The Beacon Beefsteak

[bourdain]

Seen canoodling at the Beacon Beefsteak. . . Fat Guy

That is all.

[Fat Guy]

The Beefsteak at Beacon (25 W. 56th St., 212-332-0500) is one of the quintessential food experiences. It's like rodizio -- the Brazilian cross between a Pennsylvania Dutch Amish country smorgasbord, a Miami Beach all-you-can-eat early-bird-special buffet, and a carnivorous cookout hosted by Satan -- except, unlike most rodizio, it doesn't suck. It's steakhouse-quality meat in a bottomless trough, eaten with the hands, accompanied by all-you-can-drink beer and bourbon.

Joseph Mitchell spoke of the phenomenon in his 1939 New Yorker piece, "All You Can Hold for Five Bucks." Dating back to the late 19th Century and Tammany Hall, the beefsteak is the ultimate Old New York male-bonding ritual. The only ways to improve it: better beef, and women. At Beacon they offer both.

I had been preparing for the Beefsteak for weeks, and upon entering Beacon was intercepted by a puzzled-looking Tony Bourdain, who obviously hadn't been preparing at all. "Hey," he asked astutely, "is there some kind of event going on here tonight?" He'd been invited by an acquaintance, and had not been warned.

When you check in for the Beefsteak, you receive a beer glass and, theoretically, an apron. These are yours for the evening. The apron delivery, however, had not arrived.

The tables are arranged in beer-hall formation, and set with old-style crudites trays and whole crusty baguettes. As the assembled guests began to take their seats, the apron delivery arrived, and aprons were distributed to all.

Bourdain refused to don his apron.

The meal begins with miniature "burgers on toast," and on this night something like 700 of them were consumed in 15 minutes (seriously). As opposed to a normal burger, where the meat-to-fat ratio is about 80/20, these burgers are more like 20/80 (seriously as well -- you may assume everything I'm saying here is accurate, even though it all sounds highly embellished). They're cooked quickly, at ultra-high temperatures in a glorious inferno of fat and flame, which leaves behind medium-rare, ultra-juicy specimens. They're served on brioche croutons.

The burgers are accompanied by platters of jumbo shrimp and lump crabmeat, with a variety of dipping sauces. Use of fork and knife is discouraged.

The idea is to be completely stuffed -- eight or ten burgers, a couple of fistfuls of shellfish, and half a dozen beers -- by the end of the appetizer course.

The main course consists of whole Black Angus New York Strips sliced into Snickers-bar-sized chunks, lamb chops, and bacon-wrapped kidneys. All are served family-style, in unlimited quantity and then some.

The beef is accompanied by a "sauce" consisting of fat. As the meat is presented, so are bottles of Maker's Mark bourbon. The beef-and-bourbon combination is one of the few good mid-meal uses for hard liquor (assuming the meal is good -- if not, there are plenty of uses).

Throughout the evening, a band plays on the balcony. Bourdain and I agreed that the persistent brassy blare of the horns was the only downside to the evening. "Once you start wearing candy-striped shirts and playing a horn," Bourdain observed, "you should be shot."

Dessert is multiple slices of dense chocolate cake, and coffee.

Not a bad deal for $85 per person. The Beefsteak at Beacon has thus far been an annual event (last night's was the third) but the chef is talking about increasing the frequency to twice a year. Personally, I think the restaurant should do it every Monday night -- or perhaps repurpose itself entirely as a Beefsteak establishment, though I'd miss the pizzas, the foie gras, and, on second thought, let's stick to Monday nights only for Beefsteak. Should you decide to go to the next beefsteak, reserve immediately upon its announcement -- these events sell out far in advance.

I asked Bourdain to write up an account of the evening, so as to allow my own valuable time to be better spent on censoring eGullet posts about Iran-Contra, but his response was, "Fuck no." I now see that he nonetheless reversed his position and contributed the report above.

I'd like to thank Waldy Malouf not only for the invitation, but also for enhancing my barware collection. Attendees are encouraged to keep their bourbon glasses and their Brooklyn Brewery beer glasses (and also their aprons). As so many were abandoned by the other guests, however, I took six of each.

Photos by Ellen R. Shapiro, as usual

[Suzanne F]

Hungry.

PS: are they still doing Flaming Orange Gullys?

Edited March 4, 2003 by Suzanne F (log)

[Fat Guy]

PS: are they still doing Flaming Orange Gullys?

Yes, we checked out the cocktail menu and it was the first cocktail listed. Apparently they've been selling hundreds of them. But, being a girly drink, it was not on offer at the Beefsteak.

[Steve Plotnicki]

I went to the first one they had two years ago. It was fun, but sort of underwhelming so I haven't gone back. It's just a pile of meat on a platter, not particularly well cooked in my opinion, as those pictures show with the beef they are slicing being overdone. Ultimately, that things are cooked and served banquet style undermines the quality of the food, although it adds to the fun experience. But if they limited the menu choices to beefsteak, and one fish and one poultry item for those non-meat eaters, and had their normal reservation policy and you could just order it throught the dinner seating say for a week, that would probably make for a better meal.

[Liz Johnson]

Not only was there a canoodler, there were also rabble-rousers. Or at least instigators.

The upstairs room was by far the rowdiest — people bouncing in their chairs to the oompah band, clunking (not clinking) their glasses for a table-wide toast, men with one arm over the shoulder of their friends, the other holding cigars.

I don't know if they were interested in a food fight, but just as dessert was served, we at a table on the lower level near the hearth were treated to a symbol of their rambunctiousness. A mini-burger (no brioche attached) came flying from who-knows-where and landed on the table, nearly missing the beer glasses and chocolate cake.

Thank goodness the bourbon was spared.

[Wilfrid]

All seems very sensible. Were the slices of steak served on toast, as Mitchell describes, or were you just grabbing hunks of meat?

(The Mitchell piece, collected in Up In the Old Hotel - readily available - is highly recommended.)

Edited March 4, 2003 by Wilfrid (log)

[Fat Guy]

It's just a pile of meat on a platter, not particularly well cooked in my opinion, as those pictures show with the beef they are slicing being overdone.

You're looking at a photo of a New York strip cooked medium. Others were medium-rare. There was plenty of choice of doneness levels as the platters circulated. Aside from that, though, to say it's just a pile of meat on a platter is like saying a steak is just a piece of meat on a plate -- it's not saying anything. Eating pieces of a strip cooked whole, in the manner of a roast, is a different experience from eating the same beef prepared as a grilled steak. It's unusual to be able to sample New York strip in this format, because there's little opportunity to do so unless you're at a banquet. And it's quite delicious, especially given the high quality of the beef being used at Beacon and the preparation over live fire -- here's a situation where the meat, on account of its size, cooks long enough to pick up real flavor from the process.

[Bux]

The Beefsteak at Beacon (25 W. 56th St., 212-332-0500) is one of the quintessential food experiences. It's like rodizio -- the Brazilian cross between a Pennsylvania Dutch Amish country smorgasbord, a Miami Beach all-you-can-eat early-bird-special buffet, and a carnivorous cookout hosted by Satan -- except, unlike most rodizio, it doesn't suck. It's steakhouse-quality meat in a bottomless trough, eaten with the hands, accompanied by all-you-can-drink beer and bourbon.

Joseph Mitchell spoke of the phenomenon in his 1939 New Yorker piece, "All You Can Hold for Five Bucks." Dating back to the late 19th Century and Tammany Hall, the beefsteak is the ultimate Old New York male-bonding ritual. The only ways to improve it: better beef, and women. At Beacon they offer both.

Care to elaborate on the women they offer?

[Fat Guy]

Care to elaborate on the women they offer?

The major surprise was quantity, as in the number of female attendees. It wasn't half and half or anything close to that, but I'd say the crowd was more than a quarter female and my table was almost 50-50.

[Steve Plotnicki]

Jin - Charred steak tartar is just filet mignon that they throw on a hot grill to char the outside. Then they cut it by hand into a dice. They mix it with capers, onions and spices, and I'm not sure if it is butter or oil? Anyway, after it is thoroughly mixed together they reform it into the shape of a filet mignon and serve it cold. I always found it one of the best dishes in town and it has a great charred taste to it. It makes for a superior lunch after having a hot appetizer like soup etc.

[Jinmyo]

Steve, sounds like one of the best uses for filet mignon I can think of.

[Ellen Shapiro]

you may assume everything I'm saying here is accurate, even though it all sounds highly embellished). . .

Attendees are encouraged to keep their bourbon glasses and their Brooklyn Brewery beer glasses (and also their aprons). As so many were abandoned by the other guests, however, I took six of each.

Oh, sure, sure. I knew I'd find embellishment in there somewhere (doesn't it always make for better stories?). FG didn't take two sets of six glasses--he took a set of six and a set of four.

[Fat Guy]

If you get the Beacon newsletter, you'll see this photo, by Ellen, on the cover.

Also, there seems to be a pretty cool event coming up in August, the "Chowder Dinner," and also a "Pit Tasting Menu." Check it out here:

http://www.beaconnyc.com/7.html

[Suzanne F]

Just got word of this from the Director of Special Events at Beacon (home of the Flaming Orange Gully ® ):

Have you heard about our "Chowder Dinner"?  It is going to be on August 5th, in the same theme as a Beefsteak ie: unlimited food & drink, but with a summer feeling!  Four chowders, raw bar, lobsters, shrimp, clams, oysters, hush puppies, corn on the cob, fried chicken and lots more!  It is $75 per person plus tax & gratuity.  Call the reservations line at 212.332.0500 if you'd like more details or to make reservations.  It should be fun!

OH, man, is that tempting. I just hope they let you use utensils to eat the chowders! OTOH, slurping is grand fun.

[Bux]

Chowder Dinner menu. $75 + 8.65% tax + 20% gratuity includes Brooklyn Beer and spiked pink lemonade. Prepaid. Flatware optional.

[Suzanne F]

Mentioned in the NY Times, Wednesday, October 22, 2003:

Beacon Restaurant and Bar will hold an all-you-can-eat beefsteak dinner with crab meat, steaks, lamb chops and more on Nov. 4 at 6:30 p.m.  The cost is $85; (212)332-0500

Beacon website -- click on Tasting Menu/Cheese Platter; the cost does not include tax and a mandatory 20% gratuity (which bring it up to about $110).

[Suzanne F]

BEACON  RESTAURANT and Bradley Ranch B3R™ Natural Certified Angus Beef®

present

"The Fifth Annual Beefsteak"

Tuesday, February 8, 2005; 6:30 p.m.

Gluttony, Camaraderie, Beer, Beef & Song

$95 per person plus tax & gratuity

Reservations Are Required & Limited!

Call Us Directly, 212.332.0500

This richly historic New York event - akin to the New England Clambake or Texas Barbecue began around the middle of the last century. It was a time to celebrate eating...not polite eating, but abundant, glorious, gluttonous eating! Now, Waldy Malouf and David Emil are bringing back their exclusive Beefsteak with all the "fixings": massive amounts of aged, choice cuts of steak; kidneys wrapped in bacon; crabmeat cocktail; lamb chops; and beer mugs & aprons for all!

And did we mention unlimited quantities of beer?

Beacon NYC is located at:

25 West 56th Street

Between 5th & 6th Avenues

New York, NY 10019

Phone: 212-332-0500

Fax: 212-262-4787

Did you know that you can make reservations for Beacon NYC at:

http://www.OpenTable.com/single.asp?ID=407

Click here for more information including dress code, parking, and a map:

http://www.opentable.com/restaurant_profil...407&restref=407

[R Washburn]

Beacon is now taking reservations for the 6th annual "Beefsteak" on Tuesday, Feb. 21st, 2006.

Cost is $95.

[richardv]

Beacon is now taking reservations for the 6th annual "Beefsteak" on Tuesday, Feb. 21st, 2006.

Cost is $95.

←

I just got the current invite and the price is now $200.

[Ochowie]

Beacon is now taking reservations for the 6th annual "Beefsteak" on Tuesday, Feb. 21st, 2006.

Cost is $95.

←

I just got the current invite and the price is now $200.

←

When is it this year?

[Fat Guy]

Last night was the ninth annual Beefsteak at Beacon, and Waldy Malouf was kind enough to have us as his guests again. (Us being me and Ellen, who took the photographs here.) I've now been to several Beefsteaks and Chowders, and each time I go to one or the other I think "I like the Beefsteak better than the Chowder" or "I like the Chowder better than the Beefsteak." Either way, they are two of my favorite eating and celebrating days of the year.

I eat at Beacon a lot. Over the past couple of years it has entered the small club of restaurants where I dine on my own dime more than 10 times a year. During that same time I've had the opportunity to get to know Waldy Malouf a lot better -- some time ago he crossed the friend threshold -- and the better I know him, the more I eat his food, the more impressed I am.

Occasionally I have a normal meal at Beacon -- normal as in going for dinner or lunch, sitting at a table and ordering from the a la carte menu -- and in that regard Beacon is quite good, essentially a "chef-driven steakhouse" (the restaurant's description) that offers excellent steaks (Niman Ranch via DeBragga) and a large selection of non-steak dishes executed much better than steakhouses do them. But I think where Beacon truly excels is in its additional offerings: special events like the Beefsteak and Chowder (and game dinner, and others), the kitchen counter, the Sunday supper (also discussed on the kitchen counter topic, because I didn't think we needed yet another Beacon topic), the burger bar, the brunch service and probably some things I'm forgetting. These are the times when Waldy Malouf, who is one of the most talented chefs I know but doesn't get to utilize the full range of his skills for the a la carte meal service, has the opportunity to work outside the boundaries of the chophouse menu and display his creativity, ingenuity or both (the Beefsteak is more ingenious than creative, of course).

The Beefsteak has always been a great event but has evolved over the years to be even better. It is now always sold out, so Waldy now uses it as a way to raise money for the Green Chimneys charity, with which he has been involved for ages (when I look at Waldy's list of culinary accomplishments my rough calculation is that he's 140 years old). The folks at Green Chimneys made this cow for Waldy a while back and it now stands proudly on the sidewalk out front of the restaurant to welcome revelers to the Beefsteak.

When you enter you're given a Brooklyn Brewery beer mug and an apron (on the table there are paper hats). You're supposed to eat with your hands, and this year I did as did all the men at our table (the women all asked for and received flatware). The hostesses continually circulate to refill your beer and later there's Maker's Mark bourbon.

When you arrive the band is playing and the tables are set with baguettes and New York cheddar.

First up, jumbo lump crabmeat salad and jumbo shrimp cocktail.

Next, mini burgers, bacon-wrapped kidneys and grilled lamb chops.

The flaming herb bouquets on the lamb-chop platters were a nice touch. All of these items are served family style in great profusion, however the surplus of those mini burgers was particularly hilarious. The servers were pushing them like methamphetamine, bringing platter after platter. Our table of mostly big guys went through three of those platters and the servers were still trying to get us to take more.

For the main course, DeBragga & Spitler provides whole dry-aged striploins and Beacon cooks them as roasts. Waldy and chef-de-cuisine Sergio Lopez (who recently graduated up to replace former chef-de-cuisine Mike Smith who is now executive chef at the Metropolitan Museum of Art) work furiously to carve the meat into chunks and pile it high on platters. I don't know about you but I rarely get to eat the New York strip in its roast incarnation. As you might predict, it's even better this way than when served as individual steaks, because the roasts take longer to cook and develop all sorts of flavors a normal quick-cooked steak doesn't get a chance to develop.

Maker's Mark bourbon served in very cool wax-dipped Maker's Mark glasses. (I am now the proud owner of a set of four, but have no idea how to wash and maintain them without wrecking the wax.)

For dessert, profiteroles with smoked-vanilla ice cream. Remember, everything is eaten with the hands so these make a lot of sense.

The cuisine is, however, only one aspect of the Beefsteak. In addition to the live music there's overall an incredibly festive atmosphere.

On top of all that there's Waldy's incredibly gorgeous team of hostesses, wearing flapper dresses for this occasion. I wouldn't say I dine at Beacon just for the hostesses, but they certainly represent value added.

The kitchen crew.

Waldy presenting the check to the Green Chimneys guy:

Chris Carey, son of former New York governor Hugh Carey, leading the restaurant in a stirring rendition of "God Bless America."

Waldy Malouf with the meat.

The waiters.

And here's Waldy with his team of hostesses aka "Waldy's Lovely Ladies."

(Can you guess which one is Waldy's daughter? Seriously. The guy is actually related to one of those women.)

[Sneakeater]

(Can you guess which one is Waldy's daughter? Seriously. The guy is actually related to one of those women.)

←

The second one from the left, top row, looks exactly like him.

[weinoo]

(Can you guess which one is Waldy's daughter? Seriously. The guy is actually related to one of those women.)

←

The second one from the left, top row, looks exactly like him.

←

I think she's better looking.

[Fat Guy]

The second person from the left, top row, is Waldy.