On my very first visit to New York my friend took me to a steakhouse for dinner. I can't remember which one we visited, but I do recall that we ate really late; our reservation was around 10pm or something. The restaurant was still so full, even at that late hour, and I remember thinking how hardcore New Yorkers seemed. This really was the City that never sleeps.
Fast forward a few years and I'm still a steakhouse devotee. In search of the perfect medium-rare steak I've dined at places in the Financial District, Midtown, the Upper East Side, and pretty much everywhere in between. And let me tell you, none of them have ever let me down. New York steakhouses are a carnivore's paradise.
Case in point, last night's excursion to Quality Meats on West 58th Street. Online reviews and feedback from friends all suggested I would enjoy the dining experience and I was not disappointed. Even the 9pm reservation time didn't bother me - after all, I'm a New Yorker now and late reservations are just how we roll!
I arrived a few minutes ahead of my friends last night and I sidled up to the bar. The friendly bartenders definitely had their hands full, catering to a noisy bunch of customers of all ages. As often happens with me, I befriended an older man at the bar and we swapped steakhouse stories, while I sipped a delicious glass of Duckhorn "Decoy" meritage from the Napa Valley. The restaurant's wine list has 350 bottles to choose from, so you've really got your work cut out for you.
We didn't have to wait too long for our table but by the time we were seated, I had worked up quite the appetite. Take a look at the menu online and I'm sure you'll be as happy as I was last night. My heart sang when I saw the corn creme brulee on list of side dishes, because late last year I'd had that same dish at Quality Italian, the restaurant's sister location around the corner. Delicious! But while it was great to revisit something familiar, I lived a little dangerously and tried the bacon and peanut butter appetiser, which admittedly sounds weird but was a taste sensation. The oysters, steak tartare, roast potatoes, creamed spinach, bread rolls and the steak sauce (prepared table-side) were all amazing. And my steak? Cooked to medium-rare perfection.
The food, service and decor at Quality Meats was all wonderful. Dining so well never comes cheap, but good friends from Chicago don't visit me every day, so the treat was well worth it. And big thanks to Courtney for these photos. You know that if I'd taken them, they would never have been in focus!
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| The amuse bouche turned cheese and crackers on its head (literally!) |
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| The baked oysters appetiser |
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| The dinner rolls were soft and flaky |
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| Behold the majesty of steak tartare. Yes, that is an egg yolk in the centre! YUM. |
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| Because the world needs more bacon, and peanut butter was an inspired addition. |
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| Whoa, that is quite a steak! Bonus points for the brussels sprouts & corn creme brulee sides. |
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| More sides - creamed spinach & herbed roast potatoes |
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| Told you - a carnivore's dream, cooked to perfection. |
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| And to complement your steak, how about some special sauce, prepared table-side? |
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| I was defeated by the time dessert came, but behold monkey bread with walnut ice cream and chocolate sauce. Amazing. |
