72 Hours in Orlando Visited 9/10-9/13 3.5 Forks

Ocean Prime  7339 W Sand Lake Rd., Orlando, FL 32819

I'll keep this short and sweet because it's Orlando and let's be honest, there's not that much to write about here.  In fact, I'm not even going to review the other places I went to for dinner during the trip because that's how unmemorable they were and not worth my time.  Plus they were group dinners, so those are usually not indicative of the general experience. 

I had just gotten off the plane from Italy and turned around and headed straight to Orlando to meet my team for our annual America's meeting.  We were staying near Universal Studios and as I've mentioned before, most of the places in the city are big chains catered to tourists. 

Ocean Prime is also a big chain but it's slightly more upscale than a Margaritaville or TGI Fridays.  It's a steak and seafood house so they have a pretty decent line up of food options - steaks, sushi, crab cakes, etc.  I wasn't super hungry so I got the Cobb Salad ($22) while the rest of my team indulged in a 3 course meal for only $35, not bad and under budget!  The cobb salad was fine but it was mostly iceberg lettuce and the bacon was overly sweet but it had a decent line up of shellfish and other seafood.  I didn't try my team's 3 course meals but it included a steak which they all seemed to enjoy and the dessert was a huge hunk of chocolate cake.  

Overall, it was actually a slightly above average meal that you would expect from a larger chain restaurant.  I would gladly come here again vs. going to a Hooters any day of the week.  If you're tight for budget, the 3 course meal is definitely the way to go!  

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Strip House Visited 8/6/2018 4 Forks

Strip House  13 E 12th St., New York, NY 10003

One of my biggest clients was in town for a business review and since this was the first time I was meeting them, I felt like I had to take them to an over-the-top restaurant.  They're from Texas so it felt like the only right was to take them to a steak house.  I wanted to keep things close to downtown and since I had never been to the Strip House, it felt like the right time to go.

It's exactly what you would imagine of a typical old school steak house - it's dark, a bit stuffy, and lots of wood paneling.  The waiter was super friendly, very charming and talked us into really upgrading our meal (smart man).  The table split the shrimp cocktail, crab cake, creamed spinach, mashed potato and broccoli.  Most people got some kind of steak, while I split the special tomahawk dry aged steak for two with Farzana.  The shrimp cocktail was comically large - it was like they were on steroids but it was still tasty.  The crab cake was ok - again, it's hard for me to really be impressed with any crab cake outside of Maryland.  But the star of the show was clearly the meat.  The tomahawk was insanely large, beautifully pink and marbled in the middle.  It might scare some folks but I was in love with it.  Combine it with the delicious creamed spinach and mashed potato and I was in heaven.  I would usually not take meat home but there was so much of it that it felt wrong to leave it behind.  I had a full lunch the next day.  The broccoli was also a nice "healthy" touch if you need some greens.  Everyone was stuffed but we got suckered into (I told you our waiter was good)  the 24 layer chocolate cake.  As most of you know, I'm not a huge chocolate fan but this cake was pretty damn delicious.  It was legit 24 layers, moist and decadent but not overly heavy. 

Overall, it was a successful client meal and I was impressed with the quality of the steak even though it is a part of a larger chain (Landry's).  I would say that unless you're coming here on an expense account, you might be better off trying out other steak places in the city that are more reasonably priced.  I really burned a hole in my credit card and even my boss made a comment about it.  Opps. Total bill: $1,400 with tax and tip

Photo Credit: Yelp 

2 Weeks in Amsterdam - Part 4 - Visited 6/16-6/29/2018 3.5 - 4 Forks

Pigs and Punch  Utrechtsestraat 30a, 1017 VN                                                                          3.5 Forks

Although I love BBQ, I can't say that I necessarily crave it when I'm traveling.  So I was surprised at how excited I was when a co-worker brought us to a BBQ joint in Amsterdam.  At first we were told there wasn't enough room for all of us, which made me want to go even more (the power of being told no), so when a few of us split off, we were able to snag a table downstairs for 4.  It's a pretty cool vibe inside - lots of dark wood paneling but not in an old stodgy way.  It's definitely more in a hipster way.

The menu is pretty similar to what you would see at an American BBQ place - pork belly, chicken wings, ribs, pulled work and others yummy meat stuff.  The thing with BBQ is that it's better to share than to eat your own - so I was super happy when my friend Sophia wanted to split the Pig Out for 2 (24.50 euros).  With all this meat, I had to get something green to eat so I also got the spring pea salad which was amazing and I highly recommend.  The Pig Out platter came with a lot of food - sausage, pork cheek, pork belly and pulled pork and it was served with jalapeño and BBQ sauce as well as mustard.  While I was impressed with the amount of food and that most of it was pretty true to American style BBQ, most of it was a bit too dry for my taste, especially the pork belly.   I didn't try the ribs but my co-workers mentioned that they were pretty good.   Obviously one doesn't come to Amsterdam for BBQ and while I wouldn't say this should be on your must-eat list if you're only in Amsterdam for a few days, but if you're here for an extended period of time, it's worth checking out. Plus at 24.50 euros for 2 people, it's a steal.

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Cafe Lotje  Johannes Vermeerstraat 52, 1071                                                                               4 Forks

This place was also recommended by a local co-worker and it was super packed with locals - so that's always a good sign.  In case you couldn't tell from my picture, the menu is primarily focused on steak, steak and more steak.  Be prepared to really have your heart stop and while they do have salads here, it's not a place if you're looking to be healthy.   But it is a keto dieter's dream with meat soaking in butter.

When in Amsterdam, you have to start with an order of bitterballs (5.25 euros) - these are a classic Dutch staple and deliciously addictive.  It's essentially a fried ball filled with meat and roux - it's very similar to a croquette in texture and flavor.  You can easily sit around and pop a bunch of them in your mouth while you wait for your food.  And wait you will here.  As my friend mentioned to me, Amsterdam is not known for its service.  It's not what you would call a hospitality focused country - our waiters were a bit surly, inattentive and generally annoyed with us (although I don't really blame them when it's a table of 10 people).  I didn't really know the difference in all the steak variations (and looking at the menu again, I'm still not sure), all I know is that I got a regular piece of steak done medium rare (18.95 euros).   When you get your steak, unlike in the US where they give you a sauce on the side, this one is soaking in it.  Like fully drenched in butter gravy.  You can feel your arteries clogging with every bite you take but it does keep the meat very moist and juicy.  We also split the beef carpaccio (11.25 euros) which came with arugula and truffle mayo.  It was thinly sliced with good flavor and after having that, I wished I got that as my main dish instead of a steak soaked in sauce.

Overall, it was a fun environment because it was full of lively locals and the food, while isn't life changing, is tasty, albeit a bit on the heavy side.  It's away from the city center, so it's a nice detour if you're looking for something different.

Photo Credit: Yelp

Ikinari Steak Visited 4/28/2018 3.5 Forks

Ikinari Steak  90 E 10th St., New York, NY 10003

This place had been on my list for a while not because I thought the food would be amazing but because of the kitch factor - it's a chain in Japan where you stand up while you eat your steak.  Luckily the East Village location added some chairs but it's still quite super casual and laid back.  They have a few different cuts of meat (ribeye, sirloin, and filet) that you order by weight - if you're a first timer, it's confusing to know how much to order but I got the 10 oz top ribeye and it was just the right size ($2.50 per oz).  I would recommend that you ask the waiter to trim off as much fat as possible since it adds to the weight and it's not worth eating.  The steak comes with onion, corn and another veggie side and Cicily and I added a side of garlic pepper rice ($8) because we thought we needed something else with our meal.   That is essentially the entire menu, so it's fairly limiting and if you don't eat meat, there isn't much to eat (unlike at a traditional steakhouse where you can make an entire meal out of veggie sides). 

The food comes out pretty quickly and let's just say that presentation isn't their strong suit.  It basically comes out in a hot skillet and it kind of reminded me of being in a cafeteria - not necessarily in a bad way, just a simple way.  The corn and broccoli were basic with nothing on it.  The meat was a pretty decent size cut and served simply too - seasoned with salt and pepper and not much else.  There is steak sauce on the table that you can use but I like my steak on the clean and simple side so I ate it as is.  I'll say that it was a decent cut of steak and I was very full afterwards but it had a lot of fat on it, despite me asking them to cut a lot of it off.   I usually don't mind some fat on my steak but this was too much even for me.  As for the garlic pepper rice it was literally white rice with black pepper and some sautéed garlic on it.   I thought it would be more along the lines of a veggie fried rice but nope it was just rice with pepper.  

Overall, it was an interesting experience and if you're a big meat eater or some who likes to eat a lot of steak, I would recommend it because it's very definitely reasonably priced compared to a traditional steak house.  Don't come expecting a blow out meal but it's a unique experience for sure (I can totally see why it's popular in Japan).  Total bill:  $42/pp with tip and tax

Photo Credit:  Yelp

El Amacen Visited 3/23/2017 4 Forks

El Amacen  557 Driggs Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211

While I love my hood, I tend to stay away from anything remotely close to the Bedford L stop due to the insane amount of foot traffic.  But when the Infatuation dropped 8.2 rating on this place I had to check it out.  It's one of those places that I've walked past a million times but never think to go into.  I figured since it's kind of an old stand by, that it should be easy enough to walk-in without a reservation. Apparently I was wrong.  I walked in at 7pm on a Friday and the only seats left were at the bar, otherwise it was an hour plus wait.  Luckily I love eating at the bar and Paige didn't mind either, so we were set. 

Despite being a huge meat lover, I am embarrassed to say that I haven't been to Argentina yet but I know that if you don't eat meat, you're SOL there.  If the food in Argentina is anything like what was on the menu here, I would definitely be a fan.  Everything sounded awesome and we had a really hard time narrowing it down without being a total glutton.  We netted out with the hamachi ceviche ($15), ham and cheese empandas ($10) and to be adventurous we got the parrillada ($56) which is basically translation for everything BBQ.  And of course we got a delicious bottle of Malbec wine.  In a similar vein to dining in Argentina, the prices here were shockingly affordable for the location and type of food.  The hamachi ceviche was lovely and a refreshing way to start the meal - thinly sliced pieces of yellowtail with yuzu, shishito peppers, sea salt and truffle oil.  Also fantastic was the empanadas - they were super cheesey and gooey with a perfect crunch on the outside.  They were dangerously addictive and I could have easily had 5 more of them.  But if I did, then I wouldn't have been able to leave room of the insane amount of meat that was to come.  Even though we had asked the waitress what was in the parrillada, I'll be honest and say that I didn't hear a single thing she said.  And after eating it, I kinda of wished I paid more attention.  Not that it wasn't a great plate of meat but there were definitely types of meat in there that I could have done without - I'm looking at you blood sausage and sweet breads.  But it was our fault for not paying more attention to the waitress. However, if you like different types of meat, this is your dish.  It came with short rib, ribeye, chorizo, blood sausage, sweet breads, roasted peppers and truffle fries - and it's definitely a dish for 2 people. My favorite meat by far was the ribeye - it was cooked just right and was pretty moist and tender. The short rib was my 2nd favorite but it had a bit more bone than I would normally have liked.  The chorizo was your typical chorizo and a much better alternative to the blood sausage.  I've just never been a blood sausage person but I gave it a shot - the texture was just too mushy and it had that mineral-y taste that I just don't like about anything blood related.  Same thing with the sweet breads - I gave it a try but it's just not really my thing unless it's really deep fried, which they weren't.  The fries were a nice touch although they were a bit dry.  It was way too much food and we couldn't really finish the whole thing. Having tried all the different meats, if I were to come back next time, I would just order either the skirt steak or ribeye on its own, which is what most people did at the restaurant.  

We ended the night with churros ($8) which were nice and warm and served with a yummy dulce de leche and chocolate dipping sauce.  The churros themselves could have used a bit more sugar and cinnamon to it but it's probably best that they didn't for my health. 

I left this place feeling like it was a really solid neighborhood meat joint and was sad that I hadn't been to it sooner.  While I wouldn't say that it's the best place to get a steak in NYC, it's a very solid and extremely reasonably priced place to chow down on some red meat.  I can only envision that it's similar to what a dinner would be like in Argentina - a dark, cozy restaurant that serves delicious red wine and quality red meat for a fraction of what you would pay at a traditional steak place in the city center.  Total bill:  $116/pp with tax, tip and lots of red wine

Photo Credit:  Yelp 

Quality Meats Visited 1/14/2016 4.5 Forks

Quality Meats  57 W 58th St., New York, NY 10019

YESSSS!  Finally, my streak of terribly cooked steak has been redeemed.  After a disastrous outing at The Clocktower and a so-so experience at Quality Eats, I was starting to feel like my steak eating days in NYC were numbered.  But Vince was determined to prove me wrong.  Quality Meats has been on my list of a while but since it's in Midtown, I rarely find a reason to be up there.  But this is definitely worth the trek up there - plus with the Midtown Tunnel not too far away, it's pretty easy to get back to Williamsburg quickly. 

First, the decor is beautiful and elegant.  Unlike Quality Eats, which is more funky and casual, this is a bit more upscale and dare I say stuffy?  It's not white table cloth stuffy but you can tell it takes itself more seriously than its sister restaurant downtown.  It's a fairly cavernous space with two levels which is pretty unheard of in NYC.  The menu is what you would expect of a solid steakhouse: meat, meat and more meat with a raw bar and tasty side dishes.   Since we were trying to redeem ourselves from our last steak meal, we just went all out with our ordering:  shrimp cocktail ($17), lump crabmeat cocktail ($22), tomato salad ($18), porterhouse for two ($49/pp), the quality potato ($11) and the creamed spinach ($12).  Yes, this was enough food for probably 4 people but it was worth every freaking calorie. 

They start you off with a cute amuse bouche of a block of cheddar cheese and a small ritz cracker on top and then they give you this amazing looking bread.  Knowing that I was eating enough food to keep me warm for the entire winter, I opted out of the bread but it looked delicious.  The shrimp cocktail and lump crab meat were out of this world.  The shrimp was very plumb and large in size - the way a proper shrimp cocktail should be.  The crab, this is where I am very discerning, was fantastic.  100% pure crab heaven that tasted freshly picked - it's totally overpriced at $22 but also totally worth it. Next came the tomato "salad" - I use quotation marks here because it's not really a salad and it's actually quite unhealthy.  It's 4 red juicy thick slices of beefsteak tomatoes covered in bacon bites and blue cheese and served with onion rings.  The combination of blue cheese, tomato and bacon is heavenly.  The dish totally didn't need the onion rings but hey, why not throw that in there when you're already eating an unhealthy "salad"?  

Next came the star of the show - the porterhouse steak.  When we were at The Clocktower, the steak came out beyond charred.  Probably one of the most massively overcooked pieces of meat I've had in a while and then they compensated with one of the most rare pieces of meat ever.  This one, however, was just right.  Pink and bloody on the inside and seared brown to keep the juices in on the outside. They slice is up before you get to the table (as they should) so that you can see each delicious slice. Melt in your mouth and it cut through the knife with ease.  The only "bad" thing I can say is that there were 1-2 bites that were a bit tough but those were the end pieces - if you stick to the pieces sliced in the middle, they were perfect.  The creamed spinach was a classic and must whenever you have steak - they really pureed the hell out of it because it was one of the smoothest creamed spinaches I've ever had.  The quality potato is basically a baked potato + mashed potato with cheese and potato chips smothered on top of it - amazing but so unnecessary.  We pretty much housed the entire steak with only one small end piece left and I thought I was going to explode. But then, of course, the manager recognizes Vince and sends us a free dessert - which we were originally going to pass on because we were both about to keel over and pass out.  But oh my - if you have room for dessert, go for it.  They sent us a sticky toffee cake with fig ice cream and it was fantastic.  I'm generally not a sticky toffee gal but this one was moist and delicious with the right amount of sweetness.  The fig ice cream was unique and definitely figgy but not in an overpowering way.  I'm very appreciatively that we got to try a dessert although I'm not sure my stomach or heart was. 

I'm happy to say the bad steak streak has ended in a wonderful way.  The service here was also excellent - very attentive but not in an overbearing way.  I know I usually poo-poo Midtown as a culinary wasteland but honestly there are some great places, especially if you are looking for something more formal or classy.  While I was disappointed that their more casual sister restaurant didn't live up to the hype, I'm glad the original one still stands the test of time.

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Quality Eats Visited 12/11/2015 2.5 Forks

Quality Eats  19 Greenwich Ave., New York, NY 10014

My streak of terrible steak experiences continues...first with The Clocktower and now Quality Eats.  I had always had Quality Meats on my list to check out but due to its Midtown location and the fact that I don't really eat steak all that often, I've just haven't gotten around to it.  But when they opened a cheaper version in the Village called Quality Eats, I thought what the hell?  

Quality Eats is touted as "discount" steakhouse which kind of sounds gross but I've always believed that cheaper cuts of meat and seafood can still produce great food if cooked correctly and you get to save a few dollars.  You don't have to have a porterhouse or rib-eye to have a great steak meal.  

Holly and I went super early on a Friday night because according to their website they only had an 11pm reservation left.  Even though it's a steakhouse, it was very funky and casual - there were no white table cloths or formal settings.  We got there at 6pm and they said that we could actually have a prime front seat table as long as we were out by 9pm.  Easy enough.  Most of the menu still had a regular steakhouse feel - shrimp cocktail appetizers, creamed spinach sides - as well as some non-regular steakhouse dishes like patty melts, scallops and grilled octopus.  We started the meal with the crab and avocado ($16) and grilled bucheron cheese ($13).  I had a really hard time deciding on which cut of meat to get but the waitress highly recommended the long bone short rib steak ($25) so I went with that and Holly got either the hanger or skirt steak (sadly I can't remember right now which one).  We also got the haricot verts ($7) because we desperately need a vegetable as well as the baked potato monkey bread ($6) just because it sounded like a fun dish.

The crab and avocado came with nice lumps of jumbo crabmeat, slices of citrus and cilantro.  There was no filler in sight and this dish passed my high MD taste test bar.  The bucheron cheese (goat's milk cheese) was served like a baked brie dish and it came with Arcade Bakery's amazing pear baguette that you can spread the cheese on.  I thought the cheese was a bit on the light side - I prefer much stronger and stinkier cheeses.  I was excited for my steak and I could have SWORN when I ordered it she asked if it was ok that it comes out pink and I said yes but when it came out it was cooked all the way through to basically the point where it was very very well-done.  It was totally brown.  Now this is completely my fault for not saying something and sending it back like Vince did when we were at The Clocktower.  Instead, I painfully tried to cut through this overcooked piece of meat and wept silently each time I did.  There also just wasn't a lot of meat on the bone in general.  I know this is not supposed to be a gluttonous cut of meat but I felt like I had about 3 bites and then the rest of the bone just had tons and tons of inedible parts to it.  I've learned my lesson here and even if it's embarrassing, I should always say something if I don't like the food - especially if it's steak. Meanwhile, Holly's dish looked exactly like what I would have preferred, a nice pink fillet.  She mentioned that it could have used some salt on it which is much more easily fixable than overcooked steak.   As for the sides, I really didn't understand the monkey bread.  The waitress had described it as a something between a baked potato with cheese and bread and that it was served with bacon butter. But when I tasted it, all I could tasted was bread - I couldn't taste the potato or cheese aspect of it.  I did spread a bit of the bacon butter on it which was delicious but it was definitely felt like overkill.   As for the haricot verts - they were actually may favorite part of the meal as they were perfectly tender and snappy.

Despite all this, we felt compelled to get dessert as well.  So we opted for the Birthday Cake ($8). Taste wise this was quite yummy - it's got chocolate malt ice cream on the bottom with confetti birthday cake and then topped with vanilla icing.  But execution wise this was super messy.  It's all built on top of each other and it was served in a tiny ice cream cup with no plate underneath, so every time we tried to take a bite everything would come spilling out all over the table.  Once we got a plate to catch everything it was easier to maneuver the cup and it really does bring you back to your childhood of having ice cream with confetti cake.

Overall, I was pretty underwhelmed with my meal here but honestly some of it was my fault for not calling out that my steak was overdone.  It shouldn't be that my favorite dishes at a steakhouse are the haricot verts and dessert.  That being said, I do like what Quality Eats is trying to do here by bringing more affordable cuts of meat to the public and making steakhouses less stuffy.   Now knowing what I know about their meats,  I would possibly still go back to redeem my meal but maybe stick to some of the more filleted meats or possibly even the scallops, which the table next to me got and it looked amazing.  Total bill:  $98/pp with tax, tip and drinks

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Clocktower Visited 9/16/2015 2.5 Forks

Clocktower   5 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10010

It actually pains me to write a terrible review for this place because I was so looking forward to this meal with my friend Vince but we both agreed that the experience was a miss.  To be fair, the service was excellent but when the food doesn't match up and since this is a food blog,  I have to lean more towards the food experience vs. the service. 

But let's start with the overall vibe - it's very British clubhouse chic.  It's located on the 2nd floor of the Edition Hotel and it just reeks of just old school executive stuffiness (I guess you kind of have to when the room rate is $500/night here) but on the plus side, it's fascinating people watching.   Luckily, the waitstaff was super warm and friendly -  unlike the reputation the Brits have (I kid, I kid!).  The menu is mostly seafood and meat focused - which works for me.  Vince and I started with the native lobster ($24), tuna tataki ($19) and dressed crab ($21) to start and then went totally baller and opted for the 40 day dry aged prime cote de boeuf 32 oz for 2 ($125).  

They start you with an addictive bread and butter plate that might have been the best thing I ate all night.  I've had good bread before, but this was out of control delicious and I could have easily eaten the entire thing myself if it wasn't 100% terrible for me.  The seafood appetizers followed quickly and were impressive at first glance - the native lobster was served chilled with mainly the tail meat and mixed with fennel, mussel and apple salad.  I personally don't mind mayo, but the apple salad part was covered in mayo and overwhelmed the fresh taste of the lobster.  Maybe I was used to the simple seafood I was eating in Montenegro/Croatia, but something about this dish too heavily.  We ordered the crab appetizer because it was described as having crispy uni on top.  The thing is, once you fry up uni, you really lose the characteristics of what makes uni so great.  To me, there's nothing better than the briny, creamy texture of uni but by deep frying it, lose that flavor and texture.  As for the tuna tataki, we agreed that this was the best seafood dish of the night as it was served relatively cleanly with cucumber, radish, avocado and ponzu sauce.  

But what I was most excited by was the main course.  It came out in grand fanfare as it's served with a green bean foie gras salad and potato gratin.  We had asked for the steak to be medium-rare, closer to rare and what came out was 100% well done - well done to the point that it was totally overcooked, dry and brown.  The first couple of bites weren't so bad and I didn't want to say anything because I've always had this complex about sending food back but I'm really glad Vince said something because it was truly not cooked well at all and at $125 there is no reason for that.  Luckily, the staff was extremely apologetic about it, didn't give us any trouble and immediately took it away with no questions asked.  I appreciated that they took full ownership of it.  While we waited, we nibbled on the salad and it was just way too greasy for me - mostly because of the foie gras but also it was served with a bone marrow jus.  The combination of foie gras and bone marrow is just too much to handle - even for this gluttonous eater. The potatoes were excellent and the best part of that dish - which is kind of sad when you're paying $125 for it.  They brought out another cote de boeuf and this time they went way on the extreme end - super super rare, to the point where I'm not even sure if parts of it were fully cooked.  I actually didn't mind it and like my steaks this way, but you could tell that they were overcompensating for the well done-ness of the previous steak.   If the steak had come out like this the first time, I would be writing a different review.  We had to cleanse our palate and got the strawberries and cream dessert ($14) which I really enjoyed - it was a lovely vanilla custard and olive oil cake with tiny fresh strawberries on it. 

When we asked for the bill, they continued to be apologetic about the steak and did an incredibly kind gesture of comping us for the steak.  I wasn't sure if it was because of Vince's Food and Wine connection - although he mentioned that he had actually gotten this reservation without mentioning that he worked at F&W. If that's the case, I'm even more impressed by the service.  

Although the meal was a bust, it was still a pleasant experience and the decor definitely transports to you a different time and place away from current New York standards.  I would say that based on the fantastic customer service, I would possibly consider coming back here but it'll probably be a long time before I do.

Photo Credit:  Yelp

DeStefano's Steakhouse Visited 8/9/2015 4 Forks

DeStefano's Steakhouse 89 Conselyea St., Brooklyn, NY 11211

DeStefano's is one of those places that's within spitting distance from my house yet somehow after living here for 5 years, I've still never been to.  I guess, how often am I really in the mood for steak when I'm at home by myself?  In any case, when Greg and Sarah mentioned that they were going there for dinner on Sunday because they had a Groupon and asked if I wanted to come along, I had to say yes!

Luckily in a time when the neighborhood is starting to get taken over by hipster tattoo shops and expensive new condos, there's still a comforting old school Italian element to where I live and DeStefano's kind of embodies that spirit.  It's a fairly small steakhouse but it's stayed pretty true to it's old roots.  The staff looks like local friends and family who've been here for years and the decor is covered with family photos.  It's got a similar vibe to Bamonte's but only slightly less mobster-y and less touristy too.   The menu is obviously very steak focused ranging from filets to rib eye to a 40 oz porter house steak for 2.  They told us that they were having a special that night of an 85 oz porterhouse steak for 3.  WTF?! 85 oz??  I almost wanted to order it just to see what it looked like. They also had a fairly decent line up for none-steak items like chicken, pasta and fish as well as very veggie friendly appetizer options and sides.   I was strangely not starving so I got the 8 oz petite filet mignon ($36) and we all split a side of garlic mashed potatoes for 2  ($12.89) and the sauteed spinach with garlic and oil for one ($7.89) for the table.

I haven't actually had a steak meal in a long time, but this made me totally wish I did this more often. The meat was perfectly medium rare - emphasis on the rare as it was quite pink and juicy (ok, that sounds super gross but you know what I mean).  I was totally in heaven with its soft buttery texture and flavors.  It came with a burgundy shallot sauce which I didn't use because the meat itself was so good on its own.  Paired with the creamy buttery garlic mashed potatoes and I was one happy camper.  Meanwhile, the sauteed spinach was a good palate cleanser from all the fat and meat.  I was pleasantly surprised at how much I really enjoyed the food here.  Not that I thought it would be bad but it was one seriously legit steak.

I know most people think of Peter Luger's when they think Williamsburg + steak, and it's still a wonderful place.  But I really love that places like DeStefano's have still stuck around despite all the gentrification and still are able to produce a very solid steak that wold make any meat lover happy.  I hope it sticks around some more and I'm more than happy to go here with or without a Groupon.   Total bill:  $51/pp with Groupon deal not including tip

III Forks Visited 8/25/2014 4 Forks

III Forks 1201 San Jacinto St., Houston, TX 77002

So not to be super judgey but I don't there's much Texas does better foodwise than NYC except in two categories - Mexican and Steaks.  I was in Houston for a client meeting and the only type of restaurants downtown that were worth of a client dinner were all steak houses.  Luckily, everyone in our party ate meat so going to a steak house was not an issue.

I had to laugh that this place is called Three Forks and luckily for them they were better than 3 forks. Our waiter did an excellent job of describing all the dishes and told all of us that their 3 fork salad was "award winning".   Everyone at the table ended up ordering it but I bucked the trend and ordered the ahi tuna appetizer ($16) and went with the petite filet mignon ($36) with King's Butter toppping (essentially a giant pat of truffle butter for an extra $8).   The tuna appetizer was a about 5-6 thin slices of tuna, seasoned with a mix of spices and lightly grilled.   It wasn't quite as rare as I would have liked but it was a good start to the meal none the less.  In addition to the steaks we all ordered, we got a bunch of sides to go with our meal:  mashed potatoes, lobster mac and cheese, and sweet potato hash (all $10).  As you can see there wasn't a vegetable in sight.  When the steak first came out, I was a bit disappointed in the presentation of the steak just sitting by its lonesome self on a giant white plate.  But then the helpful waitstaff actually comes around and helps plate all the side dishes for you in addition to bringing out a plate of grilled tomatoes and spring onions to go with your meat.  As soon as I cut into my filet I knew it would be a good one.  It was perfectly rare in the center but not blue rare.  The king's butter was the perfect heart stopping topping to it although I did have to scrap off half of it for fear that I would actually end up with a heart attack at the table if I ate all of it.  I hadn't had steak in a long time and this made we remember why I love steak.  It was juicy, moist but with the right amount of sear on the outside.  Heavenly.  The lobster mac and cheese was good with the right amount of cheese - although obviously I always wish there is more lobster in everything.    I'm glad that I got the petite filet because I didn't finish it which made me super sad to leave that kind of meat on the plate to only be thrown away.

Of course, I left some small room for dessert and I split the bread pudding ($9) with someone else at the table.  It was very sweet - almost too sweet for me.  It was also a bit heavy on the sauce which is the fatal mistake most places make with bread pudding - a good bread pudding can still be delicious without being sauce heavy or dense like a rock (see Maialino).  Overall, it was still a very solid dinner and made ever better with several bottles of a great unfiltered California red wine.   I can't say I was a huge fan of Houston itself, but Texas does know how to do steak right.

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Carnevino Visited 6/25/2013 2 Forks

Carnevino  Palazzo Hotel, 3325 Las Vegas Blvd So, Las Vegas

Ahh, Vegas.  It's just one of those cities that you have to check out at least once in your life and that's probably all you need.  I was actually there for work, but I was strangely excited because I hadn't been in there in probably 10 years and I was curious to see how it's changed.  From a food perspective, I know that most people outside of NYC, LA, SF, and Chicago would probably salivate at all the celebrity driven restaurants there but I would say that almost every restaurant there you can find in NYC or another big city (i.e. Scarpetta, Blue Ribbon, Craft, etc). 

Usually before a trip I scout out where the good places are to eat but I didn't have time to do it this time.  I had gotten off the 5 hour flight and gone straight to the lounge to work for another 7 hours, so by the time I got back to my hotel to shower and rest a bit, I was totally exhausted.  I knew that for a great affordable eating experience I should have gone off the Strip, but at 8:30 Vegas time (11:30pm EST) I just couldn't muster up the energy to stray too far from the hotel.  So I ended up suggesting Carnevino because that was the one restaurant that didn't exist in NYC (even though it's a Mario Batali restaurant and he owns several places in NYC) and I was going to go there back in December when I was supposed to have come for work so I figured if I was going to go before there must have been a good reason why I chose it in the first place.  It's located inside the Palazzo Hotel which is attached to the Venetian.  Luckily, we were able to walk right in without a reservation but then Neel and I got seated in this weird area of the restaurant that was kind of like a hallway and away from the main area. 

We sat down and as soon as we got the menu I knew that the food here was going to be too much for what I wanted.  The menu was twice the size of my head.  Whenever a menu is that large, you know the portions are going to be large with huge prices to match.  The menu is largely focused on different cuts of meat but there were also several relatively affordable pasta dishes to be had as well.  We were starving so we started with the Big Eye Tuna Crudo ($25) and I got the 16 oz bone-in New York Strip ($61) and Neel got the lamb chops ($63) and we also got a side of beets ($9) just so there was some vegetable on the table.  Yes, you are reading those prices correctly and luckily I was traveling for work, otherwise I probably would have totally freaked out at those prices.  The meal started with some warm bread that was quite good and it was served with unsalted butter and whipped lardo - so literally a bowl of fat.  It was delicious but with every bite you could feel your cholesterol going up 10 points.  After a bit of a wait, our tuna came out.  The waiter apologized for the wait because the chef didn't like the 1st batch he made and re-made another one.  Umm, he probably should have tasted this one because it wasn't that great either.  It was 5 slices of raw tuna with a chopped cucumber celery  salad on top.   The tuna was way over salted and tasted a bit fishy (yes, I know it's fish but super fresh tuna has a very clean taste to it).  Compared to the tuna I had at sushi the other night, this didn't seem that great, especially for $25.  Plus the fact that I hate celery, so the "refreshing" salad on top didn't really do it for me either.  Then meat dishes came out.  The waiter had told us before that the plating was just the meat - nothing else (no sides).  So even though I knew it, to have a gigantic piece of meat on a white plate with nothing else was so underwhelming.  The presentation was just sad.  But I was willing to overlook it for the perfect cut of meat.  The waiter had also told us that their meats run more on the rare side, so I was super excited to cut into my strip and see lots of red.  Unfortunately I only saw a bit of red as it was definitely more of the medium than rare side.  The meat itself was fine, nothing mind blowing.  It was a bit too salty for me and when I added the steak sauce to it, it just made it even saltier.  For $61, I expect tears of joy with each bite but instead it was just meh.  Meanwhile Neel's lamb chops were a sight to be seen.  It was 3 gigantic chops that were the size of a house.  The waiter had said that they keep the fat on (or they could cut it off if we like) and boy did they keep the fat on.  One chop must have been 80% fat.  I know Neel was digging into that chop like it was his job but every time I looked over it looked like he hadn't eaten anything.  I only took a few bites of the beets because I felt like I had to and it was fine, again nothing to write home about.

All in all, the food here was way over seasoned and too big.  I felt like they didn't let the natural flavors of the food come out.  Everything tasted much heavier than it needed to be.  Yes I know that steak is a rich heavy dish, but to me a good steak should still melt in your mouth and have a clean taste to it.  Another reason for the low rating was the price.  I know it's Vegas and everything is big, shiny and expensive but good lord for $100/pp I could have had a larger than life meal in NYC and have been x10 happier.  Lesson learned for dinner next time I'm in Vegas for work: eat off the Strip!
Total bill:  $200 for 2 with tax and tip

Photo Credit: Yelp

Palm One Restaurant Visited 8/13/2011 3.5 Forks

Palm One 837 2nd Ave., (between 44th St & 45th St), New York, NY 10017

Normally I don't review the same place or different branches of the same place twice, unless there was something totally different.  Although I've been to the Palm Tribeca several times for lunch, dinner here at the original Palm in Midtown was different enough that I felt like it warranted a separate review.

Frankly, the only reason Dan and I cam here was because he got a $50 gift card from American Express (hello, where was mine??!).  Even with the gift card, the meal was still a bit expensive but it definitely alleviated the pain of payment at the end of dinner.

 The original Palm is in Midtown East not far from the UN...so essentially one of the boring-est areas of NYC (in my opinion).  There's no real character to this area of NYC and the only thing there is tall grey corporate buildings.  But when you walk into the Palm it's like walking back in time.  It's old school and it doesn't really look like they've done many changes since the 1950's.  In typical Palm fashion they have all these drawings of famous people on the wall (although here, I didn't really recognize any of them).  We ended up sitting on the 2nd floor in the middle where there were no windows and it was pretty dark and intimate.  The clientele is what you would expect: a mix of tourists and older East-siders.  I think we were the youngest people there by 15 years. 


But in any case, I move on to the food.  While the menu is pretty much the same as the one in Tribeca, this was the first time I have been here for dinner.  I opted for the prime rib ($45), Dan got the 14 oz filet mignon ($45) and we split a small Caesar salad ($8) and a side of creamed spinach ($10).  It would be better if you came here with more people so that you could try more appetizers or sides because there were a lot of good sounding sides and salads.  I would say if you don't want to make yourself too full, avoid the bread basket because you can easily get sucked into it's delicious soft whipped butter and be full in seconds.  The Caesar salad came out 1st and was the perfect size.  However, it was way overdressed.  It felt like I was eating dressing with a side of lettuce.  Soon there after our steaks came out and Oh my god.  My prime rib literally looked like it was fit for 3 people.  I can't even explain how ginormous it was, it was shocking.  Dan's fillet was also pretty big but at least looked manageable.  I immediately dug into the meat to see if it was cooked correct - I had asked for medium rare.  And medium rare is was.  The outside section for the rib was slightly overcooked but the middle was perfectly pink and delicious.  I wish I hadn't eaten brunch that day because I wanted to eat more but after 10-15 minutes, I was just maxed out.  The rib had a great au jus sauce which was just a smidge too salty and sweet but nothing that totally ruins the meal.  The creamed spinach was good but had a very distinct nutmug or cinnamon spice taste to it, which was a bit weird.  Dan's fillet was cooked just right - he had asked it for rare and while it wasn't bloody or anything, they did a good job keeping it as rare as possible but still having seared it and keeping it brown on the outside.  Funny enough I had originally told Dan to get the 9 oz instead of the 14 oz and in the end the amount that Dan had left on his plate was almost 3 oz.  These were definitely decent steaks but not mind blowing like Peter Lugers or even the Old Homestead where the meat tastes like butter.  We had really wanted to save room for the dessert but we just couldn't find any room for it and when we looked at the calorie count, it was a bit frightening. 


The service was what you would expect from an old school restaurant - very professional and attentive.  I enjoyed my meal and it's worth splurging there every once in a while, but it's definitely an expensive outing.  Total bill with 2 drinks (including a $20 glass of red wine and $12 cocktail) was $150.  Luckily the $50 gift card made it only $100 which isn't too bad for drinks, steaks and sides. 

The Palm Tribeca Visited 3/21/2011 3 Forks

The Palm Tribeca 206 West St., New York, NY 10013

I've actually been to The Palm many times before and I'm only now getting around to writing a review about it because I just remembered to.  The only reason I've even been to The Palm at all is because it's within walking distance to my office so I've been here a few times for business lunches and once for a holiday dinner.

The inside is actually really fun because the walls are covered with paintings of celebrities, politicians, and of course since this is downtown, bankers and other high level executives.  The first time I had lunch here I sat next to Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen.  I almost died.  I wanted to pull up a chair and start talking about the Real Housewives of Atlanta with them.  Unfortunately, each time I've been back I haven't seen any famous people.  I remember the food the first time I went to be pretty good. I got the kobe beef burger and it was juicy and delicious.  The 2nd time I went was for my group's holiday dinner.  Knowing the budget constraints we were under, I was surprised that The Palm would actually be able to accommodate us for dinner, but after tasting the food, I realized they just compensated by serving us lesser quality food.  The steaks were terrible and I think someone actually had said the dessert tasted like gasoline. Ouch.  So why, you ask, have I gone back since then? Because I work by the World Financial Center, where there are only 2 restaurants in the building: PJ Clarke's and Southwest, neither of which are amazing and both of which are expensive.

I will say most of the lunches I've had here have been pretty decent and for the same money as PJ Clarke's and Southwest, it's much less chaotic and dare I say better food (but not by too much but at least it's something different).  They have this business lunch special which is actually a great deal.  For $24, you can get their a soup or salad (lobster bisque is extra), a main entree (they have a steak, salmon, pasta or fish of the day), a side of half/half (which is basically a plate of fried onion rings and some other fried thing that I can't remember now) or veggie of the day, and either key lime pie or chocolate cake.  Each time I've gotten the business lunch, I get the same thing: salad, salmon, veggie of the day and key lime pie.  Or for the same amount of money, you can get a burger and fries and a soda a PJ Clarke's.  Unfortunately, the last time I had the lunch at The Palm my salmon was a bit overcooked (the waiter never asked me how I wanted it) and it was covered in this tomato sauce that clearly had tons of butter in it.  So it kind of ruined the "healthy" aspect of having fish.  The veggies of the day are usually just some kind of greens sauteed in olive oil and doesn't taste like anything I couldn't make at home.  The key lime pie was actually pretty tasty but so unnecessary because by that point you're so full that you just want to take a nap under your desk.

All in all, it's not an awesome place but it's definitely a better alternative to the two kind of boring places in the Tower.  It'll be interesting to see how business will do once Shake Shack and Blue Smoke open up by work.

Prime Meats Visited 2/20/10 3 Forks

Prime Meats 465 Court St
(between 3rd Pl & 4th Pl), Brooklyn, NY 11231


Prime Meats has been very hyped due to the fact that it's owned by the same people as Frankie's. I tried to go a month ago and was told it was a 2 hour wait on a Friday at 9:30pm. This time, I went on a Saturday night @ 8pm, which obviously was no better. The host told me it was about a 2 hour wait and I just gave in. I gave him my cell # and Dan and I went and grabbed drinks at the Irish pub next door.

The wait ended up being a little over an hour instead. After sitting down, I totally understand why the wait is so long. The place is tiny! There must be about 10-15 seats total in the entire restaurant. It doesn't help that the bar is in the front and takes up half the restaurant, which makes the place overly crowded. I don't know what is up with this hipster, old school, Prohibition look, but Prime Meats also had it. Everyone wore vests, had many tattoos and had ironic mustaches. I'm so over that look.

I ordered the Apple Sazerac ($10) after finding out that the punch of the day was a Mai Thai. I was torn over what to order for my main meal. I was partial to the burger but I kind of feel like that's a cop out. So instead, I ordered the Sürkrüt Garnie (chouchrote garnie, slow cooked pork belly, Thuringian bratwurst, calf tongue & knackwurst served with house made sauerkraut ($16) and Dan ordered the burger with cheese and thick cut bacon ($13 for the burger and $4 extra for the cheese and bacon) and a pint of Oatmeal stout ($7). I was a bit hesitant about my meal but when I came out I was overwhelmed. There was so much food and lots of meat! I wish they had told me what was what on my plate b/c they all looked like meat to me and I was particularly curious as to which one was the calf tongue. But I was able to pick out the pork belly immediately and it was amazing. I think it's really really hard to get pork belly wrong. I also surprisingly loved the sauerkraut, it cut the fattiness of the meat well. But I could barely finish my plate and I am even regretting eating as much as I did. One of the meats just tasted like a hot dog and what I think was the calf tongue really just tasted like meat.

Dan's burger came out super rare, which is the way he actually like it and I had a bite and it was super delicious, but I'm not sure if it was worth $17. My drink turned out to be much stronger than I thought it was not very cocktail like. Instead it came out looking like straight whiskey in a small glass.

I was super curious about the meat plate that everyone was eating but I definitely could not have eaten more than I did. The name definitely speaks to how incredibly meat focused it is there, but I did see some veggie items. The host was very nice and apologetic for making us wait, and although I liked it, I'm not sure how worth the 1+ hour wait it was. Maybe 30-40 mins max. But definitely a great place if you are craving meat.