Most hyped up places are overrated. Just like halal boys or whatever it’s called. I never go to those places.
Regarding salt, grease, and rodentalia, you have the palate of a yak. 
I understand luger’s isn’t what it was - it’s gotten twice the size, tourists killed the culture, and the original waiters are playing a role versus what it used to be like. The only problem I have is people saying the steak has never been great. High heated(1500 degrees or whatever), super aged flavor, charred porterhouse sliced in rectangles to me is the epitome of perfect steak. Wolfgangs, keens etc copied it and may be better at this point and I agree that luger’s now may not hit the mark 50% or more of the time of what I described.but I completely disagree that there’s tons of places in nyc that make steak in the way I described and are potentially better. But again different strokes for different folks.
In the 70s/80s, prime dry-aged porterhouse was the best meat you could get. So many better cuts and higher quality being offered everywhere now
Just depends on your taste, I guess. I agree that prime dry aged porterhouse is about as good as it gets.
Okay, that was great pastrami. The brisket was also very good but the pastrami was better. Going by memory it’s at least as good as Katz’s and easier for me to get to from Jersey city as it’s a half block from an A train stop. Definitely better than Harolds.
I remember when Wolfgang’s opened. I asked him about the steak and he said he had the same purveyor for the meat. I found his place more congenial and the wine list was way better. I didn’t know that he’s become so big though.
Great to hear!
Anyone have (recent) experience with Sarge’s?
I am old enough to remember when Carnegie and the Stage did battle, and the competition worked for both. Both were excellent. Stage declined, then closed, Carnegie slid. I still went there with some frequency because of location (I have mid-town business with some frequency and like to stay at the London NYC). Best place for a big breakfast before a deposition or something that made later meals problematic. But it wasn’t what you could call special at all. You could find equivalent deli in most big cities, which is low, low bar.
I remember the Stage v. Carnegie competition as well! I always preferred Carnegie – seemed a bit grittier. Stage seemed a bit slicker, more aimed at the tourist market. But Carnegie then started to slide as well. A bit like what seems to have happened to P Lugers. There was also a pretty good place in midtown just off of Park – Kaplan’s I think? I used to like Second Ave Deli in the day as well, though they also started to get a bit tired. All of this nostalgia is making me feel old!
I was there about a year and a half ago, and I must say it was one of the best dinners I’ve ever had. The fact it was the first time my son took us out to a restaurant for Father’s Day dinner may have had something to do with that, though. We did enjoy a 2015 Geyserville with our steak, and it was a nice pairing. I recall the price was something like $68 for the bottle, and that sticks in my mind because that was so reasonable - about 1.5x retail.
Holding out on us? I’m a life long Brooklynite and just hearing about this makes me hungry.
Any restaurant not offering corkage is not worth going to. I will pay $50 or more as I know I will enjoy the food and pay way less on the wines I bring in. I do love Minneapolis as many restaurants are corkage friendly and if you bring in a bunch of wine geeks they might even wave corkage on an off night.
Be thankful you have that option. New Mexico disallows any BYO and Texas prevents you from doing so if an establishment has a “full” (i.e., including liquor) license.
Be thankful you have that option. New Mexico disallows any BYO and Texas prevents you from doing so if an establishment has a “full” (i.e., including liquor) license.
Jeremy and people complain about MN liquor laws. We finally added Sunday sales a few years ago. Personally I could care less about Sunday sales but Total Wine in our Market has really benefited.
Soooo, who has the BEST dry-aged beef, prepared perfectly for your taste, sides that are innovative-tasty, well prepared, excellent service, reasonable or no corkage and a wine list (aged/mature) in Manhattan?
Keen’s
I like Minetta Tavern. (Not really for the steak but I also enjoy the original Palm.) But honestly other than what I cook at home, much of the best steak I eat is high-end Wagyu-type cuts from non-steakhouses.
The truth is that steak isn’t rocket science. The market these days is such that if you’ll pay for it, anywhere can get the top meat. I’d put Houston’s Georgia James and Pappas against anyone.
THANK YOU DAN
+1 on Pappas. In addition to them delivering on the steak, their heirloom tomato salad was actually beautiful. Not some industrial-gassed, flavourless tomatoes. The real deal. Sides were all on point. And a few “Easter eggs” on the wine list (bottle of 10 year old Mt Eden for like $150).