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by Manos Angelakis
There are some establishments whose success defies logic.
Sammy’s Rumanian Steakhouse located on 157 Chrystie Street, in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, is a prime example. It doesn’t have a great location, it does not feature a fashionable chef, the dinning room is shabby, to put it mildly, the food ranges from artery-clogging to 3-day heartburn. Yet, this salute to the Middle-European Jewish emigrant experience of the early twentieth century is always full, both seatings, and you need reservations days in advance.
There are two signature dishes.
Chopped-chicken-liver appetizer; a bowl of it is brought to the table and the waiter vigorously mixes it with raw onions and shredded radish, bathing the entire concoction with golden chicken fat, a full container of which is sitting on the table. It is extremely tasty, though I heard an “Oi Vay” scream from my arteries. To counteract the richness, I ordered a shot of vodka and the bottle came encased in a block of ice. My cardiologist would have a fit.
The grilled skirt steak is their second signature dish (to our Latin American friends, this cut is known as churasco). Portions overflow the plates. There are three sizes: extra large, huge and humongous -- which is two pounds or more. The meat is charcoal grilled. It came medium rare, as ordered, and we “disappeared” it in no time at all. It is rumored that the owner stands at the kitchen door with a blowtorch to finish off the meat, giving it that charred-look.
From the restaurant group that brought us Avra and Tao, there is now an establishment located at 60 West 57th Street, called Rue 57. It could have been just another typical French brasserie; it has a very nice bistro menu. What makes it different is the fact that it features a sushi bar. The night we were there, there were three sushi chefs working furiously to satisfy the demand. The fish was extremely fresh, though the fish portion was on the small size compared to the size of the rice ball. I ordered Steak with Pomme Frites and it brought back pleasant memories of my time in Paris. One of my companions ordered the Mediterranean Frittata, a dish featured on the Sunday Brunch menu. The other had nigiri sushi. We were all very pleased.
©April/May 2004. All rights reserved.
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