Club A Steakhouse

On Tuesday, the 19th of January, SC7 met for the first time in 2010…It was only fitting to open the new century with a maiden voyage to one of NYC’s steakhouses.  As the captain for this month, I decided to try Club A Steakhouse, a restaurant I had never heard of until I found it through OpenTable.  Based on the menu on the website, I thought it to be a great idea.

We were joined this month by Rob McDermott, manager extraordinaire, visiting from Los Angeles, city of Mastro’s.  It was clear from everyone’s early/on time arrival that we were hungry for some steak.  We were seated a corner table, with bob dole looking over our shoulders, with some absolutely amazing decanters.  PA ordered up some thick bacon right off the bat- we got the bacon and while tasty, it was quite salty.  Even with the Club A steak sauce, it was still a bit salty for me.

When the apps came, I was quite happy with the quality and taste of the shrimp and my lettuce wedge with blue cheese and tomato was quite delicious.  As you can see, from the photo, that’s some thick blue cheese!

The Rev and I shared a Porterhouse for 2 which I thought to be pretty good, but not great.  I think Calitri’s steak was the highlight of the meats, as far as I can remember.

(Editor’s note) Check out the sizzle on the Porterhouse For 2! If that doesn’t get you excited and craving steak, you should be reading a different site. – Rev

As usual, we ordered a plethora of sides (1 less than Matty Winks wanted though) – I enjoyed the mac & cheese and potatoes and it was quite generous of the restaurant to pass along some complimentary sides.

I thought the service was quite good and the owner and his staff were very friendly and brought out a collection of desserts and fruit as well some after dinner drinks.

I would definitely go back here, especially with an upstairs cigar lounge- it was a good steak with some great people.

SteakClub7 with Club A Steakhouse owner Bruno Selimaj

I’d say 2.5 out of 5 knives.
Rich “Meat God”

BLT Steak – Guaranteed Solid Steak Experience

We eat steak in or near New York City once a month. As there are 6 of us now in the club, not only does each member get to pick 2 different locations a year but under the new policy, they also get to pick a new friend to join us for a meal. November belonged to the Big P.A. and when I emailed him to ask if he had chosen yet he replied with “Just seriously in the need of a solid steak experience.” You see, it’s a tough decision. Do you look for a location the club has yet to try? Do you go for an old standard? Well for Paul this time, it was neither; “Experimenting is out of the window for me this month.” Not only did Paul go with a place he loves but he told us (again via email) exactly how his night was going to play out…

**
BLT Steak has recently been awarded the Best Steakhouse gong in the WNBC Golden Locals.  Chef Laurent Tourondel said “it’s an honour for me to be recognised by the people of New York City.  Thank you to all of our customers and friends who came out to vote and support BLT Steak”.

For me, I’m particularly looking forward to the grilled double cut smoked bacon for appetiser, perhaps along with a shrimp cocktail and I’ll no doubt roll straight into the portherhouse with creamy spinach, braised carrots and hash brown.  Don’t be surprised if I also go for some potato gratin.

The Meatgod will be happy to know that the menu features a chocolate chestnut sundae, I myself will be getting the lemon meringue pie.

See ya’ll there.

Big P.A.
**

If that doesn’t get your mouth-watering, this review will!! For his guest choice, Paul brought along a true steak fan, our friend Dave who is also known as “Box.” In an unprecedented move, as soon as we invited Box, he invited us to a scotch tasting the same night! What a guy!

After checking in, we were seated right away and before we could say “porterhouse,” Big P.A. was asking our sever if we could get some bacon. I knew we were going large so as much as I tried to stick to one rasher, P.A. was having none of it. He demanded 2 per person. After much melee in deciding upon which sides to order (heads were definitely hungry) the very attentive wait staff showed up with a sampling of charcuterie, cheese bread and pâté. All of which was gobbled up in a matter of moments. I had not had the cured meats at either of the BLT locations before but it was really, really good.

Up next, BLT Steak’s signature pop-overs.  As our server pointed, much to the Big P.A.’s liking,  these are hollow rolls made with egg batter and are similar to Yorkshire Pudding.They are so proud of them that they come with the recipe attached so you can make them at home. They key is to forgetting about counting calories and load these suckers up with the salted butter that they come with or, just stuff in some of the salty cured Italian meats.  Along with the popovers came the most anticipated part of the evening, the grilled double cut smoked bacon.  This is to die for! Covered in what comes across like chimichurri sauce, these little numbers are tangy, sweet and salty. It’s a veritable cornucopia of flavors and absolutely not to be missed while dining at BLT Steak.

In a very bold move, Box ordered lobster claws while the server talked the table into the tuna tartare with soy lime dressing. As I am not a fan of seafood, I did not try either of them.

Having already consumed more food than I had eaten all day, I still got caught in the moment of excitement when the rainbow of steaks and sides arrived. It’s as though a meat tornado swept through the restaurant, picking up cuts of this and plates of that, before settling down on our table. Big P.A. and I split a porterhouse for two, which comes topped with 2 discs of salted butter and a personal fave, a clove of roasted garlic. It isn’t the biggest “PH42″ but at 40 oz, it’s still a large cut of beef.  The strip side was moist, filled with rich beef flavor and not too greasy but just juicy enough. The filet side was absolute melt-in-your-mouth divinity. Both sides were cooked perfectly with a nice char on the outside yet pink and juicy in the middle. It was practically a race to finish the steak.

If I had thought it was possible, I would guessed our server was telepathic.  All of our needs were met, our glasses were never empty and she kept suggesting items that were right up our alley. This time it was the massive stack of doughnut sized onion rings. Battered just right and fried nicely, they were so good. I particularly enjoyed the poached green beans that were crunchy and had a great seasoning. The hash browns as well, are always a crispy, savory, crowd pleaser. I tried the cheese filled cauliflower thinking it was mac and cheese and had someone not told me otherwise, I would’ve never know. You could only taste the cheese!! The french fries were good but didn’t really stand out against all the other great items on the table.

With a full belly, a tired jaw and a slight buzz due to scotch and red wine, I sat back in my chair and took a much-needed breath. Savory is my way so when it comes to dessert, I usually opt for my standard black Sambucca with espresso. However, the Meat God, BIG P.A. and JoeC demanded more! Chocolate Sundae, Lemon-­Cassis Meringue Pie / Lemon Sorbet and a Chocolate cheese cake were up next. All of which were nice but the winner for me, as always at BL, are the miniature, fresh-baked, powdered sugar-covered chocolate chip cookies!

This was one of the best steaks and accompanying apps / sides I had ever had in Manhattan. Although you couldn’t possibly go wrong with either, BLT Steak was better than BLT Prime, which I rate in my top 5 in NYC. Cheers to Big P.A. for picking a guaranteed winner and thank you to Box for great company. However, I hope you learned your lesson when it comes to “best comedy movies” ever. That lesson is, don’t bring up the subject.

4.5 out of 5 knives
-Rev

Emeril’s Orlando Solo Mission – Happy Anniversary

Hard to believe it’s been a year since my wife and I celebrated our marriage with a Steak at the Bull and Bear in New York City’s Waldorf Astoria. But I couldn’t be  happier! So while in Orlando for our 1 year anniversary, we decided to have dinner at Emeril’s at Universal City Walk.

Emeril’s menu isn’t all that long but it certainly is unique with Emeril’s creole touches. On this particular evening the special included a tasting menu. While 2 of the items held no interest for me, the 3rd had me wild eyed and excited; “Black Pepper Crusted Australian Kobe Rib Eye with Hudson Valley Foie Gras Calvados Mousse, Smashed Red Bliss Potatoes, Grilled Artichokes and Red Wine Bordelaise Sauce.” There are so many flavors there that by the time you get to the end, you have forgotten what you started with. I asked our very accommodating server if it would be possible to order it as a stand-alone entrée. Fortunately me, the restaurant was happy to oblige.

Ribeye wouldn’t be my first cut of choice but there was no denying the need to try this steak. I purposely stopped and took a breath before tasting my first bite, otherwise there would’ve been no slowing me down and I would’ve inhaled the thing instantly. With each bite, so many different flavors went rushing across my taste buds. The beef itself was slightly gamey tasting, which I am a huge fan of, but with slightly peppered taste. It wasn’t all that salty but certainly had a flavor like I have not tasted before. Foie Gras Mousse was slightly sweet but quite succulent. The Bordelaise Sauce was fantastic and when mixed with the Grilled Artichokes and potatoes, made so that every bite of the dish tasted different from the one prior. It was a carnival of flavors.

Eating steak as often as I do, the change of pace was welcome and there is no question, I savored this piece of beef. I will say though, that the intensity and mixture of tastes would not be something I would regularly order. A simple steak, cooked in its own juices with a little salt and pepper is hard to beat. But, as a little switcheroo, this was worth it. Being a very talented and successful cook, I am sure Emeril knows that and probably why this was the special!

I ordered my standard black sambucca and espresso to end the meal. Just when I thought the taste sensation was over,  I took a sip and was blown out of my seat. Hands down, this was THE BEST espresso I have ever had. Bold, rich, dark and bursting with the strongest tasting bean, quite possibly, known to man. It was so good in fact, that I pulled a move I never go for, I got a second.

A uniquely fantastic meal with a uniquely fantastic woman. I couldn’t be any luckier. Happy anniversary Cara!

4 out of 5 knives
-Rev

 

The Capital Grille – New Restaurant Smell

AHHH…THERE’S NOTHING BETTER THAN THAT NEW RESTAURANT SMELL!

Yes!  A brand spankin’ new baby boy of a steakhouse just opened it’s doors in Lower Manhattan – ironically across the street from the front door of my new apartment!  THE CAPITAL GRILLE – WALL ST.  Yes, they are seemingly opening new locations everywhere and at what would seem like an odd time, economically speaking.  Not only did they just open a location downtown across from my apartment, but also just opened a new location in midtown across the street from my office (Rockefeller Center).  Maybe the Capital Grille is doing something right?

Ok, so this is a chain.  I have dined in Capital Grille’s in the past in Seattle, San Diego, etc…but this one is across the street from my apartment so I was really rooting for it.

I’ll let the pictures do the talking but…

(Editor’s note) The bread was plentiful and served with a very creamy butter. I ordered the Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing. No where in the description of the item were mushrooms mentioned but the salad itself was 40% mushrooms. Big let down. The bacon was great but the dressing and the hard-boiled eggs were bland. This was not a winning item. – Rev

Shrimp Cocktail?  Good.  Not the best I’ve ever had but very respectable.

Lollipop Lamb chops?  Unreal.  I love when I order 6 chops (one for each person at the table) and they bring SIX ORDERS!!!!  YES THAT IS 24 chops!  Lucky for us they were outstanding *Please note that Meat God ate 9 by himself!!!!

Sirloin Sliders?  Decadent!  Prime sirloin (not ground) cooked to perfection in a mini-roll with butter.  This could easily be the meal…

Au Gratin Potatoes?  The best I have ever had!

Lobster Mac ‘N’ Cheese? Not for me but it sounded like this was also the best version the table has ever had.  Sam’s Mashed Potatoes?  Perfect!

Lyonnaise Potatoes?  Really, really good.

Fresh Asparagus sauteed?  Gotta have some greens.

Fresh Creamed Spinach?  Another winner.

OK, so apps and sides are outstanding.  Now to the main event.  THE STEAK!

This is not the best steak I have ever had.  My standard NY STRIP MEDIUM.  It’s cooked perfectly, presented properly, and smells AMAZING.  It’s sitting on a very light coating of gravy that captivates me immediately.  I cannot wait to sink my teeth in!  Alas, the flavor is just not there.  The salt hasn’t penetrated to cut and it’s just a bit flat.  I’m told they serve “Choice” steaks as opposed to “Prime” steaks by Big PA and that Choice is just a little lesser than Prime in quality.  Either way, the chef seemed to do everything perfectly but the cut itself did not perform up to expectations.

(Editor’s Note) The key lime pie was rich, tangy and exploding with flavor. I didn’t try the Meat God’s Ice Cream Sundae but the fresh berries in it looked amazing! -Rev

Had a great time.  Our waiter (absent occasionally) totally hooked it up from taking all the chops off the bill and accepting all the AMEX $50 coupon offers we brought (x3) to the point that this was a very affordable outing.  Only about $80 per person (pre-tip) which is amazing since we all had scotch, beer, and two bottles of wine!

4 out of 5 knives

Even though I really want to drop an additional point for a lackluster steak, the private room, warm reception, outstanding apps and sides, affordable wine selection, and understanding wait staff & host keep it to a very solid showing for me!

(Editor’s note) While we were posing for some fun pictures, the server came in and asked if he could take a picture

Porterhouse New York – A Savory Steak With a Bitter End

We’ve been doing this for 5 years now. Amazing to think there are still Steak Houses in NYC that we haven’t been to but when new ones open, that gives new life to the SC7. Such was the case with Matty Winks choice of  Porterhouse New York. Located in the Time Warner Center in NYC’s Columbus Circle,  Porterhouse is the creation of former Windows on the World (the restaurant that used to sit atop the World Trade Center) chef, Michael Lomonaco.

The Meat God and I showed up on the early side and took at seat at the bar, sipping on beverages while waiting for the rest to arrive.  We made pals with the young lady seated next to us who gave us some tips on ordering. She also gave us a few bites of her aromatic french fries.

All good Steak Club meals should start with bacon and Porterhouse delivered the goods! The Thick Cut Apple Wood Bacon was warm, delicious and oh so salty. We each had 2 pieces. Also impressive was the bread selection. Rather than just drop a basket of assorted baked goods, the wait staff came around with a tray filled with multiple choices of bread. Matty Winks did his best to eat one of each, maybe 2!

I followed up my apps with the Wild Italian Salad; Arugula, Roasted peppers, pecorino cheese, Sicilian olives, grape tomatoes. After picking out the olives and tomatoes, I dove in. Fresh greens, savory cheese and nicely roasted peppers.  It’s good to help the digestion of what is about to come.

I didn’t eat any of the shrimp but the general consensus of the table was pretty negative. In fact, I think it ruined shrimp in general for the Big P.A. More on that in the comments.

The BIG P.A. and I went for our usual, the Porter House for 2. Ain’t nothing like getting 2 different steaks in one; strip and filet! I can’t lie, it was one of the most perfectly cooked and delicious steaks I have ever eaten. It’s not easy to absolutely nail the selection of meat and then cook it to perfection but the Porterhouse New York delivered the goods! Not a single shred of beef was left on the bone by the time we finished.

Sides are an important part of the SC7 experience and on this fine evening we spared no taste bud. The Macaroni and Cheese was pretty good, as was the sauteed and very flavorful Broccoli.  I didn’t partake in the Creamed Spinach Mr. Pete’s way (covered in chunks of Apple Wood Bacon) but I think everyone else quite enjoyed it. The winner for me were the golden fried Hash Browns. Ain’t nothing like a greasy, crispy fried potato!

It was a great meal and as always a great time with the brethren of Steak Club 7. But alas, this particular “meating” was bitter sweet. Salty Moore announced his retirement from the group. As a founding member of our professional steak eating gang, it was sad news to suffer the 2nd retiree (Big Datti Meltz was #1) but as he was about to go off and be married, we can’t fault the guy. You’ll be missed champ. To celebrate, a rich, chocolate cake and the Meat God standard: chocolate Sundae. Joe, Matt and I went for our usual following move; black sambucca with a single espresso.

4 out of 5 knives
-Rev

The Parlor Steakhouse – The Gale Force of Cookies

Steak Club 7 events always start the same way; the 7 of us email each other all day about our excitement. We all get hungry and by the time we arrive, we’re practically ravenous. On this night in particular, I arrived on the early and could barely contain myself as I sat at the bar sipping a Balvenie Rocks.

The Parlor Steakhouse, on New York City’s upper east side, comes recommended to us by the attorney I work with for a bar I am trying to open called One Barrel Bar.  In fact, my attorney Peter, is an investor in Parlor and his son Michael, is the owner. To say the deck was stacked, is a gross understatement. Peter joined me at the bar with his wife for a cocktail and a chat. As the boys in SC7 arrived, I introduced us every around and once we were all in the house, the most wonderful hostess Sarah, showed us to our table.

I knew people were hungry when I watched us plow through 2 servings of bread. Either that or the herb butter was really, really good! More like a combo of the two. I skipped out on salad and appetizers but shrimp cocktails, oysters, Caesar and Chopped salads and Garganelli Pasta were ordered by some of the others. I gnawed into another slice of bread while sippin’ on some Scotch.

Once the apps had finished and the hunger for steak was about to kick back in, the wait staff showed up with some sliders. Now let me tell you something, few things excitement like a burger can (see my other site; Burger Conquest) so I was giddy like a puppy when you first walk in the room! They weren’t on the menu, otherwise I would’ve suggested them so it was a complete surprise. With some kind of shredded cheese on top, these mofos were TASTY and I definitely made sure I was one of the few who go more than one.

While the flavor of the sliders was still fresh in our mouths, the wait staff showed up with a bountiful cornucopia of steaks and sides. Before we could dig in and enjoy, a storm of such intensity descended upon New York like someone was literally dumping a massive Manhattan sized bucket of water on the city. Lightening flashed, rain soared like bullets, sideways down the streets of the city impaling everything in its path. People were scrambling about the streets trying to get out of this surprise storm. Right then, the floor to ceiling windows on the front of the restaurant blew upon. It was cool to see a storm have that much power but it sucked because we were sitting next to the windows. It took multiple members of the Parlor staff to get them shut.

If I wasn’t thinking “how the hell am I going to get home in this” my thoughts would’ve been focused on the Porterhouse covered in garlic cloves that had just been placed on the table. I had never seen anything like it. Were they trying to warn us about the post meal vampires hidden in the restaurant’s basement or did they just love garlic? No idea, but look at this!

Our eyes were almost as big as our stomachs, for once! The steaks came along with a sampling of The Parlor’s sauces and although most of us prefer ours with out sauce, we still try em out. The Bearnaise had a nice lite creamy taste and made the whipped potatoes really nice.  The Herbs and Fresh Lime was great too although really didn’t need to go on a steak. So yeah, yeah, what about the steak right? Well as much as it pains me to say it, it was OK. It wasn’t cooked right and was served barely above room temperature. The flavor was less savory than I would expect and in this occasion, to make it to the point, we used more sauce than normal. I feel bad saying it A. because I never like a negative review but also B. the Steak House owners are friends and colleagues. But we have duty to be honest with our readers.

Having said that, the whipped potatoes were decent, as were the very unique twice baked potatoes. See the picture of what looks like a muffin? Those are the twice baked potatoes! The fried onions were good too.

When the servers came to ask the standard “would you like any dessert?” question, we all declined with too full of bellies. A few moments later they showed up with some fresh baked cookies and Blueberry Filled Beignets with Lavender Flower Anglaise and Almond Ice Cream. The latter were very unique and tasty but OH MY GOD, the cookies! THE COOKIES WERE AWESOME. I will admit to being a self-proclaimed cookie fiend but who out there doesn’t like warm, fresh baked cookies?

All in all a good time but an upsetting steak serving. Much to the credit The Parlor Steakhouse, without us even saying anything, emailed us the next morning and apologized.  They lost a line chef mid-shift which through everything that night for a loop. They invited us back for another tr, but they should be careful what they wish for…we may take them up!

2 out of 5 knives
-Rev

CO 1502 (EWR->LAX) – Solo Mission

Thank you Continental.  Just when I felt I was coming to grips with getting overlooked occasionally for that complimentary upgrade.  Just when I accepted the notion of…”eh, it’s only a 3 hour flight from IAH to LGA, I’ll be fine in coach.”  JUST WHEN I figured out how to use my iPod headphones in that stupid dbl prong input in coach (comp full headset in first) to watch the movie…YOU GO AHEAD AND SPRING THIS ON ME:

Pretty standard first class menu upon first sight from my favorite airline.  Toasted almonds, really nice piece of smoked salmon, 5 different types of warm rolls to choose from, great mixed romaine salad, standard entree plate with heaping portion of mashed potatoes, 2 different kinds of asparagus, and a WHAT??? 14OZ GRILLED MEDIUM (perfectly) NY STRIP?  I mean look at this…

I mean seriously, how did they do it?  Punching it on a grill to sear then finishing it off to perfection in the microwave???  Like, it was really, really good and honestly, I wasn’t even that hungry…but I ate the whole thing and wanted more.

Topped it off with a massive vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup, whipped cream, and cherries and a cup of coffee and I was stoked.

OK, so let’s be straight, this wasn’t the Strip at Pietro’s…but as far as air travel goes, it was beyond it relatively speaking.  Sure beats that pigeon stuffed hot pocket I had in coach a few months ago.

Well played Continental, I will fight even harder to maintain my high elite status!

5 out of 5 plastic knives!

-JoeC

Yankee Stadium – 3 Steak Houses and 1 big win

Ahhhh summer! A fantastic time of the year for fun, activities, friends, baseball and steak!! Hence Jon’s decision to choose NYY Steak at Yankee  Stadium for our July SC7 outing. With both the Meat God and Jon’s favorite team, the Yankees, playing both Matt and Colin’s team, the Orioles, today’s day game made for a perfect choice. For those keeping records, JoeC is Red Sox loyalist,  I’m a fan of the ‘84 Tigers and the Big PA hailing from the UK, likes Manchester United…and steak.

The day started off at 11:30 am when we all met up at the Ted Turner founded  Ted’s Montana Grill. Although we didn’t eat any steak, seemed like a great place to meet due to it’s central location and having the D/F trains right below the building. We hopped aboard the subway and headed to the Bronx.

What do you know, it was Yankee Stadium Free Puzzle day sponsored by Avis. At first we thought was pretty cool but moments later when we realized we would be walking around all day with a giant box, it was not so awesome. I think I may have been the only person who made it out of the stadium still holding the box.

First thing’s first and since it was a “day-off” a little stop at the “Retro Beer Cart” for some tall boys of Schaefer Beer. (That’s the Meat God’s sur name FYI.)

And that lead us right to the always mandatory, Carl’s Cheese Steak. Making it officially, the first steak of the day. Carl’s is heralded by many to be the most authentic Philly style cheese steak in NYC. Me, I go extra wiz “wit” fried onions.  Matt, the man, the myth, the legend, got 2 cheese steaks!

It was well into the 1st inning before we got to our seats, hot Carl’s steaks in hand.

That didn’t last long before the desire for more food and drank lead to wandering around the gigantic stadium. We found and perfect spot to enjoy the afternoon sunshine just at the top of the bleachers off the 2nd and 3rd base line.

Once the grumble demon in Matt’s stomach starts up, there is nothing that can be done until it’s fed. Suggestion; Lobel’s fresh made prime rib sandwich. You’ll find the Lobel’s stand on the main concourse off the 4th base line. You can watch them hand slice and prepare the cuts of beef while you wait in line and thankfully for Matt’s stomach demon, there was no line. He didn’t even stop to look. The steak is served in au-jus style sauce on a simple white roll and with option horseradish, Matt’s favorite. The Lobel’s sandwich, made for steak #3 of the day and it was damn good!

While the steaks settled in, we watched a little more game. Feeling ambitious, JoeC opted for a waffle cone of frozen yogurt. He asked if I wanted one to which I replied “I’ll just wait until you can’t finish that one.” He said “not a chance” and a few minutes later, I was holding half a cone.

With a 6 to 4 Yankee’s win over the Orioles, it was time to head over to NYY Steak. The half Hard Rock Cafe owned restaurant, according to the website is based on “Council Oak Steak & Seafood Restaurant in the Seminole Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos, with locations in Tampa and Hollywood, Florida.” The game ended at 3:45pm and as the stadium emptied, the restaurant began to fill up.

I have to give the place some credit, they did a great job using the Yankee theme to dress up the place. Baseball diamond shaped appetizer plates, hot mini-pretzels instead of rolls, memorabilia, Yankee’s branded steak knives for big spenders, retired player’s autographs illuminated on the wall and their jersey numbers on the plates. The honey butter that came with the pretzel was delicious!!!

The meal started off with appetizers of Fresh “NYY Steak Bacon”, “Colossoal Shrimp Cocktail” and the “Onion Ring Stack.” I can’t comment on the Shrimp but the bacon was thick cut and tasty with a strong salty flavor. The onion rings were heavily fried and very doughy, almost like a doughnut without sugar. I definitely enjoyed them in all their overly greasy goodness.

With just the right amount of digestion time between appetizers and the main course, the big dishes started to arrive. With several choices of steaks and sizes, everyone ordered based on how much they had already consumed throughout the day. I went with a 14 oz Strip steak, as always, medium rare. The steak arrived cooked as ordered. It was a good, flavor filled steak although seemed to have a lack of juiciness. It was better than I expected for a steak house in a baseball stadium.

After we all decided upon the sides we wanted, the Big PA went and ordered whatever he wanted. The order consisted of Au Gratin Potatoes, Creamed Spinach, Lobster Mac and Cheese, Steak House Fries and Fresh Asparagus. The Au Gratin’s stood above the rest here and were cooked just to a point just before the potatoes turned to mash. The fries were crispy and sprinkled with spices, they were good but I had eaten so much at that point, that is was just overkill.

With the 2nd most comfortable chairs of any Steak Club 7 event (#1 goes to Bull and Bear) everyone made themselves comfortable after  very full meal.

In the end, probably the most fun Steak Club 7 event in our 4 years of operation. All that was missing was dumping champagne on the winning team’s (SC7) heads, so we improvised…

As we pulled back into NYC around 7:30, with full bellies and smiles on our faces, at a time when an SC7 event would normally begin, we decided, one more glass of wine at one of SC7’s faves, Bobby Vans. Although we didn’t have any more steak, it seemed the right place to end a very fun day.

Carl’s Steaks Cheese Steak- 3.5 out of 5 knives
Lobel’s Prime Rib sandwich – 4 out of 5 knives
NYY Steak – 4 out of 5 knives

-Rev

P.S. Order your very own “official” SteakClub7 Yankee’s Photo here;

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