Empire Steak House-Exceptional Dining in NYC
Dining
Detectives
By Carol & Joe Davis
We
always love to dine in New York City. One can find every type
of cuisine with prices that range from amazingly reasonable to
outrageous. Steakhouses are always a good bet... in NYC there
is so much competition that restaurants either flourish or fold.
One of the biggest challenges for any restaurant is the large
party. We of course waited until the last minute and decided to
go to a Steakhouse so we looked on www.Opentable.com to see who
could accommodate a party of twelve.
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Empire
Steak House - Empire Steak House
The
Empire Steak House which seats 200 was able to offer
us a reservation at 8:00 PM. The reviews were good so we took
cabs to Midtown and were ready to dine. The Restaurateurs are
the Sinanag Brothers who had worked at Peter Luger SteakHouse
in Brooklyn for twenty years before being able to realize their
dream of opening their own steakhouse. The décor is classic
and we loved seeing walls of wines and large magnums around the
room. The staff was quite gracious, as half of our party arrived
30 minutes late, since traffic was a challenge for one of the
cabbies. Cocktails are always a good barometer of what to expect
and they passed with flying colors! We enjoyed the bustling atmosphere
as we sipped our Belvedere Vodka "Martinis".
Empire Steak House - Appetizers
We
ordered Appetizers for the table which gave us a chance
to taste most of the starters. You must have the Fresh Oysters
on The Half Shell, Maryland Crab Cakes and the Tuna Tartare.
Another great choice was the delicious Empire Hot Platter
which included Shrimp Scampi, Stuffed Mushrooms, Clams and Crabmeat.
We also enjoyed the Portabella Mushrooms stuffed with Crabmeat
and Herbs. Everything was very fresh and seasoned perfectly. We
were all getting quite full and didn't want to spoil our appetites
for the main courses, so we skipped the Caesar Salad which looked
great at a neighboring table.
Empire Steak House - Got Wine?
The
wine list was impressive as expected with wines from France, California's
Napa and Sonoma Valleys, New York State and around the world.
We appreciated that offerings ranged from large Magnums to by
the Glass options and that there were excellent choices which
were approachable for those that did not want to spend a day's
pay. The Sommelier helped us choose wines that paired perfectly
with our dinners and all were decanted before serving, allowing
the wines to aerate for better appreciation. We loved the 2008
Raymond Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 2009 Kenwood Cabernet
Sauvignon and the 2009 La Crema Carnerous Pinot Noir.
Empire Steak House - Bone In Rib Eye
The
Steaks are the main attraction. The Dry Aged U.S.D.A. Prime Steaks
are aged in house for 21-28 days which brings out the flavor.
Japanese Imported A5 Grade Kobe Steaks are also available. We
particularly loved our Bone-In Rib Eye Steak which was
served rare as ordered. You will find it difficult to find a better
steak anywhere! The Filet Mignon was also an excellent
cut which just melted in your mouth. Poultry and fresh Seafood
are also served, so no need to fear that someone in your party
will not be happy with the menu choices. In fact, the Shrimp
Scampi over rice was delicious. We also enjoyed many of their
sides. The Creamed Spinach was our favorite but the Sautéed
Asparagus, Sautéed Mushrooms and Truffled Mac & Cheese
are sure to please.
Empire Steak House - Apple Strudel a la Mode
We
did save room for dessert and enjoyed Apple Strudel a la Mode
and Carrot Cake. We had a great time at The Empire Steak
House. The service, cuisine and wines were all exceptional. This
was a memorable meal and at some point we hope to come back to
experience their $10,000 Dinner for Two!!
Empire
Steak House
237
W. 54th Street
New York, New York 10019
212-586-9700
www.EmpireSteakHouseNYC.com