ISO: Manhattan Steakhouse (not Peter Luger)

[ellenesk]

I need to host a dinner for 14 people at a great steak house in Manhattan for a brithday dinner. Lugers will not accomodate more than ten on a Saturday evening(no matter how much I beg) Can folks weigh in on their favorite? I am presently considering Strip House or Michael Jordans. I am not a big Sparks fan. Does anyone know when the JG steakhouse at Time Warner is opening?

[Jason Perlow]

I'm going to say Smith and Wollensky or Maloney and Porcelli (same restaurant group). Actually I think Maloney has bigger tables. Cite Grill is owned by the same company as well and serves the same steaks too -- and I recall they also have good sized tables.

http://www.maloneyandporcelli.com/

http://www.citerestaurant.com/

http://www.smithandwollensky.com/

[tommy]

and if you choose Cite, you might be able to take advantage of their limitless wine dinner, which is a good value for those wanting to get a buzz on.

[Lreda]

and if you choose Cite, you might be able to take advantage of their limitless wine dinner, which is a good value for those wanting to get a buzz on.

I just registered. Always looking to catch a good buzz on the cheap. Anyone up for lunch when they have wine week? I wonder what wines they list, can't be that impressive one with The Stag's Leap, etc, etc etc. If that's the case I might rent a cot.

[Jason Perlow]

and if you choose Cite, you might be able to take advantage of their limitless wine dinner, which is a good value for those wanting to get a buzz on.

I've done this, its a great value.

[tommy]

I just registered. Always looking to catch a good buzz on the cheap. Anyone up for lunch when they have wine week? I wonder what wines they list, can't be that impressive one with The Stag's Leap, etc, etc etc. If that's the case I might rent a cot.

the wines aren't horrible. they generally offer a sparkler and a big fat red, as well as 2 others. i only need the first two. (that, of course, is assuming you were asking about the prix fixe wines. as for wine week, it can get ugly. bring a cot. i had a seemingly endless lunch at Smith & Wollensky last year, with about 10 different pours )

i think it's a one of the best values in the city. jason likes it too.

Edited February 8, 2004 by tommy (log)

[Lreda]

Yup, wine week is where I'll be. Ugly, sure could be.

[juuceman]

sparks has private rooms for groups of your size.. they'll do the standard menu or let you price fixe it with a pretty large range of options.. if you're looking for a private surrounding, this is the way to go..

cite can accomodate big groups.. it's noisy and boisterous and people get drunk pretty quickly.. this is where i go for my birthday dinners.. just don't let them give you a table in the grill.. not as pretty.. for next next few weeks, cite is pouring some (relatively) higher end wines..

[jgould]

I need to host a dinner for 14 people at a great steak house in Manhattan for a brithday dinner. Lugers will not accomodate more than ten on a Saturday evening(no matter how much I beg) Can folks weigh in on their favorite? I am presently considering Strip House or Michael Jordans. I am not a big Sparks fan. Does anyone know when the JG steakhouse at Time Warner is opening?

pietro's

[jgould]

good to see u are covering all the bases, a la, your same question on chowhound. let's see which is more helpful?

[Pan]

J, FYI we're not jealous here. Wherever people look for information is fine with us.

[JohnnyH]

I've always had good experiences at Ben Benson's -- I actually prefer it over Sparks, and find it much more enjoyable than MJ's.

[Lreda]

Spark's rules!!!

Great steaks, AFFORDABLE wine list. Old time atmosphere.

My favorite steakhouse in the city.

[jgould]

J, FYI we're not jealous here. Wherever people look for information is fine with us.

point well- taken

[LJC]

My favorite rib eye is from the old homestead. If I am with my wife (non red meat eater), I go the palm for "surf and turf"; I get the fantastic strip and she gets a 3 pounder and then I end up eating both.

[Red Bean]

I work as a server at Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House. I'm biased, but not because I work there; I wouldn't have taken a job there in the first place if I didn't think it was a restaurant worth talking about.

I first went to Del Frisco's almost four years ago, after they first opened. I had just read a positive (as I recall) review on Fat Guy's website and my girlfriend and I were on our way to a celebratory dinner at Aquavit. We were walking by and the majesty of the room beckoned us to stop in for a drink.

Two months ago I applied for a job there because the room is so beautiful and because my sister told me about some positive experiences she had there. I don't go out for steak too often so other egulleteers can compare and contrast other similar restaurants; but I can tell you what I know about Del Frisco's.

The main dining room is extraordinary. I think you could be teleported from anywhere in the world to the middle of the room and know that you're in New York City. You would know you are in NYC from the surroundings and energy within the room even if you don't recognize Radio City Music Hall or the GE building at Rockefeller Center, both part of the scenery across the street. You can see them when you look through the forty foot high floor-to-ceiling windows that span three sides of the dining room. The space used to be a bank and cost 13 million dollars to renovate. (Compare that with a reported 12 million dollars for Thomas Keller's Per Se, which I believe USA Today called one of the most expensive restaurants ever built in the country.) There's a million dollars worth of art on the walls and the three wine cellars hold 1.3 million dollars in inventory. The owners had a no-holds-barred approach to creating this restaurant.

The steaks are, as with any high-end steakhouse, aged USDA Prime. If you want a steak that's been dry-aged for eight weeks, you have to go to Luger's (or Bern's, in Tampa). I've been to Brooklyn for steak (twice in eight years) and yes, the steak is delicious. But the other night at Del Frisco's I had a piece of 21 day wet-aged New York strip and man, was it good. Better than Luger's? I have no idea, and without a side-by-side comparison I'd never be able to tell. But I have heard more than one guest say to another, "Better than [such-and-such steakhouse]." Each steakhouse has it's own assets and as with any opinion formed in a restaurant, that comparison is an extremely subjective function of the atmosphere, service, and food. Which is exactly the point: at Del Frisco's those attributes combine to form a wonderful, exciting dining experience. And the steak really is amazing.

There are many great things about Del Frisco's and I could go on for awhile: the service is upbeat and friendly; the sommeliers are eager to help and friendly (which is important if you want to quickly narrow down the selection of California cabernets); and the food is fun as well as delicious (we have mac and cheese, and the desserts rock). Is Del Frisco's a steakhouse for everybody? Show me a restaurant that's all things to all people and I'll show you another example of mediocrity (as if we need another). Is it a great place to have a party for 14 people? I can't imagine a restaurant environment better suited to facilitating a festive meal.

Don't take my word for it; come in for a drink, check the place out. That's how I got there.

L.R.

Del Frisco's is located in the McGraw Hill building at 1221 Avenue of the Americas (on the corner of 49th Street and 6th Avenue).

[Lreda]

Red Bean, you sold ME at least. Your impassioned explanation of DelFresco's has got me ready to go. Will be in within the month. Beside you have good initials.

[Marlene]

Based on Red Bean's review in part, we'll be dining at Del Frisco's on Valentines night. I'll be the one with the camera, taking notes

[jgould]

Based on Red Bean's review in part, we'll be dining at Del Frisco's on Valentines night. I'll be the one with the camera, taking notes

oh my!!! don't bring your credit card - bring gold bars!!!!

[Marlene]

Based on Red Bean's review in part, we'll be dining at Del Frisco's on Valentines night.  I'll be the one with the camera, taking notes

oh my!!! don't bring your credit card - bring gold bars!!!!

There is no way it's going to be more expensive than Delmonico's in Las Vegas. Besides, it's Valentines.

[Red Bean]

Marlene, I'm curious if you joined us on Valentine's Night. Let me know.

[NewYorkTexan]

Let me jump on the Cite bandwagon. The three course pre-fix for $69 with unlimited wine is an amazing special. They aggressively fill up you glass and encourage you to keep drinking....

Started with a good size crab cake appetizer, followed by a huge bone-in ribeye with red velvet cake as dessert (low point of the meal, the cake was awful).

Unfortunately I do not remember the details on the four wines, there was a nice champagne, a Chardonnay, a domestic red (2001 Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve) and a wonderful Italian. Total bill was under $100 per person. Considering the steak costs $37 on the menu and the quality of the wines offered with the pre-fix, it is a very good value.

[coughy]

We went to DelFriscos in Las Vegas and loved it. We have not been to the one in NYC yet. Everytime we want steak we go to Mark Joseph's on Water Street.