Big Apple BBQ Block Party / Old Homestead – Solo Mission

This weekend in NYC was the infamous Big Apple BBQ Block Party. Held once a year in New York City’s Madison Square Park, the event hosts a dozen or more BBQ masters from around the country serving up their specialties.

With so many to choose from and lines as long a 90 minutes, especially for the Salt Lick, from Driftwood, TX, the event offers up a “VIP” skip the line option for $100. If you aren’t into the investment you can  get their early to beat out some of the crowd. If you aren’t made of money bags and are a late riser, you can go our route; put a few people in line for the Salt Lick and send others to wait in the shorter lines and bring it back to those in the Salt Lick line.

Each BBQ location brings their own cooking method, 1 or 2 of their signature dishes and their pit master. It’s quite and event, even for a city like this. We got there around 1 pm and instantly get in line for some of Michael Rodriguez’s Salt Lick.

While we waited, Chuck and Molly ran out and got us some brisket from Fairfield, CT based Wilson’s Barbeque. The brisket was really good, especially the burnt ends. Some of the cuts were a little fatty and the sauce was a little too heavy on the tomato for me but overall pretty good. It just made me want the Salt Lick Brisket even more.

The Salt Lick line reached from their tent all the way around the park and past the line for Blue Smoke. The restaurant from Robert Callagahn is located exactly 1 block from where the Block Party happens so even though the line was very short and their ribs looked great, we opted not to get any.

While still in the enormous line for the Salt Lick, Chuck and Cara ran off to get us some baby ribs from Rack and Soul. Normally I wouldn’t suggest getting in line for something located in NYC but the line seemed short and baby back ribs sounded like a great idea. Let me tell you and moreover, let me tell pit master Charles Gabriel, they were the best damn ribs I have ever eaten in my life! The sauce was so sweet that it made the perfectly cooked ribs taste like peppered candy. I couldn’t get them in my mouth fast enough!!

Just as we were polishing off 4 orders of Rack and Soul ribs, the bad news came down the line. Even though we were only about 15-20 people away from being served at the Salt Lick, they had run out of brisket. What is a Steak Club 7 member supposed to do? Stand in line and get some of the tasty Salt Lick sausage! I had them hold the coleslaw and added extra of the mustard base Salt Lick sauce. Good, God almighty, they make some damn fine sausage.

That was it. I couldn’t eat anymore. Nona, Cara, Tina and Aaron all said the same. Chuck and Molly on the other hand, went back for some more ribs at Rack and Soul. Can you say MVPs? While we’re dolling out the awards, how about “Mom of the Year,” or “Best Use of a Stroller” for this lady?

We met up with some other friends for a few afternoon beers and baseball. A few hours later and someone made a dangerous suggestion; let’s go get the bacon at Old Homestead. A few drinks in and one quick visit to www.opentable.com and we were on our way to bacon!

The plan was for each of us to get a slice of bacon, a cocktail and that was it. Of course as soon as host Michael D. Florea sat us at our seat in the newly refurbished 1st floor dining room, the plan instantly changed. Molly and Chuck both got a slice of Kobe bacon and a Classic Homestead Burger while Rob, Kris, Cara and I split a burger and a porter house for 2. Now if you know anything about the SC7 (or our sister site Burger Conquest) you know that the Old Homestead is ranked #1 on both sites. If you don’t know us that well, it’s right there at the top of the page. How the hell am I supposed to go in there and not order a burger or a steak, let alone both? Clearly I can’t!

We started off with an appetizer of the Chef’s Special Bread Preparation; garlic bread in a Parmesan sauce. We ripped through 2 of those suckers as the hunger built in our stomachs for more meat. Along with the bread came the prized Kobe Bacon Slab. It is the best and biggest piece of bacon any where in the world. If you haven’t had one, get your behind to the Homestead with out delay! Admittedly, mine was cooked slightly less than I prefer but it was still darn tootin and don’t think I didn’t dip it in the Parmesan cheese!!

The steak came out and it was still sizzling. I couldn’t wait to sink my toofusess into it’s juicy fillet and sirloin sides! The burger sat high on it’s plate with a wooden steak to keep it together. Once the burger was divided into 4 parts, the destruction began. Even though both the steak and the burger (much like the bacon) were just a tad undercooked, they were still amazing. You just aren’t going to find better than this! The meat at Old Homestead is bursting with flavor and with it’s own unique taste.

Add in a side of broccoli sauteed in garlic, creamed spinach and their amazing pot of mac and cheese, and you have one super deluxe food feast. I’d love to tell you that I feel like more of a man after eating BBQ all day and beef all night, but I actually feel like I might need to go on an all grapes diet for a month.

However, I regret nothing!!! At least what I am telling myself in the gym

Tell em Rob!

Big Apple BBQ + Old Homestead:
4.5 out of 5 knives

-Rev

Pietro’s – Entrees Before Appetizers

The anticipation and excitement that kicks up on the day of an SC7 gathering is like waiting for Santa to come on Christmas day. With a few of us having a difficult week, this one couldn’t have come at a better time. CMoore came with the suggestion to try Pietro’s Restaurant in East Midwtown. This Italian-leaning steak house opened in 1932, this restaurant passed hands when original owner, Pietro Donini passed away. In 1984, Pietro’s moved to it’s current location on 43rd St.

The SC7 rode with out the Meat God or Jon this month so we were only a table of 5. After a quick beverage at the bar, we were shown to our seats. As we passed a table next to ours, we saw a gentlemen about to dig into one of the most tantalizing chicken parmesans I have ever seen. I looked at Paul and without missing a beat, he exclaimed, “mate, we’re getting one as an appetizer!”

As soon as we sat down, before we could even ask for water, Paul looked up at the waiter and asked “Can we please have an order of chicken parmesan and an order of spaghetti of meat balls as an appetizer?” The server, a little taken back, took the order and walked away. Before we had even placed an order for wine and appetizers, the said entrees arrived. The waiter divvied them up and we dove right in. The chicken parm was certainly out of sight! Just slightly crispy on the outside but still tender on the inside. I would normally expect more sauce but the flavor was just right. The same went the spaghetti. The meatballs were excellent and honestly, I would’ve been happy just eating a whole plate of them. They were both so good and only made me hungrier!

I skipped on a salad but the other guys got some and 2 orders of shrimp.

Paul and I split the “steak for 2″ which was essentially a bone-in strip. The steak arrived at the table, but only for a moment. The waiter just wanted to show it to us before he took it to their preparation table where he cut it up and arranged in on our plates. He placed them down in front us of and I began to salivate as I saw it was perfectly cooked. Juicy, tender, flavorful, hot, seared in butter – it was amazing. I had to get my picture with this unbelievable piece of beer. I was having a straight up meatgasm.

The other guy’s steaks arrived as well. Everyone’s entree looked just so good. The “oooohs” and “ahhhs” were a plenty and I knew everyone was really happy with their steak.

For sides we got brocooli and green beans served ailoi along with lyonnaise, home fried and au gratin potatoes. The lyonnaise I could’ve done with out but everything else was delectable. I especially enjoyed the green beans. You almost never get them as an option at a steak house so this made me really happy.

Take one look at this work of art and tell me if you aren’t about to call in a reservation yourself!

We made short work of the meal, finishing nearly every bite of food on the table. The review feeling pretty damn positive. The waiter came by and rattled off a desert list that felt longer than Santa’s naughty list. We all exclaimed how full our belly’s were and that we couldn’t eat another bite.

So Paul and Joe, in an effort to keep it easy, ordered chocolate cake, tiramisu and sorbet! Keep it light and easy my behind!! Admittedly, they were all rich with flavor and damn good but I was about to pop.

Definitely mark this one off as a place you should try. The food was great, the atmosphere was friendly and good times were had. It’s an older crowd though, so if you like it a little more personal and quiet, go after 8 pm.

4 out of 5 knives
-Rev

Smith and Wollensky Grill Solo Mission – 1 Adventure with 2 Ratings

Not to brag, but we have 2 blogs. We eat steak at www.steakclub7.com and we eat burgers at www.burgerconquest.com. Sometimes we do both in the same blog. Some call that gluttonous but we call it righteous.

I recently received a suggestion from loyal follower, Herman T., who was praising the burger at Smith and Wollensky Grill in Manhattan. Smith and Wollensky, a famous chain steak house, first opened at their New York City location in 1977. Since then they’ve expanded to Las Vegas, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia and more. This location in particular received a spot of fame from a scene in the movie “The Devil Wears Prada” starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway.

Steakhouses are notorious for having tasty burgers, so who am I to say no? The Grill is located in the S&W building but the entrance is around the back on 49th St. No reservation needed but host extraordinaire, Tim Dufffy will set you up with a nice table, just like he did for my wife and I.

Scattered around the walls of the restaurant are these little gold plates with people’s names on them. They really had no rhyme or reason to placement or significance. I later asked our server and he confirmed, they just get put up. Hmmm. Steak Club 7 plague in the future? It would be our first! I’m just sayin…

We started off with the Smith and Wollensky Special Salad which has mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, grilled potatoes and chopped bacon in a vinaigrette dressing. The bacon was thick and flavorful, although a little chewy. The slightly grilled potato really didn’t add anything, maybe if it had more flavor. I felt like I was eating salad for the sake of having some greens, not because it was delicious.

We ordered the Smith and Wollensky burger, the same way we ordered our bone-in NY Strip: medium rare. They arrived together along with the french fries, creamed spinach and hash brown potatoes we ordered on the side. Everything looked and smelled great. I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into all the delicious beef!

First bite of the burger had me intrigued. Something was different about this one. Although it looked like your traditional old-school burger, that I like to call “Dad style” but it had a secret I could not pinpoint. The steak on the other hand, not so interesting. The cut was fatty and served just above room temperature which is a huge let down when you are spending that kind of money on an entree.  Steak should be served hot and cooked just slightly under how you ordered it, sitting in a bath of it’s own juices. That way it stays hot, juicy and cooks up just right. No juice, no hot and lots of fat.  The fries were delicious and the wife claimed to love the creamed spinach. The hash browns were pretty good but needed some oomf like grilled onions or some paprika, but overall good.

The burger was a winner and so was the service. Tim came over several times to check in with us. On one such visit, Tim solved the mystery of the tasty burger; they combine ground beef along with trimmings from the cuts of steak to make the Smith and Wollensky burger. You can definitely taste the Fillet cut in the burger and it is darn tootin’!

I polished off my meal with my favorite after dinner drink combination, black Sambucca and an espresso. It’s a great way to round off a large meal.

We made friends with the table next to us and promised to put them up on the blog. Of course we didn’t exchange any contact info, so who knows if they’ll ever see this but at least I am good to my word!!

STEAK CLUB 7
2 out of 5 knives

BURGER CONQUEST
7 out of 10 ounces

-Rev

P.S. Thanks for the recommendation Herman.

Strip Club Solo Mission – Meat Revenge

Twice now, the other 6 lumps in the SC7 have chosen New York’s Strip House on days I wasn’t available.  So when Tom D, a mutual friend of Steak Club 7 included me on the following email, I thought to myself  “Ahhhhhh! Sweet Revenge!”

**
Gentlemen – would you all be available for an intimate Peter Luger’s dinner on Thursday, May 28?
**

But wait, I just said Strip House above…Tom suggested Luger’s WTF?? What do you expect out of a guy that lives in LA? Luger’s had no reservations available (thank god. The place might be fun but the steaks are about as mediocre as you can get) Sam threw out the Strip House suggestion. Was it a random idea? Me thinks Sam knew it was not only an SC7 top 5′er but only 2 blocks my office and wanted me to make him Steak Famous. Or it could be because the Strip House is amazing and on the same block as his office, but I really think it’s the former.

With the anticipation building, Adam and I left the office and scurried to meet Tom for a pre-dinner bevvy. Balvenie Rocks, thank you. One thing you should know about Tommy D, he is the original inspiration of the original Steak Club (there is no blog) so he kind of sort of maybe but not really is like an honorary member of the SC7. Despite his many short comings, he’s a pretty damn great guy and it was good to see.

Shortly the guests started to arrive and the very attentive staff took us to our table. While everyone was busy with the “hey how are you’s,”  “it’s nice to see you’s” and the “so tell me what you do’s,” I was secretly plotting to take over the the table’s order. Several appetizers were ordered but only those that know, got the Kobe bacon appetizer. Look at this, would you?

Now look at the beets and shrimp appetizers.

Now look at the Kobe Bacon again! Who won in that battle?

Soon the steaks started to arrive. Me and Tommy D split up a Porter House for 2 AKA having your steak and eating it too with a Strip and Fillet all in one. One bite confirmed, this is one of the best steaks in existence. Each one comes with a clove of roasted garlic. It’s enough to make a grown man cry. Cooked to an absolute perfection, juicy, melts in your mouth, full of flavor and just as heavenly as the matrix could make it be.

Onto the sides, where the Strip Club really pulls out some punches. Sure we got some Steamed Broccoli and Asparagus but that’s for health and / or digestive reasons and they are done up right. We also ordered the Goose Fat Potatoes, Garlic – Herb French Fries, Fried Onions, Black Truffle Creamed Spinach, Creamed Corn with Bacon and the coup de grâce; Warm Garlic Bread in a Gorgonzola sauce, or as I call it, the Garlic Cheese Jenga house! Not a loser in the bunch.

A little shot, a little wine, a little after dinner beverage and we were ready to plow face first into a Caramelized Banana Tart and a Brownie topped with Hot Fudge and Ice Cream.

It’s so good in fact, that I am considering walking over for lunch today just to have some more. JD, Sam, Adam, other Adam, Tom, Brent, Jodi, Bill, Rhett, Tommy D — who’s with me?

Pure decadence from start to finish, the Strip House never let’s you down. But be careful, it’s easy to go over board!

4.5 out of 5 knives
-Rev

Knickerbocker Bar and Grill- Alec Baldwin and Patricia sitting in a tree

Welcome to May, month of the Meat God! When he picked the old school Knickerbocker Bar & Grill, we thought it was a very interesting choice. Old school restaurant, not exactly a steak house, live music…not exactly our norm. But when I saw they had Amstel Light on tap and the words “Everyday is Sundae” on the menu, there were no more questions!

The Knickerbocker, located in NYC’s Greenwich Village, right near NYU, has been in operation since 1977.  It’s 300 year old marble bar has become a favorite hang for celebs like Rachel Ray, Paul Sorvino, Alec Baldwin, Richard Gere and more (or so says they’re website!) With a grill that stays open until 2 am and an actual piano bar, the Knickerbocker has definitely carved out it’s place in the myriad of NYC restaurants. Serving a slightly older crowd, you can tell it has stood the test of time.

After selecting a tasty Balvenie 12 year old scotch from the piano and a bottle of Penfold’s “Bin 32″ Shiraz from the wine menu, I was ready to be fed! Kudos to the BIG PA for suggesting a Burger for an appetizer, seeing as he wasn’t a part of the SC7 when we used to do that every time. In fact, my love for burgers grew into it’s own website! Check out our sister blog; Burger Conquest.

We nibbled on the warm and delicious cornbread that our fantastic server, Patricia, placed on the table while we perused the menu. The rest of the guys ordered up a shrimp cocktail as well as some salads and we were off to the races.  Awwwww yeah! My favorite salad – Frisee with roasted garlic, pancetta and blue cheese, I was so excited. The other guys all went with the traditional wedge. My salad could’ve used a little more garlic and pancetta but really I would just be asking to push the envelope.

The “black angus” bacon cheese burger arrived and we split it into 6 pieces (I took 2!) so we could all share. It was cooked to a perfect medium rare and looked amazing with the cheddar and bacon cooked on top. One bite, 2 bites, give me another piece…yeah looks are revealing, this was a great burger. It was full of flavor with a nice juiciness to greasiness balance served on a toasted brioche. A clear winner.

Known primarily for their t-bone steaks, the Knickerbocker serves them for 1-4 people. As the Meat God, the Big PA and I asked for a t-bone for 3 served medium rare, Patricia let us know that it isn’t on the the menu, but they do offer porterhouses if you know to ask for them. With our newly gained knowledge, we asked for a porterhouse for 3! Joe went with the tenderloin and Matt asked for his standard, the filet.

The steaks arrived and we’re looking pretty good, especially the PHF3 as it bathed in it’s own juices. The macaroni and cheese, another off menu secret, loaded with bacon and peas, arrived along with the steaks. While Patricia kindly served up slices of the strip and filet sides of the PHF3, we passed around the mac. One bite revealed it’s rich and delicious flavor. I definitely had to go in for a 2nd helping.  The steak, served with mashed potatoes and onion rings was calling my name. A few naked bites of steak were followed by a few bites accompanied with the smokey burnt teriyaki tasting house steak sauce. It had an interesting flavor and certainly wasn’t bland but something about the Knickerbocker secret Porter House tasted different than most. Was it their seasoning? Was it their aging process? Was it their preparation? I couldn’t really place it.

As we asked Patricia for a 2nd but different bottle of wine, she quietly helped us around the wine menu between the good, the bad and the ugly until we ended up with a Grand Reserve Malbec from Argentina. The mashed potatoes were thick and creamy. The onions rings were string style and were a savory addition to the meal. A few more bites of steak and we killed the PHF3. Matt, never getting enough food, god love him, placed an order for the truffle bleu cheese fries. Bursting with salty flavor, the fries were good (as noted by a happy thumb buddy) but a little too much for my tastes, especially after all we had just eaten.

Up next, the Meat God’s favorite part…dessert! He and Matt went with hot fudge sundae and the Big PA ordered up the banana pudding in his best English born accent, to which we asked Patricia to say it back trying to imitate him. “BUH-NAH-NAH” we all said together and laughed. As Joe was about to order up his own sundae, Patricia looked at him and said “you look like the kind of guy that might like our special off menu dessert, the cappuccino pie.” Joe looked at us mouth agape and then back to Patricia. “You definitely know who you’re dealing with. I’ll take it!” The sundaes were good, although not really my thing but the banana pudding and the cappuccino pie were so good. Patricia gave us a little cup of dolce de lecehe sauce which I gladly took advantage of.

All in all, a good time, a good steak, good sides for a good value but the real outstanding part of our experience was the great service. Just one question, what the hell is a Knickerbocker anyway!?!

3 out of 5 knives
-Rev

Buenos Aires Restuarant -Switch Hit Home Run

The month of April found the Big PA in charge of choosing our destination. He has a pretty good batting average so we were a little surprised when he went off the standard NYC style steakhouse course when he picked the Argentinian style parilla, Buenos Aires Restaurant. I am a huge fan of Argentinian Parilla, but when we tried this at Azul Bistro, it didn’t receive winning results. None the less, feed me.

Even before we were all seated, the waiter brought over some cured ham and cooked eggplant, compliments of the house. That is a great way to start any meal! The ham was really good but I didn’t try the eggplant.

While we waited for the Jon and the Meat God to arrive we took the liberty of ordering empanadas for the table. We got beef, chicken, ham and cheese and my favorite, corn. Matt demanded his own plate and who are we to say no? GO MATT!  The empanadas arrived just after the other guys got to the table. They got devoured so quickly that we made a 2nd order. All of them were delicious but the meat empanada was far and above the favorite. These are the most authentic empanadas I have in NYC.

Next up, spicy chorizo sausage with peppers. Were they good? HELL YEAH THEY WERE AWESOME! Just like the empanadas, we ordered more. While we scarfed down the appetizers, we plowed through a couple bottles of one of my favorite wines, Trumpeter from Mendoza in Argentina. I have not seen this anywhere outside of Argentina, so I definitely took a couple of extra sips!

While we waited for the steak,  the Big PA and I took pleasure in watching the grill master cook all the meat as we had a perfect view from our seats. Every time a steak came off the grill, we were like 2 dogs waiting for a treat. Noses in the air, mouth salivating and eyes glazed over. Then the magic moment…7 bife de chorizos espcial (24 oz strip steaks!) arrived which marked a magic moment for SteakClub7, we all ordered the same steak!

Holy moses! This was the biggest strip any of us had ever seen! I kept thinking there is no way this is cooked correctly, which for me, was medium rare. It is next to impossible to cook a hunk of meat this big perfectly. I was betting it would be over done but then I sliced it open and much to my surprise, it was cooked perfectly. As was everyone at the table!

We all dove face first into our steaks. MMMM so good. I was just amazed. Then I tried a couple bites with the chimichurri sauce they had placed on the table. OH MY GOD! SO GOOD! The steaks were so big and so good but not a one of us was able to finish them.  CMoore’s dog cowboy was looking at one heck of a doggie bag!

Then it came time for dessert and right after I said “there is no way I have room for more food” I ordered a bowl of the dulce de leche ice cream. It was so thick, creamy and rich. I don’t know what I was thinking but damn it was good.

All in all, a great steak indeed and a fun departure away from the standard. Not only that but some of the most friendly and attentive service I have ever received at a restaurant.  I highly recommend this place!

Que bueno! 4 out of 5 knives!

-Rev

Christo’s – So Far, So Good.

We’re a large bunch of guys and pretty busy too, so when JoeC chose a Christo’s in Astoria, Queens, NY, I thought for sure there would be upheaval from the rest of the SC7. Of course when Jon offered to drive, that kept people quiet. I myself hopped the N train and rode out to the Ditmars Boulevard stop, the last one on the line. After an easy 30 minute ride later, I arrived in what is a very Greek section of Queens and walked the 10 blocks to Christo’s.

I was the first to arrive and could not have been more excited when I was greeted by a porch side view of what was in side. A Steak window display!!

Then you cross into the restaurant and are immediately met with a cold locker of the cuts.

Oh man! I knew we were in for something good. You have to have some balls to display the meats. Its like boasting about yourself. So bold, I love it. After a quick cocktail at the bar, we were sat a corner table and were immediately served grilled bread. Not just fresh, but actually grilled white and whole grain bread. What a move! It came with a delicious olive tapenade, which normally I would avoid but it was delicious. We also asked for some of the house made steak sauce which was really good due to a heavy hand on the horse radish.

After our very attentive and friendly server ran down a list of specials, we posted our well crafted attack of an order. All the standards plus some specialized Greek dishes and a request for the not-included-on-the-menu-bacon. Shrimp Cocktail, Boston Leaf Salad with Pears and walnuts, Sliced Tomato and Sweet Onion salad, Alaskan Jumbo Scallops, Loukaniko (Grilled Greek Sausage) Fried Calamari and some sort of bizarre lamb filled egg roll. I thought it was an overtly large salads and starters menu but the SC7 is a hungry bunch!

The sausage was fantastic. It wasn’t too spicy nor was it too mild but it was filled with taste. My Boston leaf salad was fresh and fantastic and lamb rockets were delicious. I thought the Meat God was going to make out with one of the shrimp the way he was smacking his lips while eating them. A brief pause in the meal and the main and side courses arrived. That’s when I realized just how much food we had ordered.

The hand cut fries were OK but honestly in the wake of all the other tasty sides, something had to finish in last place. In first place tie, the Au Gratin Potatoes and the Parmesan Risotto were hard to beat. The rice was cooked perfectly in the creamy sauce of the risotto was damn near magical. The Sauteed Broccoli with Garlic was really good as was the Rigatoni Al A Vodka. I didn’t have the Creamed Spinach or the Lobster Mash but they both looked great.

The evening was on a role, setting up what could be a big victory. Many of our recent visits to Steak Houses have ended in a fail due to a poor steak. Could Christo’s set themselves apart? The look and the smell alone shortly confirmed, yes, yes this was a good one. The Big PA, Meat God and I went in a on a medium rare Porterhouse for 3.

I dug into the strip side first. It was cooked to perfection and it tasted pretty good. Not too much salt, no overbearing spices, just a nice flavor filled piece of steak. With no hesitation and a lot of anticipation, I bit into the fillet side. Oh my god! It was so good. The taste, the texture, the temperature…it was all right on the money. The bite melted in my mouth and I ripped through the rest of the piece. Christo’s had done it. They held it together and made an all round delicious and tasty meal.

As we sat licking our lips, loosening our pants and sipping through a few after dinner coffees and cocktails, the waiter asked if we wanted anything from the dessert menu. That is the moment when I realized how much we ate. Not because I felt full but more so, the Meat God did NOT order his usual ice cream sundae. As we reveled in the afterglow of our meal, the waiter showed p with 3 dessert plates, compliments of the house! Wow. What are you going to do? Say no!?? Of course not! We dug right into the Filo Dough Tiramisu, Chocolate Bottomed Vanilla Creme Brulee and the Sheep’s Milk Yogurt.

The Tiramisu was the clear winner. Not that the other 2 were bad but the Tiramisu was phenomenal. The Filo was so light and crispy and the cream was decadent. I highly recommend it to anyone planning to dine at Christo’s.

And just when we thought we were having a night with no downers, Jon announced he would not be driving back into the city and the rest of us had to find our own way home. As the rest of the 5 of us live no where near each other, it was the N train back into the city. I would love to tell you we had a rousing conversation on the ride back in but I would be lying…

It’s too bad Christo’s is so far out because it was damn good and I would easily return. If they were on the island, or even closer in Queens, I would not hesitate to return whatsoever. The service, atmosphere, staff and food were all great. To prove my point, I got a call the next evening that JoeC had left his credit card behind. His response “too far out to get it.

4 out of 5 Knives
-Rev

The Strip House

There’s been a few months of disappointments for the boys of Steak Club 7.  Craftsteak was laughingly bad and Peter Luger’s (Freddie Kruger’s) just uninspiring and bland.

What a shame then, that a stunning return to good steak had to happen when we were light Salty Moore and The Rev.

So it was the SC5 that convened for February’s trip to the promised  land and Captain of the month Matty Winks took a slightly easy and surefire pick and went for the Strip House.   Glance to the top left hand corner of the page and you’ll see that the fellas rate this one highly and sitting there on that cold February night it was clear to see why.

It’s a cool looking joint is the Strip House, deep reds and old style photo’s on the wall bring a time long since passed to mind which would be better suited to some Sinatra and Dean Martin, maybe a little Tom Waits moreso than the dreadful dance music that they insist on playing.  I remember that from the last time I visited this spot, still as soon as the food starts coming you forget such shortfalls.

We all like a bit of bacon, as regular readers will attest so we ordered two helpings of their bacon served with a side of lettuce.  There was enough bacon to go around and while the taste was good, it was a little fatty for my tastes, in fact a lot fatty for my tastes, not that it stopped me tucking in though which it clearly didn’t.  As tradition would dictate, we also ordered some of the jumbo shrimp which we all had a go at.  I was a little so-so on the shrimp although I seemed to be the only one so perhaps it was just my excitement for the main course.

As is usual, I opted for the porterhouse for two, which I shared with the Meat God.  In New York steak houses the porterhouse is usually delivered to the table cut into somewhat thin slices.  At the Strip House though the whole plate was delivered to the table uncut for us to approve before being taken away again to cut.  Whilst this was a nice touch, it did contribute to the steak finally being served a little colder than I’d have liked, something the Meat God commented on too.

We also felt that the whole porterhouse looked a little small, but I must admit, by the end of the meal I no longer thought we’d been shortchanged on the size.  The meat was cooked perfectly to our medium-rare specification and the taste was simply wonderful, actually, I’d go as far as to say it was spectacular.   I don’t know what they do to the meat before cooking but there is a crust which is out of this world taste-wise.  You simply must go and try it for yourself.

Enjoyed with the steak were goose fat crisp potatoes which were about as close to the traditional has browns you’ll get at this place.  Very tasty indeed and I’m a big fan of using goose fat to crisp up yer spuds as my folks have been doing that for years.  We also went for Potatoes Romanoff  whcih were quite delicious.  On the green side we went for superbly prepared broccoli and the ‘black truffle’ creamed spinach which all felt was a little too heavy on the truffle oil.  Added to that we also went for some creamed corn which I really enjoyed.

Did I manage to convey how good the steak was?  Good, then I’ll move onto the deserts.

Another win on this score I’m happy to say.  I had the caramelized banana tart which I though was lovely but for some reason none of the others fancied trying.  There was also a couple of orders of their brownie which again was better than your average.

The service was certainly up to scratch but as the place is small and a little noisy I never felt like the service was that personal.  Don’t get me wrong, very efficient and friendly but I don’t this this place is going for the same kind of waiter that a place like Bobby Vans has.  There’s not enough room between the tables for that to be any different really.

All in all, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Strip House and I’d say it’s a worthy inclusion on the Steak Club 7’s NYC top five.

9 out of 10 knives, could have been higer save for the dodgy shrimp and fatty bacon.
- The Big P.A.

Peter Luger – The King of Steak Wears a Hollow Crown

It was cold out, but the walk to meet up with the Meat God for my ride to Williamsburg, Brooklyn had a spring in the step because it was steak night, and I was gonna eat right.

For the first Steak Club 7 trip of 2009, January’s captain The Rev had decided on a place with a long tradition of serving prime porterhouse to a packed house of satisfied diners.

I remember my first time at Peter Luger, I’d not long been living in New York and with cash in my pocket (they only take the Peter Luger credit card or cash) I jumped in the cab and headed over the bridge to the promised land. You could say that was the night I had my first proper steak, coz they don’t serve it this way back in jolly ‘ole England and boy was I not disappointed. Luger’s had since become the place I’d take out of town friends to show them how steak is done in New York City.

So fast forward a few years and here we go again. There had always been somewhat of a reluctance shown towards Peter Luger by my colleagues in the SC7, something I’d never understood so I was keen to dine there with the boys so we could all see just how great the place is.

Luger’s is known for it’s slightly snobby approach to its clientele and unlike other places we’ve been recently I think they greeted the concept of a steak club visiting their restaurant with some amusement. Once we were seated the waiter walked over with menu’s and pulling his face somewhat and shaking his head asked the assumed question of “you don’t need menu’s do you”?

You see they’re famous for their porterhouse at Luger’s, and by being there you know that right? Right?

We knew we were in for a big night so to kick thinks off right a massive order of twelve pieces of bacon was conveyed almost immediately, actually, scrap that, it was for eleven as the Rev had a plan in mind, bacon AND a burger before the porterhouse. Alas it wasn’t to be as the burger is a strictly lunchtime item so the Rev was left thinking what might have been.

The bacon was incredible, served up with some of the Luger steak sauce rarely have I seen (heard) the boys of the SC7 so quiet. Just typing these words is making me hungry for some more of that pork goodness.

Two huge plates of tomato and onion were ordered which I didn’t partake in as they’re two things I just don’t like raw but I did rock some of the shrimp which was certainly above average, fresh and tasty.

And then ladies and gentleman in attendance and the millions reading around the world, the main even of the evening, porterhouse for five, two helpings of hash browns, creamed spinach and broccoli too.

As is tradition the waiter put two slices of the porterhouse on to each of our plates although I thought it curious that both were from the same side. I usually like one slice from the strip and one from the fillet to begin with but it wasn’t to be. Potatoes were heaped on to the plate as was the creamed spinach. We’d all agreed on medium rare for the steak which was all good with me. I like to enjoy my steak without sauce but I applied generous portions of the sauce on to my hash browns, yum, just the way I like it.

I tried the potatoes first which were superb, a wonderfully crunchy texture to them and you could really taste the crisp. The spinach was also delicious although a little runny perhaps. And then the steak, ah, that first bite, always so satisfying.

I think JoeC was the first to say what we were all thinking, “is it me or is this steak a little tasteless” and he was right, it was. To say I was disappointed was an understatement but this just wasn’t how I remembered it. Joe was right, the steak was, well, a little tasteless. We talked about why we all felt this way, perhaps our pallet is just finely tuned now, perhaps we should have ordered three porterhouse for two rather than one for five but the bottom line is this – Peter Luger is no longer the king of steak in New York City.

There are places that take more pride in what they’re doing and want to fight harder for your buck. Maybe Luger’s has become complacent, I don’t know, but as I commented to the Rev as we were walking out, this ain’t the place I’m taking my out of town pals for steak any more.

Dessert was nice, three of Luger’s special “Holy Cow” hot fudge Sunday’s and I went for the pecan pie which was up there with the bacon in terms of how tasty it was. Of course I covered the pie in a massive amount of their homemade schlag (whipped cream for the uninitiated) which put a huge smile on my face.

No Salty Moore tonight which was a shame for the first visit of the year and we lost Jon at half time (before the porterhouse) as he had to go to work, but it was another fun night for the boys despite the mediocre steak.

6 out of 10 knives
-The Big P.A.

Sing It Loud, It’s Steak Night!

That’s right J.D. and Turk …. It’s Steak Night!!

The SC7 is very excited for their first outing in 2009. Peter Luger’s here we come!!