Tag Archives: tbone

Peter Luger Steakhouse

15 Jan

Peter Luger is probably the most famous steak house in all of NYC, which is why I find it strange that it’s in Brooklyn. I’ve long wondered if that adds to the allure… “it must be good if people will brave the L train for it!”

I had been to Luger once before and hated to say I was underwhelmed. I mean, it was a very good meal, but I didn’t think it was better than places in NYC and didn’t think it was worth crossing the East River to eat.

But when friends from out-of-town wanted to try it, I was excited to go on a food adventure with them.

I certainly love the inside. It’s beautiful without being fancy.

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Someone suggested we try the bacon. And BOY am I glad they did. This was probably my favorite part of the whole meal. It was thick cut, perfectly cooked, a little charred on the ends. Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmmm.

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And they are famous for their tomato and onion salad. This… I do not understand. I mean I like tomatoes and onions just fine… but why is this special? 

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Though they did advise that we pour the Peter Luger Sauce (which is on every table) on it, and I will admit, it made the onions and tomatoes very tasty (and added great, but not overpowering flavor to the steaks, too).

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The steak ordering is incredibly easy from the menu. You tell them if you want steak for two, three, or four and out it comes. It’s a beautiful Porterhouse that they serve nicely carved and dish out to each person at the table.

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And you don’t get more perfectly Medium Rare than this:

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We also ordered the lamb chops so we could try some different things.  These were delicious and I’m glad we had some variation (as much as I love steak!)

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We got a side of creamed spinach, which I thought was really tasty and heavier on the spinach flavor than the cream (which I prefer).

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Mmmm… meat.

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Even though we were all totally stuffed by the end, we just had to try the ice cream sundae (which came with a chocolate cow on top).  This was heavenly.

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As was the pecan pie.  It was super pecany and not overly sweet. And don’t even get me started on that homemade schlag!

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As you leave, everyone gets some chocolate gelt to take home.  A nice little way to be reminded later of the great meal you had.

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I certainly enjoyed my meal this time more than last time, and I think the key was variation. Definitely get the bacon, try some sauce on some tomatoes and onions (why not?) and then order up some amazing steaks with some lamb chops.  Leave a wee bit of room for dessert and you’re perfect.

Do I feel the need to travel to Brooklyn for this on a regular basis? No.  I still think the novelty is good for tourists, but as a local, I’ll stick with Keen’s. (Though my arm could certainly be easily twisted to return to Peter Luger!)

Total Nom Points: 8 out of 10

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The Palm

15 Nov

When you think of classic NYC steakhouses, The Palm is always on the list, but it has always been a bit of an unsung hero in my mind.  Every meal I have had there has been far above average.  My latest experience there was no exception.

Mike got the Shrimp Bruno: three jumbo shrimp française sautéed in a dijon mustard sauce. I don’t even like mustard but this was delicious.

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I got the Lobster Bisque. It was a very smooth bisque, filled with flavor, without being at all spicy (plus one for me!)  It’s classic and it’s delicious.

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We decided to split the T bone (best of both worlds: 1/2 tenderloin and 1/2 strip… so you get tender on one side and marbled on the other).

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It was perfectly cooked. Seared on the outside, pink towards the middle, and then a slightly red center.

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We went with some potato concoction (it may have been a special that night?) that tasted like it was cooked in drippings.  SO GOOD.

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We also got the creamed spinach which was cooked well, and thankfully featured more spinach than cream.

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The dessert selection was a test of will.

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Of which we had none…

Mike got the cheesecake, which was exactly how it should be. Nothing fancy, nothing dressed up. Just delicious, well baked, perfectly textured cheesecake.

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I got the chocolate lava cake.

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And it did exactly what lava cake is supposed to do:

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And it tasted great too!

Overall, The Palm should get more acclaim in the hotly contested NYC Steak Market.  It is classic, always well prepared, and with fantastic service.  There are a lot of people in New York doing a lot of fancy things… but the Palm isn’t fancy. It’s just good.

Total Nom Points: 7.5 out of 10

Total Nom Points: 7.5 out of 10