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Frankie & Johnnies--Hoboken

Rosie

By Rosie
in New Jersey: Dining

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Rosie

Rosie

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Posted

I can count on one hand the steak places that I like in NJ: Sammy's, The Park, River Palm and Ruth Chris. Now Frankie & Johnnies in Hoboken can be added to my list. There were six of us and every dish was top notch. There were only two appetizers ordered--oysters and tuna tartare. The tuna was spicy and presented on taco style chips. I would have been happy with it as an entrée. Warm Italian bread, foccacia and rolls along with butter and olive oil which we requested were placed on the table when we were seated. I wasn't thrilled with the bread but everyone else seemed to like it. Hoboken has some great bread bakeries and this bread didn't taste like it came from any of them. An adequate lettuce and tomato salad comes with dinner and it keeps you busy while waiting for your order. I can highly recommend the outstanding and perfectly cooked porterhouse steak for two. And whoever gets to gnaw on the bone is in for a treat. Both a veal chop and a sea bass were reported to be excellent. I had four fabulous loin lamb chops. Sides were extra and we shared sautéed spinach and fried onion rings. No one had dessert. Now the down side. This place is painfully noisy and very smoky. I don't know if they have a non-smoking section but we certainly weren't sitting in it. We are so used to non-smoking restaurants that we never even asked for non-smoking when we made the reservation. I would return here very early on a Sun., like 5 PM, in the hopes that I could enjoy a smoke free quiet dinner. With 2 apps, 6 entrees, no desserts, two coffees and one inexpensive bottle of wine the bill was โ a person.

Rosalie Saferstein, aka "Rosie"

TABLE HOPPING WITH ROSIE

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tommy

tommy

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the back room, which i assume you *didn't* sit in, is considerably less smoky and less noisy.  the side long room on the street also nice as it has windows looking out.

glad you had a good experience there.  the valet parking is a big plus.  

i noticed that becoming a semi-regular there (once a year maybe) that i was given very warm treatment.  they older waitresses can be gruff at times, but they seem to "adopt" you after a while.

tommy:eats.com
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Rachel Perlow

Rachel Perlow

Posted
Posted
Quote: from Rosie on 9:52 am on Feb. 3, 2002

I can count on one hand the steak places that I like in NJ: Sammy's, The Park, River Palm and Ruth Chris. Now Frankie & Johnnies in Hoboken can be added to my list.

Rosie (and/or others), I'm curious of your opinion if you've been to either Sebastian's in Morristown (which we've been to and enjoyed very much) or Assembly in Englewood (which we haven't been to and are curious about).
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Rail Paul

Rail Paul

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Been to Sebastian's. Nice place, good service. Thought the steak was fine.

In the summer, later in the evening, with the French doors open, it's delightful.

Apparently it's easier still to dictate the conversation and in effect, kill the conversation.

rancho gordo

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  • 1 year later...
steakas

steakas

Posted
Posted (edited)
Quote: from Rosie on 9:52 am on Feb. 3, 2002

I can count on one hand the steak places that I like in NJ: Sammy's, The Park, River Palm and Ruth Chris. Now Frankie & Johnnies in Hoboken can be added to my list.

With the exception of F&J's, I've been to all of the above, with River Palm being my favorite. I'd be interested to see if the new Strip House in Livingston would be added to your list. I think you would need another hand to count on :biggrin:. Give it a try!

Edited by steakas (log)

:D

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Rosie

Rosie

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  • Topic Starter
Posted
Quote: from Rosie on 9:52 am on Feb. 3, 2002

I can count on one hand the steak places that I like in NJ: Sammy's, The Park, River Palm and Ruth Chris. Now Frankie & Johnnies in Hoboken can be added to my list.

With the exception of F&J's, I've been to all of the above, with River Palm being my favorite. I'd be interested to see if the new Strip House in Livingston would be added to your list. I think you would need another hand to count on :biggrin:. Give it a try!

Been there. Liked it and am now using two hands. I posted the original note before the Strip House was open. I assume you have been there. Give us a report of what you had and what you liked.

Rosalie Saferstein, aka "Rosie"

TABLE HOPPING WITH ROSIE

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steakas

steakas

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Posted (edited)

Yes I've been to Strip House and I can't wait to go back!

Their food prices are very reasonable. Two of us had (1) double strip, (1) rib steak, (2) appetizers, (2) sides and (2) beers; the bill was only ~$160.

Steak dinners are one of my hobbies and when the double strip was put in front of me I thought, "no way will I finish this." Nevertheless, I did. Yes, it was that good.

I typically don't like seasoning on steak and the steak at Strip House is seasoned with some kind of salt concoction. The mixture of prime beef, dry aging, charring and that salt concoction made for a magnificent steak. The steak's flavor is second only (in my opinion :biggrin:) to River Palm and Chicago Chop House (IL).

The rib steak was so good that it made my medium-well-eating guest want it medium-rare next time. It was the only steak I've ever seen her enjoy.

The creamed spinach is undoubtedly the best I've ever tasted. One may feel differently because the spinach has a unique flavor, which I think is truffle. The lamb shank was unique and extremely tasty (it tasted like US Lamb); the goose fat potatoes were okay (and indeed fatty); the mixed greens salad was nothing to write home about (and was served on a warm plate).

I feel Strip House's wine list is short and unfair. I like a steakhouse that has a wine for everybody and they had no wine for me. I don't like starting at $40 for a bottle of wine that is marked up about 250%. Even their beer selection is narrow and unfair at ~$7/beer.

All in all, despite the alcohol setback, I can't wait to return to Strip House!

I feel Strip House and River Palm should share the top-seed for steak in NJ and Morton's should be bumped from the #1 food rating (zagat).

I will make it to Frankie & Johnnies one day; I hear good things from friends.

Edited by steakas (log)

:D

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tommy

tommy

Posted
Posted
On a similar note: isn't Assembly owned and run by the chef from the original Assembly in midtown that closed a few years ago?  A Greek name, IIRC.  They made a dynamite venison chili!  :wub:

jack koumbis is the chef/owner. assembly (the same one as far as i know) was in manhattan as you say. this one has been there about 4 or 5 years i think.

tommy:eats.com
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  • 5 months later...
steakas

steakas

Posted
Posted
Any comparisons betweem NY and NJ Frankie and Johnnie's? I've only been to the original in NY.

I'll ask the same question but I've been to neither. Which one would somebody who's been to both recommend? I'm going tonight and I'm favoring Hoboken, however the original location is on 45th in Manhattan. Pro's? Con's?

Thanks

:DDF

:D

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steakas

steakas

Posted
Posted

Appetizers

French Onion Soup

Eggplant Rollatini

Fried Calamari

Chilled Clams/Oysters

Tuna Tartare

Clams Casino

Crab Cakes

Shrimp Cocktail

Shrimp Italiano

Mushroom Strudel

I hear the Shrimp Cocktail is good.

Any recommendations? And, how do they handle walk-in's?

Thanks,

:D

:D

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tommy

tommy

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Posted (edited)

the shrimp cocktail has always been good.

it's friday night, so i'd make a reservation. otherwise you'll most likely have to wait for quite a while. although the bar is a nice place to wait.

don't forget the valet parking. it's almost worth going there just for the satisfaction of not having to find a spot in hoboken.

Edited by tommy (log)
tommy:eats.com
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steakas

steakas

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Posted (edited)

:biggrin: we're moving right along here ...

My top 7 list for "NJ Restaurants I Want To Try This Year" in 2004:

Saddle River Inn

Moonstruck, Asbury Park

Mignon, Rutherford (1/31/04)

Frankie and Johnnie's, Hoboken (2/20/04)

Kinchley's Tavern, Ramsey (1/11/04)

Whispers, Spring Lake

Rat's, Hamilton

My third stop was Frankie and Johnnie's in Hoboken.

What I thought would be my last steak dinner in a while; I brought us to F&J's (cholesterol results the day before was 229). We arrived around 6:45 on Friday night and were seated immediately. If I'd arrived fifteen minutes later I would've had to wait. Nevertheless, Danielle and I had a festive steak dinner at Frankie and Johnnie's which included:

Crab cakes

Shrimp cocktail

Steak for three

Creamed spinach

Flourless chocolate cake

Warm apple crumb cake w/ice cream

& Club sodas

The crab cakes were steakhouse generic but had a good lump-to-bread ratio. The shrimp were "jumbo" and not overcooked but I've had better cocktail sauce.

This place knows how to cook steak! The porterhouse was the most properly cooked slab of beef that was ever put in front of me; it was thoroughly charred on the outside and perfectly cooked in the center (see a picture of it – Danielle's side was the filet, which was cooked medium and my strip side was blue - bravo!).

The steak ranks among one of the best, however it lacked big league characteristics. It wasn't as "fork-tender" as a Luger steak nor did it contain the prominent richness of properly dry aged steak. The steak is dry aged but it's clear when one examines the beef that it isn't quite the same prime that's served at a Luger or River Palm.

The desserts were very good but, again, steakhouse generic. Their coffee is great.

The before tip damage was $175. Not bad for a meal for 3. Anyplace in NY would've costed more for the same. From what I've eaten so far, I say F&J's servers the 3rd best steak in Jersey, behind River Palm and Strip House.

:Steakas

EDIT: I take that back ... I'd say F&J's ranks 4th in the state, also behind Pete Lorenzo's Café.

:S

Edited by steakas (log)

:D

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