I absolutely love steak. It may not be very girly of me (though I’ve never been good at “girly” anyway), but give me a big hunk of beef over a salad any day. I try to eat well, but when it comes down to it, I’m happiest eating fatty, sweet, and starchy delectables.
I’ve tried a number of steak places in the city. From Peter Luger’s to BLT Steak to Smith and Wolensky’s, they’ve all been good. Some really good. And while I do sometimes dream about the Popovers at BLT and Peter Luger’s was a great experience, the steak place that has my heart is Keens. It just never dissapoints. Every meal I’ve had there has been flawless. The mutton (which is what it’s famous for) is fabulous and the prime rib is the best I have ever had.
Keens is a very old restaurant (124 years old to be exact) that looks like it was furnished by the antiques I only dream of one day putting in my home, but they were installed when they were new. In the entry-way there is a display of the “Dinosaur Sirloin” which looks about 100 years old. The sign says Keens thinks it is still not yet aged enough.
My favorite part is that there are old pipes hung on the ceiling. The story goes that when smoking was permitted, Keens’ regulars stored their pipes at the restaurant for the next time and they had a “pipe club” (both real and honorary) with members like Babe Ruth and Steven King. There are supposedly more than 50,000 pipes and I think it just adds a really cool look to the place.
Typically I go to Keens with a publisher for my job and the meal is on the house. The one time I went with Mike, it was more expensive than I realized, but well worth it. I observed the last time I was there that their pub menu is different and very reasonable (as far as steak places in Manhattan go anyway). When Lori and I were looking for a place to eat on a random Thursday evening, I was more than happy that she agreed to try to Keens Pub menu with me. The pub menu is served Monday – Friday, 11.45 Am To 10.30pm and on Weekends 5pm To Close.
It absolutely did not dissapoint. For a semi-small menu, it had more than a few options that sounded great. Lori and I each ordered a glass of wine and anxiously awaited our meals.
Lori had the Miss Keens Burger, which was a burger without a bun, fries, and a green salad. The burger had somewhat of a salt glaze to it. The meat itself TASTED like good meat. Even the salad had the perfect dressing and the fries were expertly crispy.
I went with the Prime Rib Hash. It had many of my favorite things in it. Fried potato hash with onions, prime rib, and topped with a fried egg. (Very healthy). It was absolutely phenomenal. It was like the best latke I’ve ever had but with an excellent meat and a perfectly cooked egg.
Lori and I moaned throughout the entire meal.
I had been tipped off the last time I was at Keens that the meringue was especially good. It’s greek yogurt with whipped cream, pieces of mirengue, and fresh raspberries and strawberries. I absolutely loved it and was all too happy to share it with Lori. I don’t think she liked it quite as much as I did due to the mirengue’s texture, but she seemed to thoroughly enjoy it.
We left with full, happy bellies.
Total Nom Points: 9 out of 10
