my “salad” of sliced beefsteak tomatoes and blue cheese. Part crumble and part dressing, this was a nice way to open up the meal:
My wife had a cup of the five onion soup with her $35 price fix deal. I tried thinking of five different onions in my head but not sure if shallot counts as an onion. This was great, by the way. Really flavorful but not too salty like many onion soups can be. Deftly prepared.
Here’s a shot of the Caesar salad that came with our cousin’s $35 price fix – nice touch with the shaved cheese on top:
The price fix entrees came as a composed dish with a small side as well. My wife chose the horseradish garlic mashed potato item, but I didnt like it so much. I didn’t taste any horseradish, and the texture wasn’t creamy enough.
However the side I ordered was sautéed spinach with button mushrooms. I originally wanted to try the creamed spinach again, but they were out! WHAT?!??! We surmised that it must be a pre-prepared item of some kind, or they simply ran out of the right cheese and cream. Bummer. But this was really good anyway.
For dessert I tried some of the ladies’ price fix items. Key lime pie was creamy and smooth with no bitter aftertaste, on a great graham cracker crust. The mousse was nice too, but I’ve had better.
Seafood Selection: 9
I’ve never tried Morton’s seafood entrees, but they offer salmon, sea bass, and a few basic variations of both lobster and shrimp.
I tried a bite of my wife’s salmon entree and I was blown away by how good it was, so I bumped the score up a bit here. It was a perfect medium rare, very flavorful and juicy, and a great portion size for the $35 price fix.
Service: 9
The staff at Morton’s are trained to display sample cuts of beef to every table before patrons order their meals. While you are snacking on the delicious onion rolls in the basket of table breads, the waiters will come by and explain each cut of beef, physically pointing at the meats under plastic wrap on a display platter. Drink refills and general attentiveness was great, as expected. Occasionally my wife and I will make birthday or anniversary reservations online, and, if you tell Morton’s it is your birthday or anniversary, they will do something special. On out first visit, for an anniversary, they had a photographer come by and snap our photo, which they then gave to us in a cardboard “Morton’s” frame. On the second trip, also for an anniversary (a year later), they printed a special menu with our names on top, and gave us a complimentary cake dessert.
The bread basket switched to a large loaf of warm onion bread, with a line of soft creamy butter. Also, there was no longer a display plate of the steaks. I liked that bit of service professionalism. Oh well.
Ambiance: 7
Morton’s definitely has a 1920’s feel to it when you step inside. It is set up with a large, high-ceiling, art-deco inspired dining room on the main floor, which features the impressive bar. In the rear there is a stairway to a smaller elevated dining room that overlooks the main dining room. Walls in both areas contain authentic photos of famous people who have eaten there. The crowd is a mix of tourists, businessmen, and Manhattanites. Bathrooms, flatware, and silverware are clean, and the music is a mix of jazz and typical dinner music.
While the layout is still the same, the photos are gone now and were replaced by a trippy, squiggly, semi-modern wall paper. I liked the old decor a bit better so took a point away here on the re-review. In any event it is still a very cool space.
NOTE: THIS JOINT IS NOW CLOSED!!! Very unfortunate…
Ever since this joint opened I’ve been itching to try it out. As an eye-talian WOP, I was intrigued by the idea of an Italian steak joint. After the great meal at Quality Italian, I figured this place would be up to snuff as well. We had a generous gift card to knock the bill down too. Check out the results:
Flavor: 10
I ordered the boneless rib eye, however when the entrees came out, they delivered me a bone-in strip. Doh! I was gearing up for a rough experience, so my wife and I started digging into her lamb chops to get started. The manager, Adele, came over to the table with the strip in hand and said, basically, that since it was already cooked, we could just have both. WHAT!?!??! I felt so terrible, not to mention I am trying to count calories on a new diet. But how could I resist? I accepted the gift of beef and started chowing on the strip while waiting for the rib eye. The flavor was incredible. I got halfway through the strip and had to hold myself back to save room for the rib eye. But when the rib eye came out, it was like next level shit. Perfectly cooked. And the lamb was pretty incredible too. I hold back from a full score of 10 here simply because there was some gristle type fat that was too rugged to eat, but for the most part the fat was very melty and jelly-ish, even on the edge of the strip, which really surprised me.
18oz bone-in strip18oz boneless rib eye
Check this beast out – I went back for a second time and we ordered the rib eye for two. This was an easy 10.
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 10
You seriously can’t miss here. They have filet, strip and rib eye for one, but they also have porterhouse, rib eye and strip for two. Quality here is all prime and aged, so you are in good hands no matter what you choose to stuff down your esophagus.
Portion Size & Plating: 10
Portions are all sizable here. My wife and I sat at the bar in order to take advantage of some smaller sized items at a cheaper price (see below under bar and apps) and even those were a good size. So when you are ordering off the regular menu as opposed to the bar menu, you are getting king-sized shit. As for the cuts, the boneless rib eye is 18oz, the bone-in strip is 18oz, the boneless strip is 12oz, and the filet is 10oz. Then you have the big guns. Strip for two is 36oz, porterhouse for two is 40oz, and rib eye for two is 44oz. Even the lamb chops are 14oz. Big shit. Plating is nice – steaks come with a grilled lemon and some useless greens.
Price: 10
We had a gift card AND we took advantage of some happy hour pricing at the bar, so we did well. below is the bill before knocking off the gift card money. As you can see we ordered a lot of shit, and we were not charged for that mistaken bone-in strip.
William
William Price II
Bar: 10
This place has two bars: a small one near the entrance, just past the host station and stairway, and a larger one upstairs at the front of the dining room. Both are well stocked with interesting spirits and potions for concocting ass-kicking cocktails. We tried a bunch of stuff. Alex, the bartender downstairs, was really sociable and he mixed a great drink. Although it’s a small spot, I could definitely see myself hanging here after work for a drink and a bite – especially when the happy hour menu has so many great drinks and food items for half price. That, along with Alex, made me give the bar a full 10 points despite its small size.
bar
Specials and Other Meats: 8
There was nothing on special/off the menu, but the menu did have veal, lamb and chicken by way of alterna-meats. The lamb was perfect by the way.
14oz Colorado lamb chops
Apps, Sides & Desserts: 9
We tried LOTS of shit here due to the convenience of the bar menu. I’ll start with what we sampled at the bar.
First was half a dozen oysters for only $9 – all from the east coast. Three were from CT (naked cowboy) and the other three from RI (east beach blonde). Both delicious, though I preferred the naked cowboys from CT.
the oysters blondes on left cowboys on right
Next was the trio of crudo for $12. We picked amberjack (delicate, but with a little kick of chili and shallot), fluke (a little tougher to chew, but clean/crisp, and topped with caviar), and the scallop (soft and buttery, with a great truffle puree beneath).
trio of crudo top – scallop mid – fluke bottom – jack
Then a steak tartare. Yes – this was only $11 on the bar menu. It’s like a full-sized app! It was diced a bit too large for my liking, as some pieces remained chewy, but it was packed with earthy flavor due to the mushroom cream at the bottom. This was served with a little plate of cheese chips as well.
steak tartare
At the table we tried an app sized portion of the garganelli pasta with speck and radicchio. It was creamy and savory – really nice. Slightly salty due to the speck, but I think they managed just fine.
garganelli with speck
Then an order of octopus with pork belly. The octopus was perfectly cooked, and the skinny end had a really great char across the suction cups that really gave it a nice flavor. However, the bed of orange rind relish underneath was too bitter for my liking.
puss + bacon
On the side, we had the creamed spinach, of course. it was very creamy, but not overly heavy or salty. They topped it with some crispy onion too. Very nice.
creamed spinach
For dessert, we tried a trio of sorbets: blood orange, grapefruit campari, and pear. Each tasted very much like the fruit, but a bit too bitter on the back end for the grapefruit.
sorbets (for my wife’s bday)
On a second visit we dove into a nice romaine lettuce salad with crispy anchovies, very nicely dressed, and with shaved cheese on top:
We also had an app sized bowl of spaghetti with clams (Little Necks and razors) in a garlicky butter sauce:
On the side we tried the crispy artichokes. Very good, well cut so as not to include the woody bits of leaf, and the heart texture was just right. However, a dipping sauce would be a nice added touch for this.
Seafood Selection: 9
There’s a great deal of seafood on the menu. Caviar selections, many different crudos, five different kinds of oysters, sea bass, langostines, lobster, and some innovative apps as well. Something a little more manly would have rounded out the score here to a 10 – like maybe a swordfish steak done in a new/unique way.
Service: 10
Everyone here was incredible. Our waitress, Amber, was wonderful. I felt really bad when the wrong item came out to the table (strip instead of rib eye), and for a second I almost considered just sticking with the strip.. but I HAVE to try rib eye to rate a steakhouse fairly. When they said we could keep the strip anyway, I was blown away. What an incredible attitude to have towards customers! There was no way my wife and I were going to finish all that meat, so we ended up giving our leftovers to a hungry war veteran who was begging for FOOD, not money, on the subway. I figured it was only fair to give away what I did not pay for. The people at Costata, I’m sure, will be happy to know that the misfire of the strip ended up helping someone in need. When someone is asking for food, you KNOW they are not trying to scam. I hope she (the veteran) enjoys the wonderful meal we gave her. I’d say it was about 14oz-16oz of strip and rib eye, plus nearly a full sized side of creamed spinach. OH – I have to mention the table breads here too – they served rosemary flavored focaccia bread with a small dish of garlicky lard instead of butter – SWEET!
focaccia with lard
leftover food for veteran
The second visit came with a nice little goodbye baggie of popcorn:
Ambiance: 8
They didn’t change the layout much from when this place was Fiamma. I think they could have benefited from throwing some booths in rather than just tables. It was very nice though, and they were playing great music (classic rock and oldies).
Flavor: 9 (downgraded to 8 after subsequent visits)
True to the Del Frisco’s brand, the steaks here really pack a donkey-punch of flavor. I went with the standard rib eye, which is boneless and comes in at around 16oz. of crisped goodness. It was cooked perfectly, had tons of soft, flavorful, edible fat, and it was juicy. The only down side was that it was a bit on the thin side for my liking. About one inch thick… I mean thin… What am I at fucking Applebees? But hey – it WAS delicious. And I was actually surprised they were able to get a good sear and crust on it without overcooking. Impressive skills from the chef. My wife had a trio of filets (on special). Each was wrapped in applewood smoked bacon and then topped; one was Oscar style (crab meat + Hollandaise), one was mushroom & red wine reduction, and the last was fois gras (best one because it added some much needed fat into the filet). And now I will take this time to rant about something that happened with the trio… Only one bite of one steak succesfully merged the bacon with the meat in proper cooking temps. The problem is with the method… wrapping shit in bacon…. People … I love bacon just like any other trendy asshole with a bacon themed t-shirt who posts bacon-related crap on Facebook … but there is a time and place to use it. The idea behind wrapping shit in bacon is to impart fat into something, and/or give things a smoky flavor. This is great – a wonderful concept… but it needs to be executed properly – EXACTLY – for it to be a success. Inevitably the bacon wrapping problem boils down to one of two things: EITHER (1) your meat is overcooked because you need to make sure the bacon is fully cooked before you serve it… so prolonged cooking time overcooks the star of the plate, which is the filet… OR (2) you undercook the bacon, leaving it rubbery, so that the steak is not overcooked. But then you end up serving disgusting half-cooked bacon, which is a health hazard if not just an incredibly shitty thing to do to bacon. Please… Unless you are among the ranks of fucking Thomas or Hubert Keller, then you need to go fuck yourself if you are wrapping good meat with bacon. And if you are either of them, I would hope you are wrapping meat with caul fat rather than bacon, since it essentially melts into the meat. If it MUST be done, then please half-cook the bacon first BEFORE wrapping the meat, and while the meat is cooking you can spoon some bacon grease over the top to make sure the flavor is imparted into the meat. /endrant
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 8
The MEAT selection here is pretty much the same as the Double Eagle location around the block (seafood and other meats selection varies). They offer an upgraded version of each type of meat as a special; a boneless strip and a bone-in strip (16oz vs 22oz), and a boneless rib eye and a bone-in rib eye (same ounces as the strips). They had a great selection of filets: small (8oz), medium (12oz), and bone-in large (special) at 16oz. They also had a trio of filets on special (4oz each). All around this is pretty good. No porterhouse, so I had to take an extra point.
Portion Size & Plating: 8
My steak was 16oz, boneless. That’s a good-sized slab of meat – a little on the small side if you have a good pair of balls swinging between your thighs – but it’s still a pound of flesh, and not as small as the one at Dylan Prime. They had a broad range of sizes. Filets came in 8, 12, and 16oz portions, and even 4oz in the trio plate. Strips were either 16 or 22oz, and same with the rib eyes. Plating was basic: beef + plate.
Price: 7
Prices here range from $37 for the pussy filet to $60 for the manlier upgraded cuts of steak. My regular menu rib eye was $42. That’s a pretty good price for a pound of perfectly cooked meat, however, the other items were a bit too pricey ($16 for 5 shrimp, $5 a piece for lamb sliders, etc). At the Double Eagle, it seems more worth it for the higher prices – maybe because of the atmosphere. See below and make your own judgments.
The price is wrong, bitch.
Bar: 10
The bar here is pretty cool, and definitely a good place to hang out after work if you work in midtown. It butts up close to the windows that look out into the Rockefeller Center area. I imagine it gets a good crowd in nice weather when the patio seating is available. They also have a nice fiery oven for cooking the flatbreads and pizzas right next to the bar, so you can sit there and watch the flames. The martini was made just right to boot – and $3 cheaper than at their other establishment around the block.
Specials and Other Meats: 8
As I said earlier, on special there were lots of meats. A strip, a rib eye, a filet, and a trio of filets (pictured below – they came with asparagus as well). This isn’t really the kind of place for “other meats,” and I guess to that end it isn’t really a proper “steakhouse” either. They have sandwiches on the menu, and some plated dishes that take on the alternative meats like chicken, veal, beef short rib, and lamb (app).
Apps, Sides & Desserts: 7 (updated to 8 after subsequent visits)
No shellfish here (oysters/clams). We started with an order of cocktail shrimp and the lamb sliders. The shrimp were good, almost peppery, but there were only 5 for the whopping $16 price tag … and they weren’t that big: their small size didn’t match their large price. They did come with a nice dipping sauce that was some sort of horseradish, cream-based thingy. The lamb sliders were tasty and potent. They came topped with arugula, roasted red pepper, tzatziki sauce and goat cheese. I enjoyed them so the hefty $15 price tag for three wasn’t as bad as the shrimp. For sides we had Parmesan & sea salt fries and truffled mac & cheese. Both sides were too salty. The mac & cheese was unbearably salty, but the truffle taste was really good. I just wish they held back with the salt. The fries were more doable – they had some nice chopped up herbs on them too. For dessert we had nutella bread pudding. This was hands down the best dish of the night. Crispy coating, juicy middle, incredible flavor, topped with coffee ice cream… man… I will go back just for that.
apps, sides, and dessert
Seafood Selection: 7
They offer salmon, tuna & sole by way of “the sea” here. No lobster, no oysters or clams. A shame, but at least they have the famous and delicious Del Frisco’s crab cake. Stick with that and you are set. But, again, you probably aren’t coming here for a full-on steakhouse experience. It’s not that kind of place.
Service: 10
The service was good. No real complaints. There was very little interaction as it was a busy time. Unlike traditional steakhouses, here you won’t get a basket of bread with your water or drinks (unless they forgot about that). Hmm… maybe they did forget… because they also forgot to bring sugar out for my Cappuccino.
Ambiance: 8
As I said above, it isn’t a typical steakhouse setting. It’s more of a concept restaurant. It’s a lot like a gangbang – you go in and out, it’s loud, busy, social, lots of people coming, there is use of a back door entrance, etc… That’s fine, but I have judging standards to which I need to stay true. This isn’t some subjective bullshit like sexual harassment in the workplace or The Beatles vs The Stones. This is truth. Okay then – onward…The wait staff are all dressed nicely but not traditionally in suits or jackets. They have both men and women taking orders and serving. The decor was modern, and the vibe is loud, happy hour, after work crowd chaos. It’s definitely not the same class of restaurant as other places I’ve rated, mainly because the Del Frisco’s “Grille” brand is marketed toward a more casual and social dining atmosphere. If you want a more sit-down and take-your-time kind of place, then go to the Double Eagle around the block. The bathrooms are nice though – four single user rooms with a dim, clean and modern look. I was almost tempted to have King Richard the Turd usurp the coveted Porcelain Throne and squat over The Tepid Pool to unleash a reign of brown terror the likes of which Manhattan has never seen… but I refrained from that conquest.
cross section of a rib eye: left side is the fat cap, right side is the “roast” side, as I like to call it.
UPDATE: 09/19/14
Check this out… My buddy got this email from Del Frisco’s Grille about a crazy burger & beer deal. The details were as follows: double cheeseburger, fries, and any pint of beer for only $17.50! Needless to say, we jumped at the opportunity.
I am a big fan of the Del Frisco’s brand, and despite not giving this location as much accolades as the Double Eagle site, one of the best in the world, I am still a loyal patron. I’ve heard great things about their burgers in particular.
Here’s the burgerporn:
Verdict: the meat was cooked properly, well seasoned, and had a nice ratio of cheese to meat. The tomato was nice and cold, contrasting with the hot burger and cheese. Downside: it was a bit bread, as the bun was big, but on the positive side there was no dog or flopping of the bottom due to burger grease. I liked it a lot.
I chose the parmesan sea salt fries. They were really flavorful, but a bit limp. Perhaps another session in the deep frier would take them to the next level.
Okay so all’s well, right? Wrong. The bill came and, to our surprise, we were being charged way more than $17.50 each! As it turns out, the NYC location is apparently an exception to the $17.50 deal. The price is supposed to be $24.50. Now, this all makes perfect sense in hindsight, as the regular price for a burger is something like $18.50 WITHOUT the beer. Also NYC rents are astronomical. It only makes sense that they would have to charge more for the food here. We asked Chad, the manager, if they’d still honor it, being my friend had actually received TWO emails with the $17.50 price. There was no way around it. Chad explained that the price could not be altered. He told us that he didn’t have a button on the register to change the price of the burger. We were a bit upset, but I reassured him that I DID like the burger. When I pulled out my card to present it to him, as I do at the end of every meal, he suddenly remembered the “oh shit, it’s Johnny Prime” button on the register. “We can adjust the price of the beer,” he said. Well, hey, that works for us! “You were in here before,” he remembered. “Yes, for steaks,” I answered. Chad even remembered where my wife and I sat! Wow! Anyway, he had a new, adjusted bill printed up, in which we were not charged for the beer.
My buddy pays close attention to these sorts of things, still pointing out that we were over-charged by $2 from what the ad said as we were walking home. I don’t really blame him, because that $17.50 price was really the whole reason we even went. There was no limitation on the email, and no exclusion of NYC in the fine print of the ad. But I also really didn’t care and wouldn’t have minded; I’ve paid some hefty bills in my day, and as long as the food is good, I am generally fine with it. But in keeping with the stellar service of the Del Frisco’s brand, Chad earned the Grille another point for service to make it a full 10. This location really can’t compare with the Double Eagle, but at least now I know I will definitely be coming back at some point to try some more items off the dinner menu. Chad: we humbly thank you for making it right on the $17.50 issue. You’re a stand-up gentleman.
UPDATE: 7/18/17
I went back for an influencer event and got to try (and re-try) lots of stuff.
The Porterhouse: 9/10
This was awesome. It had a good pepper crust, nicely cooked, and both the strip side and filet side were both tender and juicy. My only issue is that it seemed kinda small.
The NY Strip: 9/10
This and the porterhouse were both on point. Really great job cooking this bad boy.
The Rib Eye: 8/10
This suffered slightly because it was over-salted (you can actually see a track of it along the left side of the cut in the photos below). Despite what looks like a lot of inedible fat on this baby, it was all really soft beef jelly.
The Tenderloin: 7/10
This bone-in “filet” was just a bit blah in comparison to the other three cuts we tried. It was cooked nicely and it was tender, however it just fell flat and lacked the character that the others had.
All of the other sides, apps and desserts we tried were good.
Pizza
Tuna Tacos
Shrimp Cocktail
Philly Cheese Egg Rolls
Lemon Cake; Creme Brulee Cheesecake; Coconut Cream Pie
Also not pictured: creamed spinach with bacon, mac and cheese, and the burger again. The creamed spinach went nicely with the mac and cheese, together in one bite. The salt from the creamed spinach added what was lacking in the mac. Given how much I enjoyed all these sides, apps and desserts on this visit, I added a point to the score. However with an average new steak rating of 8.25, I had to round down and lower the flavor score from 9 to 8. In the end, the total score is still the same at 82.
By the way – this filet mignon burger is fucking incredible. ew addition to the menu.
Prime rib was 8/10
DEL FRISCO’S GRILLE
50 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10020
When you’ve eaten as much steak as I have, it takes a lot to achieve memorable, lasting impressions of a meal. QI delivered in spades. This was by far the best regular menu item steak I have ever had. I say “regular menu item” because, of course, when I dropped $94 on a 32oz wagyu rib eye at Del Frisco’s I got a better steak. But for $46??? Holy shitbags my friends… It’s $10 cheaper than most rival restaurants, and for that price you get the most delicious tomahawk style rib chop you will ever sink your teeth into. And it’s a nice big 28oz fucker to boot.
Juicy all the way through, from fat cap to bone. Perfectly cooked pink all the way through. Soft, tender meat even in the roast portion. The fat was delicious – not too oily or greasy, and all of it soft and edible. Seasoning was just right – not too salty to the point where you get the meat sweats afterward (hate that). Simply put: the thing is fucking fantastic. But not only is the steak incredible; everything else is too. My wife had the lemon chicken (pic below in “other meats” section); it was a generous portion size and really tender and juicy – even in the huge tit area (large breast) where things can tend to dry out. Apps, sides and desserts were some of the best I’ve ever had as well. Read on, assholes.
rib eye before and after
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 10
Everything is prime and aged, and they cover every type of cut possible. They even offer some steaks for two, and a bunch of different types of filets for assholes who eat filets. Every base is covered, and then some.
Portion Size & Plating: 10
The plating was amazing here, just like it was at their sister restaurants Quality Meats and Maloney & Porcelli (Smith & Wollensky not so much). Little touches like herbs for garnish, interesting little porcelain cups filled with coarse salt, mortar and pestle containers for the fresh sauces, and just the way the food was decorated as well – not just slapped on the plate but artfully done. Portion sizes were all very healthy – healthy meaning big – not healthy meaning pussy-sized small dishes for losers on diets. The tartare was the size of a big burger. The sunchokes were two potatoes worth. The pasta side was enough for two no problem. The steak was huge, and the chicken was, I think, a half chicken (thigh, drum, wing, tit, still articulated).
Price: 9
I was a little surprised that the bill only came to $175 and change. For what we had, I was expecting over $200. Everything is extremely fair in price, especially when you take into consideration the PRIME real estate they have. Right on 6th avenue, overlooking the street, and just below the park. Are you fucking kidding? And steaks are still under $50 each??? Wow.
William Price
Bar: 10
There are two bars to mention here. First you are met with a really nice little bistro style open air/semi-outdoor bar at the front door. Great place to hang out for some negroni on tap, or house made white peach bellinis (also on tap) and watch the people whiz by on their way home from work.
signage and outdoor bar area
Upstairs there is a big bar at the top of the steps. Nicely decorated, modern, sleek, but not pretentious. They make great drinks. My martini was perfect, and was garnished with the best olives (castelvetranos). My wife had a great drink called “the midtown,” which was made with bourbon, vermouth, sour cherry, orange peel, and burnt sugar. Nice ice cubes too for those who care (you know who you are).
half drunk martini and “the midtown”
Specials and Other Meats: 10
The waiter read off some delicious sounding off-menu specials, and highlighted a few featured menu items that were considered house specialties. One dish they have already become instantly famous for is the chicken parm. It is pounded flat onto a pizza dish and topped with sauce and cheese, then baked. It seriously looks like a pizza. I might have to go back to try this. Anyway they have all kinds of meat on tap here. Beef (of course), chicken, veal, pork, lamb. Everything is covered. One thing to note here – truffles on demand. What? Yes. You can have them come over and tick off a few shavings of truffles on anything your little heart desires (for a fee, of course). Fucking brilliant idea. Below is the lemon chicken dish I described above:
chicken alan
Apps, Sides & Desserts: 10
We started off with the steak tartare and the grilled octopus saltimbocca. Both were fucking incredible. I liked the tartare at Quality Meats better, but it was still really great here. Underneath the patty of chopped beef there was a little pool of mushroom aioli, which was really great when you folded it into the meat and mixed it all up (with a squeeze of lemon too). They even had some shaved cheese on top for a salty crunch. The octopus was perfect. They swapped garbanzos (chic peas) for the cannolinis. I think this is a common thing in Italian food culture, because whenever my mom ran out of cannolinis she used garbanzos for our pasta fagioli. Either bean is fine. Both are great.
tartare and octo
For sides we had sunchokes (a delicious cross between potato and artichoke, with an amazing little dipping aioli), and porterhouse filled agnolotti (little football shaped pasta dumplings/packages) with a brown butter sauce. Also amazing. They don’t offer creamed spinach here, but they did offer sautéed spinach. I was too excited for the sunchokes though, so I didn’t try it.
pasta and sunchokes
For dessert we shared a watermelon, lime, strawberry and basil sorbet. It was so fucking good. Very aromatic from the basil, and they even crystallized and sugarified some basil to sprinkle on top and garnish. Really interesting flavors.
sorbet
So many of the other desserts looked good too. It was so hard to choose. They even had a cannoli cart rolling around where you could have them make and fill cannolis for you with whatever flavors you want. This place takes steakhouse dining to a whole new level.
Seafood Selection: 8
Other than the octo, we didn’t have any seafood. They had some nice sounding fish entrees like grilled branzino, etc. And they offered 4 different types of oysters on special (Montauk, Rhode Island, and two west coasters), a nice seafood tower, and some interesting shrimp based pastas. Next trip I will have to delve deeper into the seafood menu.
Service: 10
John was hands down the best waiter I’ve ever had – even better than the young guy at Keen’s that I was so impressed with. I instantly felt like I had known John forever. He was warm, funny, very nice, natural, and extremely knowledgeable on the menu. He knew it in and out, and he knew just where to go and what to suggest when we had follow-up questions. The management was the same way – all very welcoming and friendly. I had the opportunity to meet a bunch of people on the floor. Scott, Roger, and Mike: thank you for making me feel like such a celebrity! My wife was beaming when we left – we had such a great time and you really made our special night memorable. I only wish we had a little more time to spare. We would have loved to take Roger up on his offer to hang out at the bar for a while and have some after dinner drinks. Hopefully next time! Other awesome things to mention in the service department: fresh hot garlic bread. Bread like that makes me wish I had 4 hands (One for each lump, just like how Benny wished he had 3 hands – one for each tit – in the movie Total Recall).
garlic bread
For larger tables, they have this bigger bread dish:
Also; Kate, the sauce specialist. She made the steak sauce table side, mixing up concoctions of raisin molasses puree, fresh tomato, oregano, and other herbs/spices. It was like watching a wizard make a potion. She stirred it up nice in a mortar and pestle, and boom – we had the most delicious and fresh steak sauce in town. We put it on everything we ate, and even took some home with us.
sauce making
Ambiance: 9
I love the simple, bare and elegant look here. They really made the best of the space. I think a few more booth type seats might be nice to add, but the concept here is a little more open anyway, so it might not fit right to have big private type booths jammed in there. The views out the windows are great. I didn’t expect to like a second floor dining room this much. The lighting was cool and interesting: glass balls held in a clamp or vice; very industrial, but not the meat-locker type of look that Quality Meats has. Even the shitter was nice, with its beautiful arched wooden doors. It smelled like the inside of a Yankee Candle store. You would never know that people shit and piss in there – very clean and pretty. For a second floor joint, tho splice is pretty dynamite.
dining room
the room where shitting happens
UPDATE
I came back about a year later and really put the hurt on some bone-in strip, filet, and chicken parm. Check out the pics. This place still holds up really well after a year.
Thank you Roger and Gaetano for putting up another amazing meal!
We started with an order of prosciutto, and also ricotta cheese with honey, pine nuts and pear. Really fucking simple and delicious.
Next came the chicken parm. Holy fuckbags, this is some blow-your-mind shit. They pound out and chop the chicken into the shape of a pizza and then cover it with sauce and cheese. It’s amazing.
They also offer a brunch version of this baby with eggs and bacon on top. Super tasty.
Speaking of brunch, carbonara pasta!!!
We ordered only the side of mushrooms, but the house sent out some kale carbonara and spaghetti squash too! All were amazing. The mushrooms were a blend of four different types; very earthy and fresh. The kale was really great. This dish beats creamed spinach any day.
I had the bone-in strip. Really juicy and perfectly cooked. I ate every bite like a fat bastard.
The filet stole the show though. My buddy got it with this dumpling that was filled with melted gorgonzola. Perfect!
I almost forgot – the house sent out a free bottle of wine too. WOW!
Some more food porn from a third visit. Man the shit is always on point at this joint.
Doughnuts:
Veal osso buco for two:
Pappardelle:
Porterhouse for two:
Mushrooms and peppers with the steak:
One night my wife and I came here and really just focused on the pasta. Here’s a shitty photo of the really great bucatini with clams (cockles):
The pasta was cooked perfectly and had a really amazing flavor, with a generous heaping of saffron sprinkled on top.
We had a side of artichoke mac and cheese. Really great texture from the bread crumbs on top, and gratuitous amounts of delicious artichoke brewing beneath the surface.
On special was a garganelli pasta (similar to a rigatoni or ziti shape) with pork shoulder and guanciale (cured pork jowls). So fucking good.
They really execute this stuff like no other place. I think my favorite pasta dishes all come from Quality Italian (like the pappardelle that you get with the veal shank, pictured above – fucking amazing).
That night we had the smores ice cream dessert. Burnt marshmallow flavored ice cream and a tart filled with brownie? Yes please!
The drink selection is always on point too. My wife ordered a tricolor margarita. Check out the ice cube, layered with different colored margarita ingredients, so that when it melts you’r just getting more margarita, instead of water:
And I was able to try some really nice beer that I’ve never seen before:
After this non-steak visit, I put this place into a tie with its sister restaurant, Quality Meats. They top the leaderboard right now.
UPDATE 2/20/16
This place is truly amazing. I inserted a few updated photos above, but here is a look at their “bone-in filet” – a really nice piece of tenderloin that’s still attached to the vertebra.
It was cooked very nicely and was super tender and juicy, yet retained a great charred flavor from the grill.
My wife tried the balsamic lacquered filet, which is service with a marrow bone filled with fried hazelnuts and marrow. Delicious as well, and cooked similarly perfect.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every cut of beef available here, and a few specials and steak alternatives as well. I can guarantee you will have a great meal here. My most recent waiter, Michael, and the manager Gaetano, really made us feel like royalty here. A few more shots of the incredible food here.
Corn brûlée:
Sauteed spinach:
Fries:
Assorted gelato: ferraro rocher, coffee and nuts, and blood orange creamsicle.
My wife is friends with Mark Hannon, who is the chef over at Ca Va. We came in initially to try out restaurant week, but Mark had something else in store for us. Something amazing.
Mark grew up with a chef for a dad, so it only seemed natural for him to follow in his footsteps. He spent some time running kitchens at some of Thailand’s nicest hotels, and he got close with Todd English over the course of about a decade of working for him. He married an Australian chef, and is now back here in NYC, where he was essentially given free reign over the contents of the Ca Va menu (aside from a few things that needed to stay on or be done a certain way). Since taking the helm at Ca Va in the last moth or so, reviews and diners’ reactions have changed in a significantly positive way. When you see what I have to say below you’ll understand why.
First we ordered a couple of cocktails that were really nicely prepared.
Then, before we knew it, this really cool stand of deviled eggs with caviar and winter truffle came out. It was delicious. Creamy, earthy – a perfect way to start the meal.
Next was escargot with fried sea beans, some interesting purees, stuffed snail shells and crisp ham. The crispy ham was a great way to add a little salt into the dish, and the snails were perfect – soft, tender, buttery.
Next was grilled octopus with cannelini beans, chorizo and dehydrated olive powder. We’ve been having a lot of grilled octopus lately, and this dish sits among the best of them. So tender and juicy. I cleaned this plate off so well it was shining like a mirror when I was done.
Next came kale salad with goat cheese mousse, fava beans, dehydrated prosciutto, radish and snow peas. The big star here was the potato chip-like dehydrated prosciutto. Instantly my mind was imagining bags upon bags of them being consumed while watching movies at home on the couch. Fucking delightful.
Then came a scallop dish. It was seared perfectly and garnished with a trail of mushroom dirt (mushroom, shallot, almond flour, dextrose, garlic) and truffles, topped with caviar, and sitting atop asparagus and braised pulled oxtail. Holy shit. This was insane! This represents the best scallop I’ve ever eaten. Mark blew it out of the water.
Next was, by far, the most interesting plate of food of the night and possibly of the year. Duck breast and seared fois gras with toasted marshmallows, chocolate sauce, peanuts, cinnamon, huckleberries and roasted kale sprouts. It was savory yet sweet, but not too sweet, which is what you might expect when you see the stuff listed above. Combining the elements with the duck really made for some taste bud-awakening flavors.
Oh yeah baby – here it comes. Aged New York strip with tangy mustard potato salad and bone marrow powder, drizzled with a bone marrow bordelaise. Let’s just say that the meat man went home a very happy dude. Perfectly cooked to medium rare, sliced and plated beautifully, TONS of flavor and juiciness.
The first dessert was a bread pudding. I have a pic of the ingredients here but I was embarrassed about whipping out the cell phone camera to shoot the plate because Mark was sitting and chatting with us as we ate this course. I would’ve felt like a d-bag sticking my camera in his food instead of just eating it. It was great. Lots of times the texture of bread pudding isn’t right. Either the soak doesn’t hit all the bread and you get some bricks in there, or you are really just eating it for the sauces and toppings. This bread pudding was different. I usually don’t like white chocolate but I loved every bite of it here. The bread pudding itself was very silky and smooth, with really nice texture.
Last came a little plate of cookies and chocolates. The cookies were great, made in-house. The chocolates were pretty good too, nice and rich, but not made in-house.
Jordan, our waiter, was really great. We made sure to give him a good tip seeing as though he had to deal with us for about three hours.
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
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.
The crux of this entry is going to focus on two food stops we made while we were here: Morton’s and White House Sub Shop.
My buddy and I flew down like CEOs on a 30 minute flight from Long Island to check out a classic car auction that was going on at the convention center. I won’t bore you foodies with pics of the awesome cars. Instead I’ll get right to the good shit.
Had I known there was an Asian culinary battle going on down there, I would have registered to view/taste. Too bad I didn’t know until it was too late. This was right at the bottom of our elevator bank:
Morton’s
I haven’t been to a Morton’s in a long time but I remember them being really great. My memory served me well. We went to Morton’s on Friday after we checked in. The rib eye was nearly perfect, aside from some bits of inedible gristle. Evenly cooked, juicy, with that signature aged flavor. 9/10.
rib eyerib eye
My buddy tried the peppercorn strip steak. It was great too – really nice flavor, though I would go without the sauce. 9/10.
peppercorn strip
As a beef eater, I got my typical gin martini, made with Beefeater:
On the side we had some bacon and onion mac & cheese, which was really good. Creamy, good smoke flavor.
We also did a wedge salad – pretty standard:
But the highlight of the meal was the “bacon steak” appetizer. It was soft and tender – don’t let the grill marks and charred looks deceive you in this image. It was thick, smokey, and delicious. We went back for more on Sunday, but they didn’t open until 5pm and we had a flight to catch.
The service here was excellent. Our waitress, Nicole, knew her steak well and made great suggestions to us, and the management was good enough to come over and check in on us to make sure everything was to our liking. The price was right too: at only about $100 each we thought we got a great deal for all that food.
White House Sub Shop
This place is awesome. We went on Sunday morning at about 11am. I went with a cheesesteak loaded with the works: hot peppers, grilled onions, lettuce, and tomato. PACKED with flavor, not too salty or greasy, good quality bread. Just right. And for $8.66 you really can’t beat it. Check out all the pics:
Worst part of the trip: Noodle Bar at Caesar’s. We were excited to go the first time, especially since I saw pho on the menu. Too bad it sucked. It was bland, and the meat quality was low to poor at best. Also WAY too many noodles and not enough meat. Overpriced too, at $16 for a shitty bowl that is much better and costs only $6 in NYC.
On Saturday night we were starving since we skipped dinner and had $2 beers at Mountain Bar instead.
decor at mountain bar
The only place open nearby at 1am, that we knew about anyway, was the fucking Noodle Bar. So we went back in. This time I ordered salt & pepper pork chops. They were pretty good, but I didn’t expect them to be deep fried and DRENCHED in table salt. WAY too salty. I only ate about half after doing my best to dust all the salt off.
Lucky for us, we were able to salvage the night before with a good Bloody Mary at Phillips the next morning.
And some gelato at the hotel lobby:
And when I got home, my wife had this waiting for me – a new custom cell phone case with one of my logos on it. Best wife ever.
