PrintBest New York Steak From Non-Steakhouses?
The hangar steak from Artisanal. Photograph by DDanzig
Jay Cheshes' piece in Time Out New York on where to eat great steak in non-steakhouses in New York got me thinking. Where would I tell people to go for a hunk of profoundly satisfying red meat if they didn't want to go to one of those testosterone-driven restaurants known as steakhouses?
A number of Cheshes' choices, namely Morandi, Prune, Employees Only, and Convivium Osteria, are intriguing (only Gotham Bar & Grill struck me as extraneous), even surprising. But the red meat hounds here at Serious Eats World HQ have come up with a few prime additions to Cheshes' list.
Artisanal: The hangar steak at Artisanal ($25.50) has a fabulous crust and comes with terrific fries. And if our ship ever comes in, we're dying to try the Cote de Boeuf for two. Yes it's $110. 00 (ouch!), but it's prime corn-fed beef dry-aged for a minimum of 35 days. Do you get french fries with that? Yes, indeed-y.
Ssam Bar: We swear by David Chang's roasted dry aged ribeye for two from Four Story Hill Farms (it could easily serve three or four), served with a shallot confit—even at the hefty price tag of $140. Believe it or not serious chefs do not make much money using dry-aged prime beef, which is insanely expensive. But if this dish is too rich for your blood, try Ssam Bar's marinated hanger steak ($26), served with ginger, scallion, kimchi, and bibb lettuce
Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar and Grill: The insanely flavorful hangar steak here comes topped by wild mushrooms and Tokyo scallions. We haven't tried the bone-in rib steak for two ($72) here, but we sure are planning to.
Where do my fellow serious eaters go for their red meat fix when they don't feel like experiencing steakhouse madness?
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6 Comments:
Fully concur with the Ssam bar recommendation, the same cut (from Four Story Hill Farms) is also offered at Craft and Resto. The latter actually dry age the beef two weeks more than the other two leaving a profoundly moldy tasting piece of meat and one of my favorite steaks in NYC.
Here are a few more steaks worth checking out from non traditional sources:
The Four Season : http://beefaficionado.blogspot.com/2008/04/four-seasons-best-steask-in-ny.html
Tocqueville: http://beefaficionado.blogspot.com/2007/11/tocqueville.html
Pietro's: http://beefaficionado.blogspot.com/2007/09/pietros.html
And lets not forget that many Japanese restaurants offer very good steak as well:
La: http://beefaficionado.blogspot.com/2007/08/lan.html
Geisha: http://beefaficionado.blogspot.com/2007/08/geisha.html
Nick Solares at 10:13AM on 08/22/08
Ed, I'm shocked you don't agree with Gotham Bar and Grill. Its been a while, but I recall it being one of the best steaks and I think is uniformly praised as such, although I haven't had it recently.
I have no other places to add as I've experienced much disappointment in the past at eating steaks at non-steakhouses that despite my desire, i've since rid myself of this habit and save the steaks for the prime dry aged perfection at steakhouses.
ESNY1077 at 10:56AM on 08/22/08
I almost hesitate to post this -- don't want to increase demand -- but I think the Steak for X (2/3/4/5) at Diner in Wmsburg is very easily among the best in town. And experience wise I prefer it to most steakhouses and their expense, musty sides, investment bankers, and ho-hum wine lists.
www.dinernyc.com
As you probably know they're butchering their own meat now -- some upstate source -- and on the weekend (and *only* on weekends, at dinner, as far as I've seen) they serve steak for X. Comes w/ fries and a nicely complementary watercress salad. It's amazing.
Must be ordered rare -- as it's grass-fed anything beyond that starts developing some texture issues, at least IMO.
Confession -- I think everytime I've gotten the steak at Diner I've started w/ the carpaccio or tartare -- double beef! -- which is also tremendous.
It's obviously right down the block from Luger and comparing the two at this point I prefer Diner -- and have chosen Diner for my last couple steak occasions.
Luger has it's obvious charms -- which I do very much enjoy and appreciate -- but the doneness of the steak often has minimal relation to the doneness you've requested. Also the wine list (still) sux, whereas Diner's, while limited, is interesting and nicely priced. Great desserts and that watercress salad tops creamed spinach any day in my book.
Diner's burger comes from the same cow, also excellent -- better than any Manhattan burger I've had recently, including numerous SE recs. (Hasn't displaced the Luger burger in my affections, though, the same way the Diner steak has. Definitely room on those 2-3 blocks of Broadway for both...)
p.s. Diner is apparently opening a butcher shop this fall across B'way from Diner/Marlow -- so you'll be able to buy this beef to cook at home.
Jack_Barber at 11:11AM on 08/22/08
basta pasta, the italian-japanese restaurant on 17th b/w 5th & 6th ave, has a consistently excellent rib eye. full of flavor for around $28 it usually comes with roasted garlic.
fulminating at 11:44AM on 08/22/08
Yes, Diner, for the best.
Also: The Balth for au poivre and Landmarc for the hangar
rrakes at 12:06PM on 08/22/08
Landmarc at the Time Warner Center or down in Tribeca has great steaks and the fries are fan-fugu-tastic. Also relatively reasonably priced.
eszarets at 1:23PM on 08/22/08