Tender Is the Night: New York's Best Steakhouses
04/18/08 - 10:14 AM EDT
Joanna Ossinger
For those who want the steak but don't care about the tradition, there are a lot of imitators, mostly started by alumni of Luger. Places such as MarkJoseph and Ben & Jack's bring the famed food into contemporary dining establishments, often with better wine, appetizer and dessert selections. Oh, and they take credit cards.
But there's a lot to love in that authentic Luger's tradition. Something DifferentKobe Club
68 West 58th Street A restaurant dedicated to serving Kobe-style beef: The concept is a little narrow, and the prices are massively expensive, but if you're in a mood to indulge (or on an expense account) it's a great experience. (Kobe beef is from a specific region in Japan; if it isn't from that region, it's more correctly called "wagyu.") If you can forget about the swords hanging from the ceiling and the fake fire on the wall, Kobe Club is an all-out pleasant protein experience. The Kobe Club offers small pieces of beef so you can experiment with different kinds, such as a 4 oz. filet and 4 oz. striploin. There is American beef, Australian and Japanese; Japanese is the most expensive and, of course, the best. I loved the two-person "flights" of beef. There's the "emperor's flight," with all-Japanese wagyu -- a 4 oz. filet, 4 oz. sirloin and 10 oz. rib-eye for $395. Or, if that payout sounds a little much, try the "samurai's flight" with 4 oz. each of American, Australian and Japanese wagyu filet, plus 6 oz. of American prime filet. That's a mere $225. Other Options There are so many other great steakhouses, the mind reels. Morton's(MRT Quote - Cramer on MRT - Stock Picks) Steakhouse has long been a favorite of mine. Bobby Van's, Delmonico's, The Palm, Smith & Wollensky(SWRG Quote - Cramer on SWRG - Stock Picks), Ruth's Chris(RUTH Quote - Cramer on RUTH - Stock Picks) and others can rightly claim places among the elite of New York City. Maybe I'll have to do another round of visits, just to reconsider my picks. If you'd like to offer thoughts on your favorite steakhouses, go to our forum on the Stockpickr Web site.
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