wannabechef

When I heard Prime Rib I think of the roast beef style dish. Not a rib chop. I thought that's usually called rib-eye - no? Strangely, the best prime rib I've eaten was at the cheesy Excalibur hotel in Vegas. The only one in the city I've had was the one time I ate at Taven on the Green. Overpriced (I wasn't paying) but pretty good.

Ok - been very busy, but finally, my review. Went to Keen's with a buddy of mine, around 8pm on a Wed. night. I was glad we made reservations becuase the place was packed. We were seated in the main dining room. We decided to get the prime rib, and and triple lamb chops, to share both. We also each got a flight of scotches and a side of hash browns. The service was slightly slow, but nothing too terrible. The scotch came first. I have to say I was really pleased. It was fun to try the different scotches and compare them, etc. The prices was $25 for sampling of 5 premium single malt scotches - 1 ounce of each. I don't remember which ones we drank or which was my favorite. Finally the meal came. We tried the lamb chop first. Wow. I think this was the best lamb chops I've ever had. They were so amazingly tender, flavorful, juicy...what other adjectives are left? Fantastic is all I can say. Next a bit of prime rib. It was just OK. There was nothing obviously wrong with it, but it just wasn't special. The pieces around the edges that had the seasoning were best of course. But most of it was slightly bland and just not great. Both dishes were ordered medium rare and cooked perfectly by the way. The only thing I could complain about really was price/size ratio. The lamb chops were $45, prime rib was around $42 and I have to say I was still slightly hungry after that. An order of steak at Lugers runs around that and after eating a portion there, I'm absolutely stuffed. Here I just wasn't satisfied. So, we decided to complete the meal with more drinks. We had a round of cognac after we finished dinner. I'm not a big cognac guy but I really enjoyed this. Next we ordered desert. My friend got some ice cream dish and I had the warm bread pudding. We also had a round of port with desert. Everything was great. Not unique, but still great. So the star of the show was definately the lamb chops. I highly recomend them. We ended up closing the place out. By the time we left it was around 11 and they were closing up. The price was definately high - one of the most I've spent for dinner (of my own money ). With tip and tax, the bill was around $300. Most of that price was driinks though. So, I think I'll go back again - preferably when someone else is paying ;-) ~WBC

I never felt it was really a touristy type place. The times I went there were a lot of tables or rowdy businessmen and couples. I'll report back about my experience tonight.

Heading to Keens tonight. Haven't been there in a year or two and I can't decide what to get. I've had the "mutton" chop 2 or 3 times. I like it -but have grown tired of it actually. It stopped impressing me after the 2nd time and to be honest I think its slightly overrated. I also had one of the steak cuts there before, which also was good, but didn't overly excite me. So I'm coming up with a plan of attack for tonight. I'm thinking of being radical and getting the prime rib - something I usually don't order at steakhouses (I miss the char). Is it really great? Also, what about the other lamb chops on the menu? Whats the difference between those and the mutton chop? If I want to go with a steak cut, which is the best? I think I had the porterhouse last time. Finally - are the scotch flights worth it? thanks, ~WBC

I don't know what you guys are talking about. There TONS of great places down there. The selection is definately better than midtown for sure - and a lot more interesting. If you want bad, try working where I work downtown - in the World Financial Center. There's virtually NOTHING here. Anything half decent requires a 15 minute walk min, both ways. Anyway, its been a while since I worked near your part but there are definately places. One place I know still exists and is consisently great is Rosarios on Pearl St. Great steam table Italian - and cheap. Homemade lasagna and eggplant parm - mmmm! I sometimes walk there all the way from WFC. Back in the day there used to be a place called Crispy Canoe behind the stock market. Its gone now. Theres also a Sophies cuban somewhere down there. Zigalinis has great sandwiches and other stuff. Theres a fish and chips place. As mentioned, Mangia is there, but pricy. Theres also a great pizza truck at the end of Water Street. Just explore around. You'll find places and a lot more interesting than midtown (at least East midtown where I used to work). If I remember any more I'll add them to here. ~WBC

Please get this permission. Now you've got me curious with all this mystery.

There's been some talk lately (I think this happens every few months) of the quality at Luger's having declined over the last year or two. I'm nowhere near a regular there, but the last few months I've been a few times. Once for steak, in my review a few posts up, then twice for burgers, and just today for steak again. My heart is complaning to me, but I felt I had to take one for the team Anyway, the thing I've found in my last 4 visits, is that Lugers is lacking consistency. I don't know if it's always been this way or if its more recent. The steak I had in Feb. that I reviewed above was incredible. Really delicous. But the one I had today was in a whole other ballpark. It wasn't even close. The steak I had to day melted in my mouth, barely needed a knife to cut, and had an incredible, rich, aged flavor. Same goes for the burger. I took my wife there for the burger a few months ago, and was blown away. It was the best burger I'd had...possibly ever. I had it med rare, but I think it came closer to rare. Then when back a few weeks later, ordered med. rare and it came out closer to medium. Wasn't even half as good. (I think the meat itself was different, not just doneness) So now I don't know what to think. I guess it's just the luck of the draw that you get a good cut, or that you have the right chef. Was it always like this? I don't know, but if yes, I think it could be considered a decline. I know that many people think consistency is as important as the food itself. I'm slightly more reluctant to drop my money there knowing that its a crap shoot as to the quality I'll receive. ~WBC

MR Cutlets - you had me until you mentioned Nebraska steakhouse. I was there a few months ago and it was perfectly mediocre steak. Not bad, but nothing special either. It tasted like a standard prime cut that many supermarkets carry now in styrofoam. I would put Keen's on the list though - with an extra few points for the classic ambiance and scotch selection. Surprisingly, the best steak I've had recently in Manhattan was at Smith and Wollensky. I went in biased because of the chain status, and that I had read many mediocre reviews. In fact, I went in with the intention of ordering the burger (which is also great) but caved in to the steak in the end. It was truly out of this world. More expensive that Lugers I believe. I think I had a NY Strip special possibly - and it was $43. Pricey, but wonderful. ~WBC

Does anyone know the month/year that Ratner's closed? I was having a debate with my friend about this the other day. I found lots of conflicting information this online, and surprisngly little information about Ratners in general when doing a google search. ~WBC

I highly recomend Turkish Kitchen brunch. Best I've had in the city: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...60entry877460

Here is my Lugers report with photos of course : 3 of us went - Sat night at 5:45. We ended up getting 1 slice of bacon (for me), a salad with b.cheese dressing to share, steak for 3, creamed spinach and german potatoes. Finished off with an ice cream sundae. Bacon was to die for (see photo below). It really blew me away. I had it once before but for some reason just didn't remember it being this good. The experience of eating the bacon was as transcendent as eating the steak itself. Superb. Salad was standard mesculin mix. Blue cheese dressing was definatley homemade and excellent. Oh yeah, onion rolls were as good as ever too. For the star attraction - the steak. It was sublime. To either settle, or further fuel the debate about which size portion is best - I asked our waiter if a steak-for-2 was any better or worse than steak-for-4, etc. He said that our steak-for-3 was two full porterhouses and pointed them out to us on the plate. Indeed there were two t-bones and two filets there. I asked if steak-for-2 was any better and he sort of lauged it off and said they're all the same. I don't know how that can be but this is what he said. I'm still confused. But no matter - the steak was excellent. Perfectly cooked, nice char and tons of jus/butter. The filet portions were extremely tender and the rest was great as well. This time though, I noticed more of the flavor of the beef that was so apparent. Creamed spinach was great and potatoes were honestly just so-so. Ice cream sundae was just eh. The total bill for this, 2 beers, tax and tip was $210. Money well spent in my opinion. Here are the photos. Warning: Food pornograhy of a graphic nature follows. (Cue drooling cloth) Mouth watering strip of bacon Steak-for-3 More steak-for-3 Yet more steak-for-3 Close up Sundae

I know this has already been discussed in this thread, but I wanted to get a fresh and up to date set of opinions on this. Also, I wasn't really clear on the consensus from the previous posts. What size steak do we order for a party of 3? I've heard so many conflicting things. Last time I was at Lugers, which was for lunch about 4 years ago, I remember the waiter telling us that a steak for 3 was best because you then get the full porterhouse cut. Now after reading this thread, people are saying steak for 2 is the best. Then I spoke to a coworker of mine who goes every year and has had everything on the menu - he said he sees no difference. What's the real deal here? Is it just random luck what you get? Should I request something to the waiter to make sure we get the best serving? For 3 men, is a steak for 2 enough? Is two, steak-for-4's ridiculous? We're not big drinkers but will probably get one drink and 2-3 sides. Another question - whats the difference in experience of going on a Sat. night vs. my last experience which was weekday lunch? Will we be rushed through our meal? Is the quality of the meat going to suffer? Ok, I think thats it for now. Just trying to make sure my infrequent Lugers visit goes as perfectly as possible. ~WBC PS I play on taking plenty of photos and will post them here!

I know this is completely off topic, but I have to disagree with this. Schwartz's deli in Montreal is better - bigger sandwiches, and at less than half the price. Even with the exchange rate being what it is. ← Being from New York, it pains me to say this but.... I agree. I believe Schwartz's is superior - not even taking price into account.

Spumoni Gardens - first time I tried it - about 6 years ago, I was blown away. Also was as good the next 4 or 5 trips. But then 2 years ago I went again and was extremely disappointed. I think they changed something - possibly the sauce. I was aghast when I saw them on the Food Network demostrating how to make a pie, and the guy opens up an enourmous can of commerical pizza sauce. Atmosphere is cool, but not enough to get me going back again and again. Spumoni is great though. A few of my other secrets: Kebab King in Jackson Heights. I think this is the best Indian/Pakistani food I've had to date. There's waiter service upstairs, but if you order yourself from the downstairs area, the food tastes better somehow. Best and most famous dish there is the chicken tikka kebab. You can go with 5 or 6 people and sample 6 dishes for less than $7 a person. great deal and great food. Warnnh: You don't know spicey until you've had Kebab King. Queen - Bklyn Heights - Totally generic atmosphere but steallar classic Italian food. Prices are not cheap. Liman - Turkish in Sheepshead Bay. Specialty is grilled whole fish, supposedly flown in from Turkey weekly. The best I've had - including from Turkey. A whole fish, with salad will cost around $18. Nicks Pizza in Forest Hills - Not really a secret, but I think one of the most underrated pies in the city. Sultan Market - not really a restaurant but a Turkish food market. There is a butcher there that has the best baby lamb chops of your life at 1/3 the normal price paid around the city. Major Meats - while we're onto markets - go to Major Meats in Coney Island. Theres sawdust on the floor, 1920's music on the radio, and the best butcher in Brooklyn. All the beef is prime. When you order a steak, Jimmy goes into the back and comes out with an entire side of beef, which he cuts first with a hacksaw, and then lovingly trims the fat away for 10 minutes. You don't find that much anymore. Turkish Kitchen Brunch: Sorry to go off on the Turkish tangent here but I think this is the best brunch I've had in the city. I guess its not a secret anymore since I tried to make a reservation on Friday (for Sunday) and they were booked up. See my review here: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...60entry877460 Mazzola Bakery, Caroll Gardens - Best bread in "Northern Brooklyn"? Thats all I can think of right now. As you can tell, I do most of my eating in the outer boros.

What about clarified butter vs. grapeseed oil? Also - is it bad to put lemon on the fish before cooking? I once tried that and the lemon juice starting burning too quickly.

I can't believe nobody has mentioned Azuri yet!! Best falafel I've ever had - including anything I ate in Israel. It's not only the falafel, but the amazing assortment of homemade salads that come inside with it. I challange anyone to try Azuri and then say its not the best they've had! The second best for me is Hoomos Asli. I'm not a huge fan of Alfanoose for some reason. They use some spice that I just don't like. ~WBC

So this summer, to my surprise, I developed an affection for sardines. Only problem is, they were fresh, grilled sardines caught that day in the Mediterranean Sea. Not something I can easily get throughout the year. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for things to do with canned sardines besides sticking 'em between 2 slices of bread or mashing them to a paste. Is there any way I can come close to recreating what I ate over the summer? Has anyone tried taking canned sardines and roasting them? Or maybe pan searing them to get crispy? There has to be some good things to do with this cheap, healthy and delicious ingredient! Thanks - ~WBC

I'm a huge fan of Tanoreen. Been there about 4 times and have not had a bad meal there. Everything I've put in my mouth there has been nothing short of delicious. I have a weakness for their Kibbeh. I recomend going with a big group so you can taste all the different meze. Also, check out my review of Laila in Park Slope. I think the two are very similar - although Laila doesn't have the meze like Tanoreen. http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...5entry1074385

Another great middle eastern restaurant - in Park Slope - is Laila on 14th st and 7th ave. Went there the other night for the first time. For an appetizer we split this hot fava bean soupy kind of thing. I expected it to be a cold dish from the menu, but it came hot. It was insanely good. Perfectly spiced and delicious. We devoured it. For main course I had the kibbeh - which is sort of my weakness. It was also great - although I think I like Tanoreen's better. It was a little buttery and slightly mushy in the center. The edges were nice and crsipy though and that was the best part. It came with a fresh side salad and a cucumber yogurt sauce. Very delicious. Wife had veal mousaka which was also amazing. Large chunks of veal that was so tender it was like butter. They also melted cheese on top. It was great - and I think I enjoyed it better than mine. The whole thing came to about $30 before tip. Highly recomended. ~WBC

Guys, go for the brunch! It has to be one of the best brunches in the city. You can sample almost every dish they have there for one price (self service, all you can eat). The Turkish Kitchen has been around forever. I think it's one of the city's first Turkish restaurants (at least "upscale") Check out my review and photos of the brunch here: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...ndpost&p=877460 ~WBC

Check out my review of Elio's in Park Slope that I did in June: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=70636 I was just there the other night and its still great. Couldn't resist getting the salmon in filo dough dish again so i don't have much more to report. ~WBC

I've been there somewhat recently and I would recomend to avoid. It's become an enormous tourist trap. Expect waits of up to 2 hours for mediocre to bad deserts. I think it used to be good in its hayday and is getting by on its reputation alone now. ~WBC

Thank you all. I will report back if I find them. ~WBC

Does anyone know if it's possible to buy fresh sardines in NYC? If yes, how's the quality and where would I find them? I just got back from Turkey had had fresh grilled whole sardines a few times and they were phenomenal. Was wondering if it was possible to reproduce here. Thanks - ~WBC

Cool. The one time I ate at Cocotte I had a bad experience. Maybe you could relay this to your friend so they can correct it. I was there for brunch and ordered the french toast. The french toast itself was excellent. Problem was - it came drowning in artifical maple syrup. It was a pool of syrup with french toast sitting on top. I should've said something I know - but I'm one of those types who rarely complains. Tell him lay off the syrup! (and even better provide an option to have the real maple syrup at an extra cost if necessary) ~WBC