Philly Cheese Steak Dumplings w/ sriracha ketchup
by Celia Cheng
June 30th, 2008
FIRESIDE
19 E 52nd St
@ Madison Ave
212-734-5011
Fireside, located in the Omni Berkshire Hotel in Midtown, is an unexpectedly good restaurant. You could easily mistake it for an unremarkable hotel restaurant, the kind that serves less than mediocre food but must be there for the hotel guests. That’s not the case here though. Chef Sam DeMarco is at the head of this kitchen, and his cuisine is outstanding and fun!
In his own words, he doesn’t really try to be innovative, but incorporates items in his menu that evoke nostalgia. Not innovative? I beg to differ. Philly cheese steak dumplings are innovative, but I understand what he means by nostalgic. He blends the best of both worlds.
Who doesn’t love a good Philly cheese steak? But he’s reconfigured it so that all the components — thinly sliced Rib eye, grilled onions, button mushrooms and American cheese — are wrapped in dumpling skins and then fried like pot stickers. There are five to an order, served with sriracha ketchup — what a great condiment for this masterpiece — to add a little spice. Hot pepperconi peppers as garnish also bring us back to the traditional Philly cheese steak toppings.
I agree with Chef DeMarco that he’s not trying to make fusion cuisine. He doesn’t force the elements together, but simply makes a whimsical change to the classic sandwich. Dumpling skin is a fine substitute for bread in this case. And these are much more elegant and manageable with Fireside’s playful cocktails.
I also tried the three specials currently on the couture menu: bling bling benny (crispy poached eggs with smoked sturgeon) for breakfast; OB’s Kobe burger at lunch, and luxe A-5 gold five-ounce Japanese Kobe sirloin for dinner.
The eggs benedict was nothing like what I expected. Though I love classics, I cringe when I see eggs benedict on a brunch menu. Give me something more interesting! Well, here’s new interpretation of an oldie-but-goody. The poached eggs, covered in panko and Parmesan cheese, are deep fried until crispy, and served over smoked sturgeon and a confetti of three different caviars: ginger, American paddlefish and salmon roe, embellished by asparagus and tomato. It’s a striking and delicious breakfast.
The Kobe burger won my heart instantly. A Kobe beef patty is served between two pieces of brioche tea toast with sautéed chanterelles, summer truffles, shallots and melted Brie. It’s a “tasting” portion and the perfect size for savoring the rich flavors of the high quality ingredients. Truffle fries accompany, and while a little on the greasy side, they were ideally crispy, and, besides, it’s hard to resist the scent of truffle oil.
The Kobe steak is sliced into four thin pieces that you grill at the table on a scorching Himalayan salt brick. This is a common practice in Japan known as ishiyaki (hot stone cooking). It’s fun to cook your own meat, especially when your steak starts sizzling right in front of your eyes. It only takes a few seconds for it to cook on each side, and the satisfaction thereafter is instantaneous.
Chef DeMarco is so endearing. There’s no pretense; he’s jolly and wants you to be jolly, too. I’m looking forward to trying more of his ingenious “cocktail” cuisine!
Posted in American , Appetizer , Dumpling , Midtown East , Steak
website • menu • reservation • map • tell-a-friend • print • comment
Porterhouse Steak
by Celia Cheng
March 31st, 2008
BENJAMIN STEAK HOUSE
52 E 41st St
(Madison & Park Ave)
212-297-9177
If there’s one thing a steak house should be, it’s grand! And Benjamin Steak House, in the century-old, Chemist Club-building-turned-Dylan Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, is exactly that.
Once inside the restaurant, a long, dark corridor leads to the heart of the restaurant, revealing the opulent main dining room with remarkably high ceilings, white columns, brass chandeliers, and a staircase that winds up to the second level dining area — a great seating option as it’s an open mezzanine overlooking the first floor. The lighting is dim to match the décor that I had read, “evokes a bygone era.” Before actually seeing the place, though, I was afraid that this characterization might translate to cheesy, but the restaurant interior is nothing short of gorgeous.
Benjamin Steak House is the collaborative endeavor of Peter Luger alumni: owner, Benjamin Prelvukaj and Chef Arturo McLeod. They are among a handful of Luger alum that have opened steakhouses in New York in recent years, paying tribute to the Luger tradition, but unlike the brash and dismissive treatment at Luger’s, Benjamin’s service is impeccable.
More precisely, our waiter was impeccable. His nametag read “Benny,” but his Eastern European accent suggested that “Benny” was probably a convenient Americanization of some other name. Benny, actually Besim Lajqi from Kosovo, seemed much younger than most of his colleagues, and perhaps because of that, at first my ageism got the better of me as I wondered if he knew what he was doing. However, at only twenty-two, Besim knows correct, old world service better than ninety percent of the servers I’ve encountered in New York. Throughout our meal, he was attentive but not overbearing and quick to pick up on details and jokes. The courses were well paced, and Besim divided the food evenly and expertly between mine and my sister’s plates. He did not appear offended when we didn’t take his recommendations, but we eventually realized our error in not trusting him. Professional and charming is what we hope every server can be, but that is most often not the case. We certainly lucked out with “Benny.”
My sister and I enjoyed a classic steak dinner, starting with iceberg wedges with blue cheese and jumbo shrimp cocktail. For main, the porterhouse for two was a combination of sirloin and filet mignon. I found the filet mignon a bit stringy, but the sirloin was stellar and there’s no doubt that the quality of the dry-aged beef was first rate, as the slices of steak were succulent and juicy. I was satisfied but couldn’t finish it all, so I took some leftovers home and gave them a second try. The only problem was that in heating them up, I cooked the initially perfectly medium rare cuts to medium well, which might have been a complete tragedy if the meat had not been able stand on its own. But they stood up to my overcooking, and still retained great flavor!
The side of German potatoes cooked golden brown was a cross between crispy and soggy and didn’t add anything to the meal, and the creamed spinach (a secret recipe, not made with cream) veered towards ordinary, too. I was excited for the homemade schlag (whipped cream) that came with the key lime pie and mixed berries for dessert, but that also disappointed as it was heavy and weighed down, not light or refreshing.
Potatoes and desserts aside, if you’re craving a steak in an elegant old school setting, do consider Benjamin Steak House. Have a cocktail at the bar while taking in the décor, and then enjoy a classic meal with quality meats and superb service. (And don’t forget to ask for Benny!)
Posted in American , Beef , Midtown East , Steak
website • menu • reservation • map • tell-a-friend • print • comment
The Chopped (salad)
by Celia Cheng
May 1st, 2007
QUALITY MEATS
57 W 58th St
(5th & 6th Ave)
212-371-7777
Quality Meats opened last April as the latest addition to the Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group (SWRG). While the restaurant is located in Midtown and caters to those who work in the area with generous expense accounts, I was pleasantly surprised to find how much I enjoyed the atmosphere, food and service each time I visited. This statement may sound unfair, but I only mean that Quality Meats is a smart and nice contrast to the original old school Smith & Wollensky steakhouse (now steakhouse conglomerate). Not that there’s anything wrong with old school, but I tend to feel a little out of place despite my voracious appetite for meat! By comparison, Quality Meats is modern and has a varied menu that has been expertly and beautifully executed with a touch of levity.
In fact, Quality Meats is more of a contemporary New York restaurant than a steakhouse. And while there’s no doubt of its expertise in meats, I actually am a big fan of all the seafood served. Chef Craig Koketsu pays close attention to the orders coming in. When my friend and I ordered soft shell crab, crabcake, crab and avocado, and hamachi sashimi for appetizers, he altered the seasoning and ingredients of some to make sure there wasn’t too much overlap in flavors. All of it is extremely fresh and the presentation beautiful. The hamachi sashimi remains my favorite. The fresh hamachi (yellowfin tuna) pairing with the creaminess of avocado and refreshing, crunchy green papaya is a knockout.
The lunch menu at QM is really a delight with “The Chopped” salad as one its main highlights. Guests choose from a selection of mixes including classic (romaine, Boston bibb, beefsteak tomatoes, thick-cut onions, bacon lardons, and bleu cheese dressing), Mediterranean (arugula, olives, artichokes, chickpeas, cucumbers, roasted peppers and basil vinaigrette), roasted beet (red and gold beets, radicchio, endive frisée, arugula and toasted walnut vinaigrette), green goddess (romaine, cucumbers, olives, red onions, apples, sunflower seeds, and creamy fresh herb dressing), or eastern (napa cabbage, carrots, scallions, cilantro, hosui pears, green papaya, roasted peanuts and spicy lime vinaigrette). After choosing your mix, you pick “a finishing touch” from the choices of roasted vegetables, grilled chicken breast, marinated shrimp, thinly sliced diver scallops, seared yellowfin tuna, pepper seared filet mignon or lobster (when in season). I’ve tried the classic with filet mignon and the green goddess with lobster, both of which were fun and great lunch options, as they were filling but not heavy.
The QM burger is also a nice alternative as it comes with an avocado on top and is served with parmesan hot fries, a.k.a. Tabasco fries. With all the food we had ordered, I wasn’t quite sure what was so spicy at first, but then realized that the fries were seasoned with Tabasco and sprinkled with grated parmesan. The waiter also explained that in addition to ketchup, another condiment served with the fries is Tabasco mayonnaise, just in case the fries alone were not hot enough. I love these fries! Spicy foods always open up my appetite, so I couldn’t get enough of them.
For dessert, pastry chef Cory Colton makes a variety of his own ice creams, including “coffee and doughnuts” and raspberry chocolate truffle. But I actually fell in love with the warm apple tart with apricot and blueberry compote. The tart is thin and refined, but there’s something about warm apple pies, one bite and it just feels like home. Despite being uncomfortably full after an extremely copious meal, I wanted to finish this dessert — and those who know me know I am not a sweets girl!
After lunch on both visits, I was ready to go home for a nap. I felt completely satisfied and blissful. And walking out of the restaurant, I relished the thought of how good life is. And for that, I give Quality Meats a thumbs-up.
Posted in American , Midtown West , Salad , Seafood , Steak
website • menu • reservation • map • tell-a-friend • print • comment
