Peter Luger Steakhouse (2001-2003)

[Fresser]

The vaunted "steak sauce" served at Luger's is actually salad dressing. It says so right on the bottle, which is sold via the website and at local groceries.

Fress in the Midwest

[tommy]

The vaunted "steak sauce" served at Luger's is actually salad dressing. It says so right on the bottle, which is sold via the website and at local groceries.

Fress in the Midwest

from the luger's website:

From Linda Eckhardt's Guide to America's Best Foods, "This is the best. Their own steak sauce is not only great on steak, but also served on slabs of red ripe tomatoes. You can't do without this. They only began selling their sauce after customers begged. We love this sauce on hamburgers. We love it on chicken.

additionally, the website says:

Peter Luger Sauce is a fabulous marinade for your favorite meat, pork or poultry. Marinade should be used for about one hour before broiling or baking.

Mix Peter Luger Sauce into your meatloaf or hamburger meat for extra flavor.

Combine Peter Luger Sauce with two parts mayonnaise for a tangy Russian Dressing.

Add horseradish to Peter Luger Sauce and serve with shrimp as a zesty cocktail sauce.

For wonderful flavor use Peter Luger Sauce on eggs instead of ketchup.

Peter Luger sauce on whitefish salad is out of this world!

it's not too much of a stretch to think that people will put this on their steaks, if they like sauce on their steaks. at that point, it does indeed become "steak sauce". if they never intended anyone to use it on steaks, well then they've probably done a pretty poor job at marketing it.

[sammy]

it's not too much of a stretch to think that people will put this on their steaks, if they like sauce on their steaks. at that point, it does indeed become "steak sauce". if they never intended anyone to use it on steaks, well then they've probably done a pretty poor job at marketing it.

The only people that put the sauce on the steak at the restaurant are the ones that ask to see a menu.

[tommy]

it's not too much of a stretch to think that people will put this on their steaks, if they like sauce on their steaks. at that point, it does indeed become "steak sauce". if they never intended anyone to use it on steaks, well then they've probably done a pretty poor job at marketing it.

The only people that put the sauce on the steak at the restaurant are the ones that ask to see a menu.

like i said: poor marketing.

it's not too far fetched to think that everyone has a first time there, and might not know all of the clubby rules they seem to have. experts, of course, are born in the know.

[Jason Perlow]

Actually I use Peter Lugers steak sauce on steak. In the restaurant, in fact.

[wesza]

Ive been eating at "Peter Lugers", since I was a teen. Even spent time working in the Kitchen. My family did business with the Formans, who had aquired the business from the original owners and still operate the restaurant. They own the Thread Business across the street.

I've noticed that several posters have commented about the fact that when they've ordered Black and Blue Preperation on the multiple person serving of the Porterhouse Steak, that it's not prepared as they've ordered the steak.

The Porterhouse Steak is a bone-in cut that includes on one side the Filet, [boned out Filet Mignon] and on the other side the Strip Loin [boned out New York or Strip Steak].

Now should you order either the Filet Migon or Strip Loin Steak seperately they can be prepared exactly as you request as Black and blue or well done as requested.

But when your ordering a large Porterhouse, you must take into consideration that the Filet Section, cooks at a different rate then the Loin Section that has more fat and marbleing, especially in the larger multi-person Steaks.

Peter Lugers has the best of Steaks together with the finest professional broiler cooks who do their best, but aren't capable of doing the impossable as they are working in a large even heating broiler, essentially trying to cook 2 seperate cuts of beef to your satisfaction in one piece together with the bone and exterior fat trim.

So in the future unstead of requesting something that is very difficult to achive order either a Filet Mignon or Strip Loin that will assurdly be done to your satisfaction.

But even though i've tried all the cuts all the ways there is nothing better then the large Porterhouse cooked whole with the bone to fight over in my estimation.

Irwin

This is the first time i've ever quoted MYSELF. But on this occassion it seemed the right thing to do, especially since the owner has left us all in the hands of his very capable family.

Now i'm in teaching mode:

Even the finest, most superior Prime Beef, may sometimes for no discernable reason have a tough gristle, or chewey steak. This may only be in one cut sometimes two in the Primal, but it will only become appearent when the steak is served, only after the customer has tried to eat the meat. This may be in most of the whole piece, but most often it will only occur in one or two parts of the steak.

The staff at Peter Lugers, or for that matter any Steak House is aware of this, and immediately when the customers brings this to the servers attention the steak is quickly returned to the kitchen. Once there another steak is fired, and the Expediter/Chef will immediately taste, cut and check the meat to verify that they had a bruiser or tougher cut due to the inherent nature of beef muscle.

As I mentioned in my quote: Porterhouse Steaks, properly Broiled generally will not come out extremely rare, since the Filet Cooks differently then the Strip, especially in a even heated underfire broiler no matter what the chef tries to do, it won't happen.

That's why those who want the meat Blue, or very rare should order a Filet or Strip Loin. All steaks are judged done be the pressure method of a experienced Broiler Chef very often very well paid for his expertise. But again with Prime Cuts there is often more then reqular differences between the marbling in the Strip Loin and Filet sections of the Porterhouse the explain the differences in different steaks doneness. The Beef itself often Chars or Browns differently causing variations in every individual steak.

This is also part of the reason why the Butcher will decide to give certain Short Loins more age, and other less. It all based upon experience. And Peter Lugers and a butcher like Lobels may have more experience then most.

Yes, Peter Luger buys the best, cooks and serves it the way it's been done TRADITIONALLY longer then anyone else. Sure it all carefully done theatrically to continue a dining experience, that been established for our Grand Fathers and Great Grandfathers that can't be gotten anywhere else.

If anyone wished to duplicate the Peter Lugers experience they'd have to charge twice as much or more for a close approximate copy, but never could achive the tradition. It may seem expensive but its a darn good investment. Taking into consideration that they are in NYC, own the real estate [and a lot more] if they'd just develop or sell the adjacent properties the return on investment would be considerably more the a Peter Lugers. Certainly more attractive then the owners getting into the meat market in the very early AM to buy the Beef plus operate a restaurant that's a one of a kind authentic landmark.

I'm proud of Peter Lugers and the Foremans Family's dedication to uphold a true American Tradition without becoming influenced or changing everything so we may all experience our roots.

Irwin

[slkinsey]

it's not too far fetched to think that everyone has a first time there, and might not know all of the clubby rules they seem to have.  experts, of course, are born in the know.

This is a good point... although I was able to act like an "insider" the first time I went to Peter Luger by reading all about it in the web (Fat-Guy.com in particular, as chance would have it). Even the first time I went there, I knew what to order and didn't ask for a menu.

In fact, almost everything you read about the place says that everyone gets the same thing anyway (not that there are all that many things from which to choose), so you're better off putting yourself in the hands of your waiter -- which they are always happy to do. I've always had a great time there and never found the waitstaff anything other than friendly to me.

Personally, I kind of like the quirky, old, gruff New York atmosphere at the place. Those of us who like it for what it is are comfortable with the way things are, and I admit to enjoyingit a little that some people are put off by the atmosphere. If they put tablecloths down, started serving gussied up side dishes, hired young, friendly, attractive waiters who introduced themselves and explained the menu items, put a bunch of fancy wines on the menu, etc... for me, some part of the experience would be lost.

[sammy]

But how do feel about the steak sau.., I mean salad dressing?

[tommy]

it's not too far fetched to think that everyone has a first time there, and might not know all of the clubby rules they seem to have.  experts, of course, are born in the know.

This is a good point... although I was able to act like an "insider" the first time I went to Peter Luger by reading all about it in the web (Fat-Guy.com in particular, as chance would have it). Even the first time I went there, I knew what to order and didn't ask for a menu.

In fact, almost everything you read about the place says that everyone gets the same thing anyway (not that there are all that many things from which to choose), so you're better off putting yourself in the hands of your waiter -- which they are always happy to do.

one can only imagine how many people felt stupid, or were made to feel stupid, in the 90 or so years before the fat-guy.coms.

and clearly the internet and word-of-mouth hasn't helped with the confusion over that tasty "dressing" of theirs (which might as well be dumped down the sink if you ask me), as we are seeing here.

Edited December 9, 2003 by tommy (log)

[marcus]

Let me try this out, which I truly believe.

Peter Luger is the most important, perhaps the only important, restaurant in NYC when considered by the standard of worldwide culinary importance, because it is the best exemplar of its type, American steakhouse.

[slkinsey]

one can only imagine how many people felt stupid, or were made to feel stupid, in the 90 or so years before the fat-guy.coms.

Yea, you have a point there. I guess I'm saying I don't mind so much that a lot of people didn't/don't have a great experience there. I like to think that restaurants and other establishments not-for-everyone still have a place in this world.

and clearly the internet and word-of-mouth hasn't helped with the confusion over that tasty "dressing" of theirs (which might as well be dumped down the sink if you ask me), as we are seeing here.

Yea. What is with that stuff? It just isn't good.

[Jason Perlow]

Yea. What is with that stuff? It just isn't good.

It is a tad bit on the cloyingly sweet side, yeah. Personally I like the A1 Bold or Pick a Peppa. Tabasco Chipotle also works real well as a steak sauce. Tabasco's steak sauce is also pretty good too.

[Pan]

Peter Luger's neighborhood is described as sketchy in numerous user reviews on the Internet (see Fodors, ePinions, etc.).

Those sound like dubious sources to me. Some tourist from a small town could have posted them. For what it's worth, the one time I went to Luger's, I took the J there and walked back home across the Williamsburg Bridge. Nary a problem, and fun.

[Fresser]

But how do you feel about the steak sau.., I mean salad dressing?

I knew this comment would get me in trouble...

When I visited Luger's three years ago, the steak sauce was indeed labeled "Salad Dressing." A friend from Long Island checked the bottle in his fridge and confirmed this.

Evidently they have changed the labels & web since since then. And no, I'm not a fan of the viscous accompaniment. It really masked the taste of the steak.

[Jason Perlow]

It is in fact still called Peter Luger Steak Sauce and it is NOT pitched as salad dressing:

http://www.peterluger.com/petlugsauc.html

http://www.peterluger.com/recipes.html

Everything on that site says to use it as an accompaniment to steak OR over ripe tomatoes.

[Fresser]

It is in fact still called Peter Luger Steak Sauce and it is NOT pitched as salad dressing:

http://www.peterluger.com/petlugsauc.html

http://www.peterluger.com/recipes.html

Everything on that site says to use it as an accompaniment to steak OR over ripe tomatoes.

I recognize the above; my point is that the sauce WAS once called "salad dressing," both in retail outlets and on the earlier Luger's website.

As my Western Civ prof used to say, "I'm not making this up!"

[tommy]

I recognize the above; my point is that the sauce WAS once called "salad dressing," both in retail outlets and on the earlier Luger's website.

As my Western Civ prof used to say, "I'm not making this up!"

perhaps you were eating the salad dressing.

[Schneier]

Quite right. However, given the unsafe reputation of Peter Luger's neighborhood (deserved or otherwise) I suspect most who visit there for dinner will "want to" travel by cab.

I've trained there several times; no problems. It's only a few blocks, and a busy street.

And welcome.

Bruce

[Blondie]

Quite right.  However, given the unsafe reputation of Peter Luger's neighborhood (deserved or otherwise) I suspect most who visit there for dinner will "want to" travel by cab.

I've trained there several times; no problems. It's only a few blocks, and a busy street.

And welcome.

Bruce

I used to run regularly from the Lower East Side over the Williamsburg Bridge and back. On a nice day if you're going for lunch you can walk from the Essex Street stop of the F train over to Luger's in 20-30 minutes (I'm guessing - it takes me about 11 minutes running). The views are worth the effort, and FWIW the neighborhood is starting to fill up with million-dollar co-ops like the Gretsch Building.

[picaman]

On a nice day if you're going for lunch you can walk from the Essex Street stop of the F train over to Luger's in 20-30 minutes (I'm guessing - it takes me about 11 minutes running).

That's about right...walking back over the Williamsburg Bridge is my perfect antidote to excesses of bacon, steak, and schlag (and on my next visit, lambchops, steak and schlag!)

Jamie

[slkinsey]

Man... one day I really have to order the lamb chops as an appetizer. That's the real old school way to do it!

[Fresser]

Man... one day I really have to order the lamb chops as an appetizer.  That's the real old school way to do it!

One of the really old-time waiters named Wolfie says that sardines were once popular as an appetizer.

[picaman]

Man... one day I really have to order the lamb chops as an appetizer. That's the real old school way to do it!

I got the idea for trying it from Mister Cutlets:

Mister Cutlets on Peter Luger

The exact line that inspired me is "Few people today have the constitution to order the lamb chops as their appetizer, as Mr. Cutlet's sainted father used to." I've quoted that on a couple of other threads; it's a marvel of a sentence, and definitely inspirational.

Jamie

[ALANB]

I've been to the Lugers in Brooklyn and the one on Long Island. I prefer the "ambiance" in Brooklyn. Excellent steak and good service. I've never gone on a weekend, and usually try to get in there by 7 PM so it's not crazy crowded.

[sammy]

and clearly the internet and word-of-mouth hasn't helped with the confusion over that tasty "dressing" of theirs (which might as well be dumped down the sink if you ask me), as we are seeing here.

I like it on the tomato and onion salad.

And I don't think you can fully appreciate a PL steak with a bunch of steak sauce on it.

Kind of like loading up the wasabi on a piece of toro.