We went to M. Wells Diner in Queens a number of years ago, and I was anxiously awaiting the opening of their newest place, M. Wells Steakhouse, but the Queens location made it a bit tough. So when it was Mike’s turn for the annual Valentine’s Day surprise meal, he thought this was a great time to visit. I was thrilled when I realized where we were heading (which was AFTER arriving in Queens… silly me).
It was actually less than an hour door to door from our place in Riverdale (Bronx) through Grand Central to the restaurant. Hard to beat that!
Since we were in the middle of one of the coldest weeks of the year, the few blocks from the subway were on the chilly side, so I was excited when we were approaching the address: 4315 Crescent Street in Long Island City. But this was all we found:
Hmmm…
Luckily someone poked their head out and motioned for us to come towards a side courtyard and door.
Walking in, I was very surprised to see that the inside is a really nicely designed space. Definitely not expected from the outside.
A peek at the menu from Valentine’s Day since it appears to change often:
Mike ordered a very interesting cocktail that was a take on a Gibson, but had some pickled pork tongue on it. It was very oniony but enjoyable. And fun to try. (Yes… this is our idea of fun!)
We quickly received a little warm sack with a side of butter and mustard.
Inside was a delightful sourdough and pretzel roll. Apparently the mustard was VERY mustardy so I stuck with my pretzel roll with butter. Very good bread to start.
On the topic of adventurous fun, we saw lamb brains on the menu and had to try it. I have had brain once before and it was thinly sliced and fried. This was really a hunk of brain. (If you are easily queasy, you may want to skip the next picture and description)
This was the inside… very mushy, somewhere between bone marrow and melty cheese. I enjoyed the crispy end but I couldn’t get past the inner texture. Even me. And I can eat anything. It was VERY rich as well, so I’m glad we tried it, but can’t say we enjoyed it.
On the more normal appetizer side, we got a caesar salad. This was COVERED in cheese and was a really fantastic caesar. Lots of great flavor with a burst of freshness from the dressing.
We decided to split the tomahawk steak under the recommendation by many. It was cooked perfectly and the char on the outside was fantastic. Didn’t need a thing. Just great steak.
However, I was expecting a lot more. The reviews had mentioned truffles (which was not true on this night), and the end slices were almost entirely inedible due to fat, so there were really only about 5 or 6 slices we could eat. Granted, it was plenty of food, and we wound up bringing some home to have steak and eggs the next morning, however, I can’t say it was $160 worth it. At all. Even “for two.”
It came with a side of a potato-y, chees-y, butter-y… something. Looking it up now, it was on the sides menu: pommes aligot. And thanks to Wikipedia, I now know it’s melted cheese blended into mashed potatoes. Yes!
The stretch on this was amusing and the taste was incredibly delicious.
We also ordered a side of “foie gras gnocchi.” I was very confused when these two dumpling like things were set in front of us.
But it didn’t matter that this didn’t resemble the gnocchi I know. It was foie on the inside, wrapped in gnocchi, then fried crisp, with onions on top. Pretty heavenly, to be honest.
After our meal, we were served little tea cups of consommé from the tomahawk steak as a “palate cleanser.” I have never had a savory palate cleanser after the meal, but the consommé was fantastic. Not at all greasy and really savory.
For dessert, they were doing a Valentine’s Day special of a “fried banana split” that had chocolate, vanilla, and lavendar ice cream with honey brittle, butterscotch sauce, and hot fudge. How could we resist?
And it was certainly beautiful.
I enjoyed this but wasn’t blown away. The brittle was the best part, but the banana was a bit mushy and I just don’t like floral flavored desserts (my fault, not theirs). Mike thought the banana tasted a bit like wet laundry, but I thought he was kind of crazy.
On our way out, we saw the dessert cart and it looked quite beautiful. Made me a little mournful that we didn’t get something from this, but hey, no regrets.
Overall, I walked out of our meal pretty wowed. I also realized that I didn’t remember how much that steak cost. Now, looking back, I have to say that it was a really great meal but absolutely not worth the price. Perhaps the Tomahawk was our mistake, because as much as it was a REALLY good steak, I’ve had comparable for half the price. Add in the travel to Queens, and I’m torn. We really, really liked it. And we were very happy with the meal. I just can’t say I truly recommend it.
Total Nom Points: 7 out of 10 (probably would have hit 8 out of 10 had that steak been priced more reasonably)
