Category Archives: Steakhouse Reviews

Rib Eye, Steakhouse Reviews, Union Square/Flatiron

Vic & Anthony’s

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Vic & Anthony’s overall score: 84

NOTE: this restaurant is now CLOSED.

This place is brand new in NY, taking over the location where Angelo & Maxies was located. There are three other locations around the states. I saw the website and it looked really impressive, so I was itching to get my mouth around some delicious steak and seafood there. A group of us decided to give it a try when a friend was back in town for a visit.

Flavor: 8

I had the bone-in ribeye. It was nicely cooked and even all the way through, but lacked a little bit of char and crisped edges. Otherwise it was well rested, juicy, and seasoned appropriately. The others leveled similar criticism about the meat, but I must say despite that mishap my steak was really fucking tasty, so I am only deducting two points. One of my buddies almost sprouted labia and ordered lamb chops, but he was quickly set in line and went with the ribeye as well. I wonder if he would have been happier with the lamb. You can see in the pic below that the meat actually looks wet and not crusted.

Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 9

Vic and Anthony’s covers the basics in top fashion. They have two ribeyes; a boneless, and a bone-in. They have two sizes of filet, a boneless strip, and porterhouse for two. They also list “domestic Kobe beef” on the menu, a contradiction in terms (see earlier post on Kobe and Wagyu items in this country). Not a bad beef selection, though they would benefit from having one or two other cuts specially prepared, like a flank or skirt. They have toppings that you can order with your steak, like blue cheese bacon butter, or bone marrow bordelaise, but I am somewhat of a purist. I tried the blue cheese bacon butter on the side and it was actually really good, as was the bordelaise. Maybe they would have been good for fries, but I don’t like putting sauces on my meat as a general matter. As I’ve said in the past: this review blog isn’t about the dress; its about the meat underneath, so who cares about the fuckin’ sauce.

Portion Size & Plating: 8

The sizes are good here. They have 8oz and 12oz filets, 16oz strip, and 16oz and 22oz ribeyes. No size was given to the porterhouse, but they are usually around 36oz-40oz (shared between two people). As for the other items, the portion size was small for the cured meats platter, good for the creamed spinach, asparagus and mashed potatoes, and good for the creme brulee.

4) Price: 7

It seemed a little pricey for some of the items (cured meat platter and sauces specifically). The steaks are all just under $50, which is the new normal I guess. My bone-in ribeye, however, was $57. The total bill was $714 for 5 people (after tax but before tip).

Bar: 9

The bar was nice and big; the whole place is newly decorated, and there’s lots of glass everywhere, and wine bottles. The bar is set up like a square shaped island that splits the rear dining area from the front. The martini was made perfectly; cold and crisp, at $13. Also the location of this place is in a cool spot, near a lot of other walk by places, so it is definitely a cool spot to pop in just for a drink and some bar grub.

Specials and Other Meats: 8

On special they had several items, but nothing jumped out as sounding amazing. She talked about some of the “domestic kobe” items when reading off the specials, but I wasn’t that interested. I also restrained myself from taking notes during the meal like a dick. For “other meats” they had lamb chops, veal chops prepared two different ways, and chicken prepared two different ways. Not bad.

Apps, Sides & Desserts: 8

We ordered two dozen oysters and a cured meat platter to start. The oysters were AWESOME – in fact they were jerkworthy. Cleanly shucked, ice cold, creamy, briney, and crisp. We actually started with one dozen but as soon as we each had a few we knew we needed more. The cured meat platter was nothing really special. This is something that can be put together several times for $10 cheaper on a simple trip to the grocery store or deli. GOBBAGOOL! The creamed spinach was extremely cheese-laden and heavy.  I liked it, but it was really like having an order of creamy blue cheese with a little bit of spinach threaded through it. Certainly not the traditional “mostly green” style, but interesting nonetheless. We also had some mashed potatoes, which were average, and asparagus, which was also average. For dessert we all had a few bites of an order of creme brulee, which was really nicely done. I love that shit. If I could, I would rub it on my balls like lotion.

Seafood Selection: 10

I was really excited to see Alaskan king crab grace the menu here. Really amazing. I wanted to order it as a side dish to be honest. They also had lobster tail (as well as full lobsters), pepper crusted tuna, salmon, a number of seafood pasta dishes, and a fish of the day, which was probably something that I willingly ignored during the reading of the specials. The app selection of seafood is also impressive, and covers a huge variety of cold items. If the seafood flavor is comparable to the oysters, then this place should get a score of 10 here. In fact I will leave it at 10 just for the oysters.

Service: 10

Theresa was our waitress, and should be commended for an excellent job. She was really great, and knew exactly what drinks we brought over from the bar when we sat down just by overhearing us talk about what we each had, what we liked, etc. Pretty impressive. She was also really sociable and friendly, and we welcomed her and other workers into our conversations about how shitty our HTC Thunderbolts are, about kosher beef butchering processes, etc. She turned out to be a great source of info as a matter of fact. The table breads were basic, but they were warm and crispy, and served with soft spreadable butter.

Ambiance: 8

The decor was all brand new but not necessarily my “taste.” There were lots of weird colors on the rug in the rear dining area, like a weird late 80s piece of wall art. There’s lots of glass and pillared areas with wine bottles interestingly displayed, which was actually very cool. The front and sides have booths, but there is also a lot of space for massive crowds of diners at tables. The bathroom was definitely shit-worthy; clean, nicely decorated. I was hoping there would be a bathroom attendant with shave gear, so I could have shaved my entire full beard and then returned to the meal clean shaven as if nothing happened, but there wasn’t one on staff. They did have thick paper towels with their Vic & Anthony’s logo printed on them.

Rib Eye, Steakhouse Reviews, Union Square/Flatiron

BLT Prime

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BLT Prime overall score: 90

NOTE: THIS PLACE IS NOW CLOSED!

Over the last two years I have heard nothing but great praise for BLT Prime. It was high time that Johnny Prime stepped through the doors here. This time was a birthday meal… for me.

Flavor: 9

You can certainly taste the quality angus beef in this steak. I had the ribeye and it was really great, other than the fact that it needed a touch of salt. The steak comes with a half head of roasted garlic and rosted bone marrow. That was amazing, but it was almost a little TOO much melty fattiness on the plate at once. Perhaps the marrow would have been better suited to go with the bread and chicken liver pate before the meal (which was psychotically amazing – for real, the bread is “stab your mother in the face” good). They claim to broil the meat at 1700 degrees; this should make for a great crispy char on the outside, locking in the juices beneath the surface, but my steak wasnt so crispy on the edges. They serve the meat with a steak sauce that is somewhere between a gravy and A1. It’s not bad, but certainly not for putting onto CAB quality prime beef. That would be tantamount to sin. Mortal sin, like eating the faces of limbless mentally challenged midgets after blowing inch thick rails of bath salts and getting naked in the streets of Miami with your homeless friends.

the ribeye

Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 10

All the meat here is prime, aged, and Certified Angus brand, so you are basically guaranteed top notch cuts. BLT Prime boasts an impressive selection of carcass too. Two versions of strip: bone in “Kansas City,” and boneless “New York;” a filet; a porterhouse for two; a “cowboy” bone-in ribeye; and even a hanger. On top of that, they even have a small selection of “Kobe Wagyu” cuts (please refer to my prior post about Kobe and/or Wagyu beef in this country): a ribeye, a top cap, and a skirt, all boneless and all the same size (10oz). At least the menu had the good sense to explain that these were domestic cuts, not the real deal. They also have braised short ribs on their entree menu, and they offer a special organic porterhouse for two, in addition to a number of other dead animals. They have a host of sauces you can order to top your steaks as well, but I passed on those. This review blog isn’t about the dress; it’s about the meat underneath.

Portion Size & Plating: 9

Ounces are listed as follows: bone in “Kansas City” = 20oz; boneless “New York” = 16oz; a filet; porterhouse for two = 38oz; “cowboy” bone-in ribeye = 22oz; hanger = 10oz; fake Kobe Wagyu selections = 10oz. These portion sizes are average to slightly above average for steaks. Other menu items were slightly smaller in terms of portion size (with the exception of the bacon app and the special fish entree), but you get so full with all the little freebies that it doesn’t matter. My ribeye came out on a nice cast iron skillet, as did the peas and creamed spinach sides (in cast iron tubs). My wife’s whole roasted fish was served head on, beautifully plated.

whole roasted black bass

4) Price: 8

The prices for the main cuts range from $44 (filet) to $57 (bone in strip), and they seem fair. I’m not quite sure why the one strip clocks in so high. The ribeye is $10 cheaper and 2oz larger. The other items were a bit pricey. Our total bill was about $270 for three apps, two entrees, two sides, two desserts and a few drinks a piece. Not too bad, but some items felt wasteful. The oysters seemed a bit pricey so we skipped those this time around, but there were two kinds in my seafood platter (also high at $34). But it was delicious. On the other hand you can get a really great price fix menu of four courses for $60, which in my opinion is a steal.

Bar: 8

The bar was nice, modern, elegant, minimal, and clean. Great wood on the actual bar surface. A nice big image of the Wall Street bull graced the lounge seating area across from the actual bar. The martini was made well; crisp, clean, cold. It was $12. They also offer a great selection of specialty cocktails; we tried the blueberry bramble (gin, blueberry puree, lemon juice, simple syrup, shaved ice).

Specials and Other Meats: 10

On special BLT Prime had an entire menu of items. White asparagus, fluke carpaccio, whole grilled black bass, lamb rump roast, organic porterhouse, spring peas, shishito peppers, banana cream tart with praline ice cream, and chocolate fudge cake with mint ice cream. As far as “other meats” go, they offered braised short ribs, rack of lamb (in addition to the rump/lamb ass on special), veal chop and roast chicken. This, combined with the ample supply of traditional steaks and other specialty cuts demonstrates great diversity. On Sundays they even have a prime rib special for $47, and they have a daily price fix special of four courses (limited selection to the special items I first listed above) for $60. Awesome.

Apps, Sides & Desserts: 8

We ordered fluke carpaccio, bacon, and a seafood platter for apps. The platter had a small half lobster, two clams, two oysters, a rock crab claw and knuckle, and a few jumbo shrimp. The lobster was sweet and perfectly cooked. The crab was a little on the bland side, but still good. The shrimp were awesome, and the raw shellfish were really crisp and creamy. My wife liked the fluke carpaccio but I was a little put off by it; perhaps because I despise dill. But I was expecting more of an usuzukuri style japanese ice cold sushi dish, but this was still nice. The bacon was more like ham, and the fat between the meat was a bit too stringy to eat. It was also just warm, not sizzling hot like some places. On the bright side the order came with four strips rather than the standard one or two for the same price. I’ve been to places where the bacon ranges from $5-$10 per slice. Here it was $10 for four slices, but not nearly up to snuff when compared to other bacon apps I have had (in terms of flavor and quality). On the side we had the creamed spinach. It was pretty good. Rich flavor, creamy, with crispy minced garlic on top. A bit on the heavy side, however, and a little small in size. There was also the spring peas on the side. They were a bit too firm/uncooked and grainy for my liking, but fresh, minty, and flavorful nonetheless. They were dressed up with bacon and cipollini mixed in. For dessert we had the banana cream tart with praline ice cream, and they served me a complimentary order of birthday donuts with coffee ice cream and dark chocolate sauce. Both were delicious ways to end a great meal, and the ice creams that came with each were amazing, packing in lots of natural, mild flavors with smooth airy textures. By the way; the fries looked amazing but we were way too full to order anything else.

seafood platter, fluke carpaccio, plantain chips, bacon (left); donuts (top); creamed spinach & peas (bottom)

Seafood Selection: 9

Wonderful seafood selection. In addition to the fully stocked app section (platters included), they also offered a wide variety of entrees. Dover sole, branzino, ahi tuna, Maine lobster and shrimp. On special there was also the fluke app, and the whole black bass entree. The bass had nice crispy skin, yet it was tender inside. It was HUGE too. Really beautifully cooked and simply delightful to both look at and eat.

Service: 10

Our waiter was AWESOME. I wish I remembered his name to give him some praise here (maybe Scott?). First come the incredible table breads; a nice toasty slice of soft yet crispy ciabatta bread with a latched mason jar of chicken pate to spread across it. Unbelievable. I was licking the spoon for every last bit of pate. Then comes the cheese popovers. Made fresh, they are hot, airy, and crispy on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside, with a nice briny cheese flavor throughout. We took a bunch of stuff home with us, but the waiter and bus boy gave us extra cheese popovers, fresh and hot, right in the bag. AWESOME! I would seriously come here just for the bread. It is THAT good. The best part: a recipe for the popovers is included with the doggie bag. There was also a freebie of thinly sliced (longways) fried plantains that went nicely with the seafood apps. Oh and also a freebie of mini rum cake brownies that came with dessert. They’re called “petits fours” in the foodie world, for you culinary morons, but that is a quiffy French term, so I don’t blame you for knowing about it or caring about it. Fuck that shit. Oh yeah and my dessert was free for my birthday. Holy shit! They wished me happy birthday… several times! As you can tell the service here is incredible, seriously. Last, if you fill out a comment card and sign up for a “BLT” credit card of sorts, you get 15% off your next meal there. Not too shabby, since I am almost certain I will be at a BLT establishment again sometime in the future.

chicken liver pate bread and cheese popovers

Ambiance: 9

The decor was modern and elegant, yet sleek, minimal and robust. The dark wood floors are stunning. Nothing here is overdone or too fancy; in fact the coolest feature is the gigantic menu they have posted on a fuzzy black board that takes up the entire left wall of the rear/main floor dining area. The main dining room boasts gorgeous, angled, greenhouse-style glass-paneled skylights that slope up to create a high vaulted ceiling. On the opposite side of the dining room there is an elevated area for private seating overlooking the dining room on one side and the bar/lounge on the other. There is also a private room downstairs for parties or gatherings. There’s even some outdoor seating, curbside, which is rare and awesome at a steakhouse. Another cool feature about this place is that the reverse side of the menu has a great pictorial beef chart that shows where virtually every commercially available (in the US) cut of beef comes from on the cow. It is so great that I need to share it with the beef community. The bathroom was clean and nice, with thick disposable paper towels in stacks beside the marble sink. A fine place to drop a deuce if needed.

BLT PRIME
111 E. 22nd St.
New York, NY 10010

Long Island, Rib Eye, Steakhouse Reviews

J&R (Patchogue, Long Island)

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J&R overall score: 67

UPDATE: THIS LOCATION IS NOW CLOSED!

I’ve eaten at J&R many times, at all locations on Long Island. It all depends on who is doing the cooking, really, but I’ve noticed that some locations are better than others. Patchogue, for example, is a better location than Islip. See below:

Flavor: 6

For the price, J&R delivers what amounts to an average choice grade steak. The sad part is that the steak here can sometimes taste as good or better than some of the places charging lots of money for a prime cut. I had the broiled ribeye here because in the past I have had the marinated ribeye. I almost went with a filet, but changed my mind last minute. This is the kind of place where a marinated steak is a wise selection, because the process imparts tenderness and flavor into the less-than-best cuts of beef. I enjoyed it for what it was: a cheap, local joint where I could chow on a half decent steak. The meat was cooked much more evenly and correctly as opposed to Islip, so I bumped the score up a point here.

Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 7

This is essentially going to be the same as my earlier review of J&R in Islip, since they have the same menu and cuts available.

Portion Size & Plating: 7

Nothing has changed here either from the previous J&R review of the Islip location. One thing I will mention is that I didn’t think my steak was actually 24oz. I realize that several ounces cook away in the process, and that steaks are weighed before cooking, but this boneless cut seemed more like an 18oz-20oz cut to my eyes.

Price: 8

Again same as J&R in Islip. The bill for four meals was $108. Half the price of Murtha’s and a quarter the price of the big boys in NYC.

Bar: 8

I’ve raised the bar score for the Patchogue location by a point, because it is a nice long stretch of real estate with a great selection of beers and specials. It is also across the street from a great fun pub called the Brickhouse Brewery.

Specials and Other Meats: 6

See the J&R Islip review again for this section – it remains unchanged.

Apps, Sides & Desserts: 6

J&R steaks come with a soup/salad and a side. I had a salad with blue cheese – nothing fancy, but it did the job. For my side I picked the creamed spinach, which was creamy but lacked character. The steak dinners also come with a little bit of steamed veggies on the plate (cauliflower, carrots, and beans). We skipped apps and desserts.

Seafood Selection: 4

J&R seemingly has a lot to choose from aside from clams and oysters. My wife had twin lobster tails, but they were EXTREMELY salty… like RUINED. Total suckage, because she could barely eat her meal. Her baked potato was the best part of the meal, she said. In hindsight we should have sent it back. I took two points here from the earlier review score for that major blunder.

Service: 8

Our waitress was nice – she even offered up an Italian ice place for us to grab dessert when she heard us talking about going on the hunt for ice cream.

Ambiance: 7

This J&R is much nicer than the Islip one in terms of bar, so that kinda overtakes the score on ambiance as well.

Filet Mignon, Midtown West, Press Reviews, Rib Eye, Steakhouse Reviews

Frankie & Johnnie’s (37th St.)

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Frankie & Johnnie’s overall score: 79

In a last minute, game time decision to grab some steaks, I took my wife and the super awesome guy who built this website out to dinner as a thank you gesture for all the work put into getting this page into legitimacy. It turned out to be a really fucking good meal.

Flavor: 9 (updated to 8)

We got the peppercorn crusted ribeye for two that was on special here. It was beautifully cooked to right between medium and medium rare, like we asked. If I had to guess I’d say it was maybe 36-40oz, but it had no waste on it. It came pre-sliced, but not in the shitty style of how most places serve the “porterhouse for two.” You know the drill and how it is at those shit boxes; it comes out on a screeming hot bowl-plate, and the bleed-out liquid pools underneath the carcass. It’s like a culinary horror movie where the star of the film gets killed at the end instead of living happily ever after. Then the meat becomes dry unless you destroy the soft tissue in your mouth and eat it right away, while it is still 17 million degrees. No – Frankie & Johnnie’s respects the meat! They let it rest and cool down, and there was absolutely no run-off under the sliced meat. NONE. It held all its juices, and the deliciousness was locked in tight. It has a great char on the edges, and the peppercorn crusting added interesting flavor, though I thought the peppercorn was not really necessary. Even the blubber was smooth and edible on this fucker – like you could smear it on bread instead of using butter, kinda like roasted bone marrow but less gamey. It was served with a gravy boat of sauce – likely a catching of flavorful drippings and juices from the cooking process, clarified, and reduced just a bit for cohesion. It was fucking drinkable. Bravo to this place.

Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 9 (updated to 8)
The menu online is very different from what they have on site, so I was pleasantly surprised to see more variety than I expected. They had the basics in the following form: filet with a mushroom cap (in two sizes), ground filet mignon (think elevated “chopped steak”), “sirloin steak” (which I assume is a lesser version of a strip cut, but aged nicely), a ribeye, a t-bone (a “lesser” porterhouse, but for one), and porterhouses for two or three. In addition, and on special, they had the ribeye for two that I described above. All the beef is dry aged and prime quality, and on top of the good beef selection they also have a great selection of alternameats (see the other section below). All that was missing was, say, a flank or a skirt cut.
Portion Size & Plating: 8
Sizes here are good but not off the charts. As I mentioned the ribeye for two was certainly enough given the fact that there was no waste. It was in the 36-40oz range, and while I have had ribeye for one at 39oz, the quality here surpassed nearly all other large portioned cuts that I’ve had. The filet comes in 8oz flavor, or 12oz flavor. You see the trend? Not too massive, but all good. So you get bang for your buck.
Price: 9
The prices here are actually really great for NYC. Nothing breaks $50 for a singular cut of meat, and most items from the beef side of things come in around mid $40s. The ribeye for two was $90. For a special cold seafood tower, an order of oysters, a bacon app, a special ribeye for two, two sides, a dessert, and four drinks the bill only came to $281 after tax. Not bad at all for a thoroughly enjoyed meal. I only took a point off because they mistakenly charged me for and served me a scotch that cost $4 more than the one I actually ordered.

Bar: 7

Frankie & Johnnie’s is set up a bit odd, but they make good use of the space. When you walk in, you are in a small entry hall with the greeter. There is a stairway up to the main dining room, and a short stairway down into the bar area, which extends backward on the ground floor level. It is dim, but lively. It has one flat screen tv, and across are a bunch of tables for bar dining. The martini was made perfectly, though a bit on the pricey side at $13-$14. Since it isn’t adjacent to the windows, it lacks a certain feel that I’ve come to want at restaurant bars. Contrast with Del Frisco’s bar, which is big, open, and right along the windows. See a picture of the bar and seating area below:

Specials and Other Meats: 8

On special was the ribeye for two, a hot seafood platter app, a cold seafood platter app, and an apple smoked thick cut bacon app. I would have liked to see a marinated flank or skirt to round out the beef selection, but otherwise it was a decent showing, especially considering we ordered three of the four items on special. As for other meats, they offered a great and unique selection; double loin lamb chops, pork chops, veal porterhouse, calves liver, and chicken (for pussies and broads).

Apps, Sides & Desserts: 7 (updated to 6)

We started with a plate of Pine Island oysters and the apple bacon app. The bacon was nice and thick, though one piece I had was a bit stringy since it was the end of the belly. The apples added a nice sweetness and acidity to contrast the fat. The oysters were creamy, crisp, cold, clean, and packed a lot of flavor. My wife had the cold seafood platter. It’s meant to serve two people, but I thought it was a little small for that (and pricey at $54). It had two oysters, two clams, two shrimp, some lump crab meat, and a half lobster (likely a small 1lb jammy). It was all very tasty though, so size was the only issue. The creamed spinach is a staple at any steak meal. Here it was average – yummy but not stellar. It was creamy, but a bit too loose. I’ve had better at Wolfgang’s. The mushrooms and onions were sweet and earthy. They did a good sautee job on them – not too salty, oily or buttery. For dessert we tried the coconut sorbet; it was airy, natural tasting, and creamy, yet did it not feel or taste like dairy. I guess that’s why it’s called sorbet and not ice cream, but it had the consistancy of ice cream.
Seafood Selection: 9 (updated to 8)

They offer Maine and African lobster, broiled salmon, shrimp scampi, Chilean seabass, and pan seared tuna for seafood entrees (along with a quiffy surf & turf). There’s also lots of the standard stuff on the app side of the menu, like the raw bar, crab cakes and all manner of cocktails.

Service: 9

The waiter was great – he gave us enough space but he was always there when we needed him. He was cheerful and happy, but not in the fake “TGI Friday’s” kind of way. He was genuine. All the servers were dressed with formal attire (vests and ties), and the staff was mixed male and female. The bread assortment consisted of some onion bread, garlic bread, flat bread, and other dinner rolls. The bread was warm but the butter was cold.

Ambiance: 8

Despite a slight lacking in the bar area, Frankie & Johnnie’s main dining room has elegant decor, lofty ceilings, and plenty of space. It is classy but not stuffy. In the rear there is a huge fireplace with lots of dark wood trim surrounds. Very nice. One down side is the lack of a bathroom on the dining floor. You have to go down to the back of the bar area, and that shitter isn’t that nice to begin with. Mediocre at best.

UPDATE: 1/18/18

After a re-visit many years later, I had to drop the score down a few points. The rib eye was flavorful but lots of the fat was inedible. The filet had more flavor, despite having less character.

Rib Eye: 7/10

Filet Mignon: 8/10

Steak Sauce

The seafood appetizer special for two, I thought, was going to be a chilled seafood platter. It turned out to be crab cakes, baked clams, and shrimp scampi. It wasn’t bad, in fact i liked the crab cake’s potato crust. It was just a little bit skimpy for a dish “for two.”

Mixed Seafood Grill

The bacon was a bit too fatty. I enjoy eating fat bacon, but perhaps this needed to be cooked for a longer amount of time at a lower temperature, to ensure that all the chewy bits became soft.

Bacon

The potatoes were cut into chunks as opposed to sliced thin. The result inside was a thin, soupy consistency that wasn’t too good.

Potatoes Au Gratin

The broccoli was great. Simple garlic and oil preparation, crisped and sautéed nicely.

Broccoli

Both the bread pudding and the chocolate lava cake lacked flavor. Particularly the lava cake. The outside was rubbery and flavorless.

Bread Pudding

FRANKIE & JOHNIE’S
32 W. 37th St.
New York, NY 10018

Filet Mignon, Flash Deals, Midtown East, Other Cuts, Steakhouse Reviews

Sparks

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Sparks overall score: 70

This review is based on my third or fourth trip to Sparks. I’ve been here a bunch, but not since I started reviewing steakhouses. See below for the verdict. In 2001 the NY Post called this place the greatest steakhouse in Manhattan. I disagree, vehemently. See below:

Flavor: 6
I had the “prime sirloin” on the recommendation of the waiter; their “signature steak.” I asked for medium rare, but what I received was a jumble of medium rare, rare and flat out RAW.  I had to ask the guy to re-fire it as I got into the center of the cut, and even then it was under cooked when it came back – still raw and rare in parts. My buddy ordered his filet medium, and his too came back mostly medium rare, rare and RAW. This is unacceptable, and the taste was lacking big time (4/10). The filet bite that I did have was good, however (8/10).  My “prime sirloin” was good around the edges, where it was cooked, but otherwise the inside had all the tell-tale signs of NOT being a true strip; so I was lied to. Not all Sirloin is strip. There were stringy, uncooked white ribbons of connective tissue, some chewy, dense areas, and lots of under cooked portions. If you are dead set on eating here, do yourself a favor and stick to the somewhat safe filet (it’s fine – just a slight bit under seasoned), and order it a step or two past what you normally like in terms of done-ness. On a subsequent trip, we did a filet and a lobster – no complaints, but I did know to order it medium if I wanted a steak somewhere in the “rare to medium rare” range.
still rare after the second firing

Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 5

Another steakhouse without a ribeye on the menu; but no porterhouse here either!?!!?? What the fuck is going on? This “lacking certain basic cuts” trend needs to stop, otherwise JP will become very pissed. I could swear I had a ribeye here in the past… but maybe not. Sparks has all aged prime beef, but I think they may be using lesser cuts – in other words – they offer a prime aged sirloin instead of a real strip that is cut from a porterhouse. Or they use the “strip” side of a lesser quality t-bone (not a porterhouse). I saw shell steak on the menu here masquerading as a real cut of beef. Are you fucking serious? I don’t care if it is prime shell steak; it’s still a fucking piece of trash shell steak and not one of the four main cuts! I know places that serve CHOICE beef that scored higher, because they prepare them correctly and they actually ARE real steakhouse cuts like porterhouse, strip and ribeye. Is Sparks freaking joking with this? I suspected other places of doing it as well, and gave the benefit of the doubt, but I am not letting is slide anymore. Nope. They say “aged prime sirloin” instead of strip. Technically they are not from the same area in the anatomy of a cow! Go get some porterhouses, some real strips, and some fucking ribeyes for fuck’s sake! Like I said, EVEN IF THEY ARE CHOICE it is better! These people are acting like “prime beef” is the same as Kobe or some shit. I can understand a “Kobe” t-bone, or a “Kobe” sirloin, or a “Kobe” shell steak on a menu. Doing this is good because it is offering really great meat from a lesser cut so that the non-wealthy masses can try what really amazing meat tastes like. Kobe is special (even the faux versions), so offering a lesser cut is a great idea (otherwise something like a Kobe ribeye would be around $50-$100 an ounce). Listen – anyone can age a choice cut of meat to taste like prime in their garage or basement; but prime is not that big of a deal! I hope people understand what I am saying in this really long rant here, because this is a really dubious, evil, manipulative trend that is happening at very pricey steakhouses. Unless you know beef like I do, you might not comprehend what is happening (see my steak basics and cuts/anatomy blog posts from way back for a refresher). Anyway… Sparks also does a lot of “sliced steaks” on their menu. No good. Keep it simple, and keep it whole. I’m a big boy. I can cut my own meat.

Portion Size & Plating: 8

Sizes here are good – you will be full if you can eat your cut of beef, assuming they cook it properly when you go. I left about 4oz of beef on my plate because it was raw, even after the second firing of my steak. The filet, however, was a good size, and very tasty on my next visit. Keep it safe.
filet

Price: 7

The price is good for NYC at $40 to $47 for the steaks, but the trade off is you are getting lesser quality meat cuts. We had a Bloomspot deal that cost $115 for $200 worth of food and drinks (excluding tax/tip), so that helped a lot. Otherwise I wouldn’t go here again on a dare. We were out of pocket $235, but it was really a $320 meal. For that price it should have been perfect, and they didn’t know we were using a coupon/gift certificate until after we ate dessert.

Bar: 8

The bar at Sparks is okay. I prefer the bar at Keens; it has a similar look, though here it is tucked away from the windows and in the center of the restaurant. The martini was made perfectly, and there is a great selection of rare booze. Down side – they don’t offer beer on tap, and the beer they did have in bottles was slightly skunked.
top view of my martini
Specials and Other Meats: 6
On special Sparks had NOTHING. For alternative meat selection they had veal and lamb. NO CHICKEN – I love it. Ballsy. But they should consider adding some real steaks to their menu, instead of shell and sirloin, even if they have to charge $10 more for each.

Apps, Sides & Desserts: 7

When I came here in the past, the lump crab meat cocktail had bits of flaky shells in it, twice (original order and replacement order). The same was true this time around. The hash browns were very small in size for $9, though they were good. The creamed spinach ABSOLUTELY SUCKED. It was watery, not creamy, unseasoned, had a horrible texture, and just all around tasted like dog shit (because we all know what that tastes like, right?). The Caesar salad was delicious and a great size to share for two. The oysters ($3 each) were creamy, fresh and delicious. The best part of the meal though, besides getting up and leaving, was the pecan walnut pie for dessert. VERY good. On another visit I tried the sauteed spinach (garlic & oil). It was good, but lacked salt & pepper (Seasoning 101).
oyster app (gigantoysters)

Seafood Selection: 10

Sparks has a ton of seafood to choose from. On the menu there is sole, seabass, red snapper, and shrimp for entrees, but they also have a smattering of items featured at the top of the menu for some reason as well. These include halibut, salmon, tuna, swordfish, trout, lobster (three size/price categories, up to 5.5lbs – $90), crab, and scallops. Perhaps Sparks should change their name to “Sparks Fish House” instead of “Sparks Steakhouse,” because there are way more REAL CUTS to choose from in the seafood department than the meat department. Oh well. As far as apps go, they have all the shellfish basics, and as I said above, the oysters were legit. The lobster is good as well.
lobster man

Service: 6

The waiter was nice and attentive, but no one wished me happy birthday (as mentioned on the reservation note), and he also flat out lied to me about the “prime sirloin” being the same as a strip steak. I call bullshit. Sorry buddy. You were nice, but when we drop $235 on a meal, I expect to be treated with honesty and served good food that I will remember for days to come (for the right reasons). The table bread was hot and crispy, but the butter was cold. Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things in this meal. Also… Halfway through my glass of water I noticed that the INSIDE was disgusting. A yellowish crud-crust was clinging to one side up the entire length of the glass. God knows what I put into my body by drinking that shit.

Ambiance: 7

Sparks is known for its infamous mafia hit, which occurred right outside the restaurant… and it is decorated with the expected mafioso look. Dark musty interior, gaudy patterned rugs, wide open dining space. It could almost be in Little Italy if it weren’t for its immense size. It is nice and traditional inside, with all the waiters being male and wearing white tops with ties of some kind.

SPARK’S
210 E. 46th St.
New York, NY 10017

Long Island, Porterhouse, Steakhouse Reviews

Bobby Van’s (Bridgehampton)

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Bobby Van’s overall score: 84

A trip to Bobby Van’s was a long time in the making. It has been on my never-ending short list for quite some time. I went with my family in a group of six to the Bridgehampton location on a Saturday. Check it out assholes:
Flavor: 8
I had the porterhouse since they didn’t have a ribeye on the menu (WTF???!?). It was good!  The waiter suggested that the two of us ordering it go with a porterhouse for two rather than two single steaks because the cut would be thicker. It was nicely cooked, even throughout, a good char on the outside with a nice buttery flavor. They probably could have seasoned it a bit more, but otherwise it was a good meal. One negative is in the preparation. Like many steakhouses serving the porterhouse, they pre-slice the meat and serve it on a hot plate. It’s nice for sharing that way, but there was a pool of oil, butter and juices at the bottom of the plate. When you cut meat while still hot, you can dry it out. At the same time, after you cut it, the meat sits in a pool of liquids and makes the bottom of the steak sog the fuck up, which just got a nice char in the broiler or on the grill. So while the meat becomes dry in the central parts, it also gets soggy and ruins the char on one side. I’ve griped about the way porterhouses are ruined many times. Next time that there isn’t a ribeye on the menu, I might just have to stick with a strip or filet on their own, since porterhouses are inevitably destroyed on a regular basis at steakhouses. The server here at least had the sense to tip the plate up so that the juices didn’t soak the char and make the bottom of the steak soggy. Side note – it is sort of a world of difference to go from ribeye to porterhouse, in terms of flavor. The ribeye just packs so much more of a punch. It’s a shame they don’t offer one regularly. I know they have them on special on occasion though (lollipop steak). I also had a taste of the lamb, which was very nice as well.
 
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 7
One thing I noticed right away when checking the menu online was that they didn’t offer a ribeye (as I annoyingly mentioned several times above). That means instant points come off. Three to be exact. Not only is it my personal favorite cut, but it is THE steak. Keen’s commits this treachery too, but they make up one point with all the other kinds of meats they have (the amazing mutton). Aside from that issue, Bobby Van’s is good. They have all three of the other mainstay cuts (filet, porterhouse, and strip), and everything is top quality.
 
Portion Size & Plating: 8
Sizes here are pretty good. The lamb chops were a healthy size, and the porterhouse was about 40oz for two people. At $45 per cut, this isn’t too bad at all. My brother had a filet, and it looked around 12 or 14oz, which is on the upper end of the range. The apps and sides were all generous, as well as the desserts. The baked potato, for example, can feed a small village… for a week.
 
Price: 8
The price is about right for Long Island steakhouses. All the cuts are $45. All the sides are $9. The bill for six people came to $565. With tips included it was about $110 a head. Not too bad, especially when you take into account that the portion sizes were all large.
Bar: 9
The bar is nice and big, and attracts a good crowd. The restaurant is located on a nice little strip of town, and it just so happened that we were there for the Kentucky Derby, so the place was packed out with people wearing fancy hats and cheering for the horses (I’ll Have Another – the one who flaked out of Belmont soon afterwards when it was in line for the Triple Crown). My sister said the place is packed all the time. I can see why – it seems like a fun place to hang. 
Specials and Other Meats: 9
Bobby Van’s had a ton of stuff on special. I would have loved to see some more beef items on special, like a flank or a skirt (… or a FUCKING RIBEYE!), so I took one point for that. By way of other meats, they have lamb, veal and chicken. A good array of butchery. On special was a pork chop as well, along with several salad, app and fish options. My sister had a duck confit pasta dish, which was awesome. This is a regular menu item, but it is so good and full of meat that I put it here.
specials
Apps, Sides & Desserts: 8
I had smoked salmon for my appetizer. It was a big portion, and it came with several slices of goat cheese and caramelized onions. My wife had the pear and arugula salad, which was on special. The walnuts in the salad were amazing. Honey roasted, crunchy, and delicious. One noteworthy item was my sisters calamari app – I assumed it was a fried item when I saw it on the chalkboard, but it was grilled perfectly, sliced up, and served in a nice Asian slaw. For sides we had a baked potato (freaking HUGE – almost as big as our porterhouse), french fries (skinny, nicely seasoned), and creamed spinach (not overly dairy, seasoned to a nice savory goodness, and just the right amount of liquidity for slathering on a bite of steak). For dessert I tried a bite of my sister in-law’s chocolate cake, and lots of my wife’s delicious mango sorbet.
 
Seafood Selection: 10
There is a healthy amount of seafood on the menu. Appetizers consist of clams and oysters (both cooked and uncooked), mussels, crab cake, lobster, shrimp, fish tacos, and smoked salmon. For entrees they have a rare tuna dish, hamachi, grilled salmon, black sea bass, and a whole pan seared fluke. Note that seafood entrees, at a steakhouse, are for pussies and women. Perhaps they chose to put fluke on the menu instead of a ribeye because they want to attract wimps to the restaurant instead of real men. In any event, they all looked and sounded delicious. My wife has some dietary restrictions, so she went with the hamachi instead of meat. I tried a few bites and it was delicious. Crispy seared edges, a little rare on the inside – perfect. It is such a nice fish. On special they had soft shell crabs and wreck fish as well.
Service: 8
The waiter was a little difficult to understand, but that might have been due in part to having a seat closer to the end of the bar. There was nothing wrong with the service at all – it was average. On the plus column he did suggest we do a steak for two rather than two steaks for one, so that we got a thicker cut of beef. On the table there was warm bread and semi-soft butter waiting for our ravenous appetites to devour before the meal, with a little plate of olive oil to go with.
Ambiance: 9
When we first were seated, the temperature seemed a little aggressive and hot. As the meal went on it cooled down, which was good. The wicker/bamboo seats were a little narrow and uncomfortable for my fat ass, but the decor was classy and worthy of fine steakhouses. Dark wood floors, dark wood-paneled bar area, nice paintings of east end stuff and horses, etc.

BOBBY VAN’S
2393 Montauk Hwy.
Bridgehampton, NY 11932

Midtown West, Rib Eye, Steakhouse Reviews

Ben Benson’s

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Ben Benson’s overall score: 83

UPDATE: BEN BENSON’S IS NOW CLOSED!
Ben Benson’s opened in 1982 and has been known in the steak industry ever since. Nestled in the heart of midtown’s active workplace environs, and close enough to the theater district, it has become just as wildly popular as any other steakhouse in this highly competitive area of beefery. After eating here I heard some disappointing news that Benson’s is closing for good. From Johnny Prime: It is sad to see you go! I guess that makes this review somewhat obsolete and unnecessary.
Flavor: 7
I had the ribeye. Surprised about that? Nope. All you assholes should know my ordering habits by now if you are keeping up with this blog. The steak was perfectly and evenly cooked to medium, and it had a great crust on the outside, but the meat was under seasoned. This was the first time I ever had to use the salt and pepper shakers at a steakhouse. Damn! But once seasoned, it was good. I noticed a general lack of salt in a few other dishes actually (sides in particular), though the lobster was just right. I guess not enough salt is better than too much salt though. In any event, despite an overall satisfying meal, I took some points off for that basic cooking 101 blunder.
 
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 10
Ben Benson’s has a wide variety of cuts available. They have strip, filet and porterhouse – all three cuts available for both one or two – as well as a roasted prime rib (for pussies) AND a ribeye (for real men). They have several preparations of filet, “steak a la stone,” a skirt steak, a chopped steak, and lots of alternameats (see below). They even had a cajun ribeye and a bison ribeye. All the beef is aged prime, so you are good to go. To top it off, they also offer smaller portions of most cuts listed here. NOTE: if you go with bison, know that there is less marbling in the meat, as it is leaner. That means less flavor, and more toughness. The bison is also not aged or prime like the beef is. It is also a smaller cut. In short: stick with the beef cuts and give a hearty “fuck you, but thanks anyway” to the bison.
 
Portion Size & Plating: 8
Sizes here are good for the beef. They don’t list the ounces on the menu, but I was told the ribeye is about 22oz (bone-in), and the buffalo ribeye (which I was considering) was about 14 or 15oz. The sides are a bit small for the price of $11.50.
 
Price: 8
The price is average to a bit on the high end here. However they do offer a steak dinner for two, 7-days a week, for only $95. You choose between a filet with shrimp, or chateaubriand. It comes with soup, salad, and two sides. That is a fantastic deal. Our total bill for two apps, two entrees, two sides, a dessert, a lemonade, coffee, tea, and a martini came to $276 (tax and tip included). The 3lb lobster rang in at a whopping $73.50. KABOOM! As noted above, sides were $11.50. Martini was $15. Steak was $52.50.
Bar: 7
The bar is a little disjointed. When you walk in it is on the right, and it wraps around making a squared off U-shape, but the bottom part of the U is essentially a narrow hallway type thing to the other side. There is also an unsightly entrance into the corporate office building lobby on that side, but no big deal. The $15 martini was made well, though could have been made colder. They also serve some cool homemade french fries/potato chips at the bar, which were interesting. The bar also attracts some after work people from midtown, so it IS lively for socializing, mingling, finger-banging, and all that other bullshit.
Specials and Other Meats: 10
The $95 steak for two special is available every day. In addition they had a bone-in strip steak, salmon, mahi mahi, soft shell crab, shrimp bisque, and broccoli rabe on special. For other meats, they had veal, pork and chicken – each served a few different ways – as well as “winter wild game,” which I assume were the bison ribeyes. A really great and diverse mix. This place really has a big selection.
Apps, Sides & Desserts: 7
We had the house cured gravlax and the soft shell crab for starters.  Both were good, though I think the lox could have been cut a little thinner and chilled a bit more, perhaps topped with some capers (though it did come with garlic toast). The crab was a little bit heavy (meaning buttery like a belly bomb), but the portion size was good (one 5in crab I would guess, point to point across the top of its shell – that’d be blue claw, assholes). As such it wasn’t overwhelming to the gut. On the side we had creamed spinach and broccoli rabe. The broccoli rabe was a simple saute in garlic and oil. It was light and not too potent or bitter. The greens were barely wilted, so it had a crunch. The creamed spinach was similar; also very light – lightest creamed spinach ever actually – and not salty. For dessert we had key lime pie. I’d say all of it was average. Nothing really shined or stood out as exceptional, but also nothing was disappointing. I’ve been to a lot of places, and not every meal is going to blow your mind. It is terrible when you pay that much and they completely ruin shit. But here, nothing gets ruined. On the other hand nothing is mind-blowingly jerkworthy either. The sides did seem a bit small for the price, however (not like we could finish them all anyway).
Seafood Selection: 9
Ben Benson’s is the first place where I have seen crab on the menu as an entree. This made me very excited. Crab, I feel, is one of the only things you are allowed to order if you aren’t getting a steak at a steakhouse. And when I say crab as an entree, I don’t mean crab cakes, or lump crab meat (which they have as well) – I am talking REAL crab. Stone crab. I was down when we were told it was currently not in season/unavailable. They did have soft shell crab though (both as an app, and as an entree). I may have to come back just to try the stone crab someday… oh wait… can’t because they’re closing. They also had several preparations of shrimp, some scallops, filet of sole, fish of the day (plural – they were salmon and mahi mahi), 3-7lb Maine lobsters (holy shit 7lb is HUGE), and a variety of typical shellfish (calamari, Blue Point oysters, smoked salmon, salmon tartare) on the app menu. The only thing missing was a “seafood plateau” or sampler, which is what my wife likes to get. Point off for that. BUT – the lobster was incredible, and it was a nice touch for them to crack it table side.
Service: 10
The host upgraded us from a small table in a central area to a booth up on one of the elevated dining areas once he realized we were there for our “anniversary” reservation. The waiters are all male, and they all had ties on with some kind of beige jacket on their shoulders. It almost looked like outerwear. Our waiter was great. He cracked my wife’s lobster at the table and pulled out the meat for her (that sounds awesomely perverse). Later, he and another waiter sang a happy anniversary song for us, and more importantly, they knew their steak. Our waiter spoke with me about the difference in quality and marbling between the buffalo ribeye (on special) and the beef ribeye. He was attentive and friendly. In terms of bread, which I always mention in some way, it was not warm and the butter was not cold. It was somewhere in the average area. A crispy ciabatta type bread was in there, a raisin walnut, and bread sticks. Their steak sauce tasted like dark red cocktail sauce – I generally don’t dig steak sauces so I just tried it with the bread.
Ambiance: 7
This place is somewhere in between a new steakhouse and an old steakhouse. The decor says it is trying to be the older type, the classic chop house, but the location and environs says the opposite. Contrast this with a place like Del Frisco’s, which embraces its corporateness and blows it out the water in terms of ambiance. It works there. I guess it didn’t help that the entire front of the building was covered up by the scaffolding on 52nd street, which, by the way, never seemed to go away until I learned of their closing. The bathroom was basic – nothing fancy. Thick paper towels though. You know I like that shit.
Downtown, Flash Deals, Porterhouse, Steakhouse Reviews

Capital Grille (Wall St.)

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Capital Grille (Wall St.) overall score: 84

My wife and I spent the weekend in the city to watch a play and have a nice meal. We decided to try Capital Grille’s Wall Street location despite my bad experience in midtown, mainly because she had a 30% off coupon. I figured: different location, different chef, different ambiance… means most likely a different experience. I was right. See below:

Flavor: 7

I had the porterhouse, simply because I wanted to mix it up. I had the ribeye at the other location, and was hoping for a better experience here for our anniversary. They likely use the same supplier for their beef, and have the exact same menu, so by that logic I figured I might as well try something different. It was good, but not great. There were one or two bites that were just odd and bad tasting. Perhaps due to gristle proximity. I ordered medium rare but it came medium. I didn’t mind that so much since there was still some pink, but others might get pissed off at something big like that. The steak should have rested a bit more, as there was a puddle of juices under it when it was served. It wasn’t sizzling, but it was on a hot plate. Perhaps it was a t-bone and not a true porterhouse, but the filet side did seem large enough. In hindsight I should have stuck with ribeye, or a dedicated strip.
the food
the food
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 8
They have the essentials: strip, porterhouse, filet and ribeye. They also have a few variations on how they prepare them: au poivre, oscar, porcini rubbed, kona crusted, sliced with mushrooms, etc. Also, each is dry aged, so that is a bonus. Could have benefited from some flank or skirt selections.
Portion Size & Plating: 8
My porterhouse was 24oz, and the ribeye is 22oz. These are good sizes for steaks. For some appetizer items, however, there were some issues. The smoked salmon had four small to medium sized slices for $17 – seems lame. Also the crab meat app for $21 only had 4oz, which seemed too small. On the other hand, the sides and desserts were nicely sized portions.
Price: 9
The prices here are really fair for NYC fare. The ribeye and porterhouse are $48 as opposed to $55 in some places, and it is exactly the same size. I guess being a chain steakhouse does have some benefit for the customer – similar to the point I made in my second trip to Ruth’s Chris. Also we had a discount for 30% off, because my wife is a-freaking-mazing when it comes to finding deals on stuff (our 3rd row theater tix were only $30 each too). I have also taken into consideration that the food was better here, thus making the price more “worth it” as opposed to the midtown location. We saved $50 from the online deal at Savored, and we also got our coffee, tea, and dessert booze (Stoli Boli) for free. So our bill was only $127 after tax (2 drinks, 2 apps, 2 entrees, a side, and a dessert).
Bar: 8
The bar is a nice circular deal here, with high ceilings since he second floor overlooks it. It sits close to the open-windowed kitchen, so you can watch all the cooking (similar to Maloney & Porcelli). For $11 the martini is great – one of the cheaper martinis in all of NYC steakhouses, and it is made well.
Specials and Other Meats: 8
On special there was a scallops and broccoli rabe dish, and a king crab appetizer. I was expecting leg meat, but it was lump style, from the body. It was good but not worth $21. For other meats there is chicken, lamb, and other preparations of steaks not in the traditional steakhouse manner (see above).  For example porcini rubbed delmonico, kona crusted dry aged sirloin, etc. Good for other meats, or at least other preparations of the same meats. I would have liked to see a special cut of steak though, or some variations like flank or skirt.
Apps, Sides & Desserts: 8
We had the smoked salmon (delicious but small), and the special crab meat (expected leg meat but it was still good – just small) for apps. My wife had the shellfish plateau for her entree, which was a full half-pound lobster,  shrimp, and six oysters. A bit pricey at $50, but it all tasted great. On the side we had grilled asparagus. I make better at home, but this was interesting in that it was served with a lemon oil. For dessert we had the coconut cream pie. It was awesome.  I wish I still had room to finish it. It was served with a nice big coconut almond sugar cookie too, but the best part was he crust under the pie – soft yet crisp at the same time. Not too sweet – just right.
Seafood Selection: 9
This is essentially the same as the other restaurant. We tried the seafood tower, smoked salmon, and crab meat apps (see above and midtown review).  
Service: 10
Our waiter was great. He said Happy Anniversary to us several times. Despite getting a whopping 30% discount from Savored, they still gave us top notch attention. For dessert, they gave us complimentary Stoli Doli drinks (pineapple infused vodka that they soak fresh on site), and our coffee and tea were on the house as well. SWEET! The table breads were a good mix of onion loaf, seasoned rolls, pumpernickel raisin, and flat breads. The butter was soft and light, and seasoned fresh with salt and herbs/greenery.
Ambiance: 9
The ambiance at the Wall Street location is very similar to the midtown west location. The waiters and waitresses wear the classic bow ties. There is nice dark wood paneling on the walls, taxidermy and paintings on the walls, and a red patterned rug. The second floor has great views and a spacious set up. The music is a good selection of jazz. The bathroom had cool “Capital Grille” printed towelettes, and down on the lower level near the bathrooms is a great private dining room inside the old massive vault doors.

CAPITAL GRILLE
120 Broadway
New York, NY 10271

Midtown West, Rib Eye, Steakhouse Reviews

Empire Steakhouse

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Empire Steakhouse overall score: 77

UPDATE: THIS LOCATION HAS CLOSED
On a whim my wife and I decided to give this place a try since it was right near work. Empire is run by former Luger’s and Ben & Jack’s staff, so you know there is clout behind what they do.
Flavor: 7
I had the ribeye, as usual. It was pretty tasty, but there were some quality issues that caused a slight decrease in flavor. See below for full details on that. As for flavor, it had a nice smoky, charred taste, which was enjoyable. It was nicely seasoned too, and cooked/rested correctly. They have a proprietary steak sauce on the table, but I didn’t dig it. It tasted like ketchup and horseradish (cocktail sauce).
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 7
Empire covers the basics in a plentiful way. They offer porterhouse for two, three, or four; ribeye; filet; strip; and even prime rib. To top it off there are veal and lamb chops too. The issue is that my particular cut was sub par. There was a good deal of inedible gristle and fat on it that didn’t melt away, and some spots were chewy. I’d guess about 3-4oz. worth was inedible. Also, the bone on it was rather big. Normally I don’t mind that one bit, but this time it took up a good amount of the ounce-age of the steak, so the edible portion size (taking bone and gristle into consideration) ended up on the small size even though it probably clocked in at around 20oz total weight. Maybe I was able to eat 12oz of it?
Portion Size & Plating: 7
For the steak, part of this relates back to the above comments: “There was a good deal of inedible gristle and fat on it that didn’t melt away. I’d guess about 3-4oz worth was inedible. Also, the bone on it was rather big. Normally I don’t mind that one bit, but this time it took up a good amount of the ounce-age of the steak, so the edible portion size (taking bone and gristle into consideration) ended up on the small size even though it probably clocked in at around 20oz total weight. Maybe I was able to eat 12oz of it?” The steak for multiples comes out pre-sliced on a sizzling platter, just like the assholes at Luger’s do, and just like the dunces at Mark Joseph do. I personally HATE this method of serving, because the meat bleeds out and becomes dry, and often it isn’t cooked properly. Anyone who is into steak knows that a steak should be rested before it is cut, not sizzling on a God-damned hot plate like a fucking steak fajita at TGI Fridays (by the way – fajita meats steak in Spanish… so steak fajita is the equivalent of saying “steak steak”). I understand the presentation is fun this way, but guys… come on… you are fucking up the meat! The creamed spinach, bacon slabs and creme brulee were the right sizes, but the oyster app was $14 for six pieces (see price section below), and the chilled seafood platter only had two shrimp, a fist full of lump crab meat, and a small lobster. To top it off, the shrimp and lobster on the seafood platter were utterly flavorless. The crab meat on it, however, was great.
Price: 7
The price wasn’t too bad considering we had a full meal in a NYC steakhouse. The total bill with tax and tip included came to about $175. The ribeye was $43, the seafood platter was $27, bacon by the slice was $4, and martinis were $13. As I mentioned above, however, the oysters were a little pricey, the steak was not the best cut, and the seafood platter was a bit lacking; so you pay a little less because you are getting a little less I suppose. 
Bar: 7
The bar is small but neat, modern and clean. The martini was a little heavier on the vermouth than I normally like, but they did have raspberry caipirinhas for the wifey to sip on. The best part about the bar was the free home made potato chips that tasted like steak meat.
Specials and Other Meats: 8
Empire has a prime rib for people who are too puss-cake for the ribeye. They also have lamb and veal chops to round out their selection of carnivorous delights. On special there was… nothing! Oh well. Not that big of a deal.
Apps, Sides & Desserts: 8
My wife had the seafood platter for her entree, and that was flavorless in the two shrimp and small lobster section, but great for the lump crab meat portion. The oysters were creamy, crisp, cold  and fresh, but they were over priced. We also had the bacon slabs, which were “Canadian” style and tasted a bit more like ham than real bacon, but it was still yummy. On the side, we had creamed spinach, which was really great – almost exactly the same as Wolfgang’s, which are my favorite (retained the spinach flavor, not too salty, not heavy, yet still creamy). For dessert we had creme brulee, which was basic and standard… and good! I love me some creme brulee! 
Seafood Selection: 9
Empire has a really fantastic selection for seafood. For entrees they have sea bass, salmon, tuna, sole, lobster, crab cakes, and shrimp dishes. For apps they have the usual lump crab meat, crab cakes, lobster cocktail, shrimp cocktail, clams, oysters, baked clams, fried calamari, and a seafood platter. Excellent. From what we tried, however, we were only half pleased (loved the oysters and crab meat, didn’t like the shrimp and lobster so much), so I took a point for that.
Service: 9
Our waiter was a little aloof and quiet, but I don’t mind that so much. One of the other waiters actually had the courtesy to apologize to my wife when the group he was seating bumped into her twice, HARD, without even acknowledging the mishap. That was nice of him. The waiters all have red vests with bow ties on top of white tux shirts, all male. The bread basket was the same exact basket from Wolfgang’s: fennel and salt loaf, nice rigid french bread, and some poppy and onion rolls. Unfortunately one of the waiters knocked the french bread out of the basket when he was setting up our oysters. My wife likes French bread, so that was more her loss than mine.
Ambiance: 8
As mentioned above, the waiters all have red vests with bow ties on top of white tux shirts, and they’re all male. The decor is elegant and modern, but not over the top. Everything is neat and clean, including the bathroom, which had nice off-white marble tiles all over. It was a single person toilet with thick paper towels set upon the marble counter tops.

EMPIRE STEAKHOUSE
36 W. 52nd St.
New York, NY 10019

Filet Mignon, Full Points for Flavor, Rib Eye, Steakhouse Reviews, Tribeca

Wolfgang’s Steakhouse (Tribeca)

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Wolfgang’s overall score: 87

Prior to a costumed “Bank Robber’s Ball” charity event, me, my wife, and my good friend went in 1920’s attire to Wolfgang’s for an early dinner. It turned out to be a great meal. A really solid steakhouse experience, and a place I will definitely visit again, if not one of their other NYC locations. See below. 
Flavor: 10
This place has some good meat. I had the ribeye, and my friend had the filet. Both were excellent. The filet was manly; a big hunk of meat on the plate, evenly cooked to a medium rare throughout. The bone-in ribeye was delicious too. Every bit of it was edible, quality, melt-in-your-mouth fat with good tenderness in the muscle. It was nicely cooked all the way through to a perfect, juicy medium. Temperatures and seasonings were just right.
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 9
Wolfgang’s sticks to the main four cuts; ribeye, filet, porterhouse for two through four, and strip. The good thing about it is they focus all their efforts into making those basics really well. To that end, all their beef is USDA prime and dry aged. This is serious good meat, so there is no deduction for lack of options in terms of cuts available.

Portion Size & Plating: 9

Portion sizes are great here. As I mentioned above the filet was a manly hunk of beef. I was impressed when I saw it, and I immediately refrained from calling my friend a pussy for ordering it. My guess is that it was at least 14oz. My ribeye was about 22-24oz.
Price: 9
The steaks themselves were fairly priced and similar to other places of the same caliber. The ribeye was $49, and a little less for the filet. However the bacon slices were a bit high at $5 each. They were great, so worth every penny, but just a bit on the high end. A martini runs $14, and our total bill for three came to $222 with tax and tip included. Not too bad, considering.
Bar: 9
The bar is really great here. I love the neighborhood, so having a nice view out the front onto Greenwich Street is nice. The bartender was really friendly and mixed a really great martini to boot. Good place to hang out, and made me miss the old days of when I lived in the area.
Specials and Other Meats: 6
There were no specials offered, but when we asked for a seafood plateau type of thing they did produce one (see below for the verdict on that). The only other meats I noticed on the menu were lamb and chicken, unfortunately.
Apps, Sides & Desserts: 9
First we had the bacon by the slice; it was sizzling, thick, and freaking awesome. Next, my wife had the seafood plateau item (not on the menu) for her meal. It had lump crab, lobster, and shrimp. No oysters or clams. Throw a half dozen oysters on there and it is fine. But it is a far cry from the marvel of Strip House. However the creamed spinach was AMAZING. My favorite so far. There was a perfect savory flavor with the creaminess to cut it. It still retained that great spinach taste and wasn’t drowned out by the dairy aspect. We skipped dessert so I couldn’t comment on that.
Seafood Selection: 8
Sea bass, salmon, tuna and lobster grace the seafood menu here. Since we didn’t get to try any of those, I can’t rate them. My only gripe is that the seafood plateau was lacking, so I took two points for that.
Service: 9
Our waiter was nice, and his service was friendly, fast, and courteous. The bacon apps came out within moments of ordering. On the table there was a nice variety of seasoned breads to dig into as well, and the butter wasn’t ice cold – it spread nice and easily.
Ambiance: 9
This place has a great feel inside. There’s testosterone-laden decor with high ceilings and mosaic tile detailing. It is modern but manly. The floors are a dark, clean, wood laminate. A shiny glass wine room in the back center is very easy on the eyes. There’s a clean modern bathroom, with nice tile throughout trimmed by dark wood.

WOLFGANG’S
409 Greenwich St.
New York, NY 10013