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By Barbara Penny Angelakis
Benjamin Steak House
52 East 41st Stsreet
New York, NY 10017
212.297.9177
www.BenjaminSteakHouse.com
Only a few short years ago you could count on the fingers of one hand the names of the surviving New York Steakhouses renowned for their generous portions of prime aged steak and chops, 4-pound lobsters, Caesar salad, and luscious deserts. With the health conscious diet preferences of the 80’s and 90’s, steak restaurants barely held their own. But in the last several years there has been a resurgence of the famed New York-style steak restaurant that now not only caters to business men/woman… but family groups as well. The gastronomic pendulum has once again moved to embrace changing trends and a whole new group of high quality dining establishments, catering to the suppressed but not forgotten carnivorous nature of today’s diner, have been opening in midtown. Benjamin Steak House on 41st Street between Park and Madison is just such a restaurant.
Benjamin’s is the brain child of Chef Arturo McLeod and partner Benjamin Prelvukaj, both veterans of the famed Brooklyn steak house Peter Luger’s. Benjamin’s choice location and Chef McLeod’s attention to quality bring the same famous prime cuts and acclaimed manner of meat preparation to the heart of Manhattan.
Victor Dedushaj, Benjamin’s charming General Manager, helped settle the choice for dinner with his description of the Porterhouse for two. Although he described all of the main event cuts, it was the Porterhouse that won the day. The generously sized 2 inch thick steak, broiled to perfection, arrived at our table pre-sliced horizontally and still sizzling from the fire. Our waiter angled the large hot serving platter on a dish so that the juices ran away from the meat to be used as gravy if desired, and served several slices to our preheated dinner plates. The steak was properly crisped on the outside and bright red inside; cooked exactly as ordered. Victor had also shared his preference for the creamed spinach, which true to his promise had no cream in it, but was nevertheless creamy and delicious and the distinctive German potatoes that were similar to home fries, but with a twist. But, I am getting ahead of myself…
The wine list is quite extensive and well designed to complement the type of food served, i.e. grilled meats and some seafood. The prices are very fair, and in at least one case a true bargain. There are 24 Magnums ranging from $110 to $700, mostly Napa wines, from ’01 to ‘04 vintages; 1 Jeroboam at $900, a ’04 Napa; and 2 Methuselas, priced at $1300 to $1450, both also Napa valley vintages, a 1991 and a 2004.
There is a number of very nice half-bottles, the 2004 Clos du Val was our selection; and there were at least 10 wines by the glass, with lots of California Cabernet Sauvignon and Oregon and California Pinot Noir.
The regular-sized (750ml.) bottles were very fairly priced, with a good variety of California and Oregon bottles. The international selections were mostly French and Italian varietals, with some Spanish Riojas and Priorat, plus nice bottles from Chile and Argentina.
For dessert wines, there was an intriguing variety of Ports, plus what I consider a major bargain, 350 ml. (half bottle) of 1994 Château d’Yquem for $214.
As with all steakhouses, the food pricing was on the hefty side, but Benjamin is not as pricey as many others. We began our dinner with juicy and flavorful Little Neck clams on the half shell and an order of baked clams. The clams on the half shell could have been shucked a little neater to avoid having to fight the shell to release its treasure, but they were fresh as could be and accompanied by two dipping sauces; the ubiquitous but flavorful cocktail sauce with extra horseradish and Tabasco on the side, and a red wine vinaigrette with chopped onions. The baked claims were not overly breaded and were served with a delicious white wine, lemon and butter reduction with just a touch of chopped fresh basil. Of course no visit to a steak house would be complete without a Caesar salad and Benjamin’s version was crisp, slightly tangy and covered with a generous amount of cheese. Gone are the days when the captain would roll the ingredients to your table on a service cart, and with great fanfare mix the garlic, raw egg yoke, anchovies, fresh lemon and olive oil in a big wooden bowl, drop in the fresh, crisp romaine lettuce, cover with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and garlic browned croutons, and blend it all together before dishing it out. The romance has definitely gone out of Caesar salad but thankfully not the taste. Desert was a toss-up between Key Lime Pie and New York Cheese cake and while the Cheese cake won, I don’t think I could have gone wrong with any of the more then half dozen other tempting selections. The espresso was perfectly prepared with a thick layer of crema on top and rich, strong but not bitter, coffee underneath.
Physically the 5,000 square foot open double floor restaurant has a handsome, masculine, hunting lodge ambience, with a balcony to a second level dining room spanning the main floor. Inset into the recessed coffered ceiling are spectacular pseudo-art deco amber colored chandeliers that cast a soft light over the first floor dining area. There is a bar on one side and just opposite a ten-foot oversized working fireplace that lends a warm and cozy feeling to the spacious room. The open second floor dining area is less noisy and hectic than the first floor and a good choice for closing that business deal or for family gatherings. In either case the large sized dining tables, with ample space between tables, comfortable leather seating and impeccable service, are hallmarks of both areas. Waiters are attired in the traditional French uniform of white shirt, black pants and bow tie with a large white apron wrapped around for handling hot plates and serving dishes. The waiters are present and knowledgeable and stand at the ready to serve your every need. All in all Benjamin’s is a welcome addition to the restaurant scene and perfect for those times when you hunger for a robust piece of meat in a comfortable, friendly environment.
© November 2007 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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