The Fine Art of Dining at Peter Luger's
Written: May 04 '01 (Updated May 05 '01)
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Pros: An entertaining and memorable evening guaranteed.
Cons: None, if this is the type of experience you are looking for. Otherwise, why go?
The Bottom Line: Succulent steak served up in a no-nonsense fashion. If you want coddling, go elsewhere. Don't forget to bring plenty of cash!
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| Epicure's Full Review: Peter Luger Steak House |
My eternally stubborn younger brother is in town visiting this week. He thinks he is the authority on good food. (Imagine that, Epicure's little brother has some strong opinions about food - wonder where that came from?) He insists that no sushi place in New York can compare to the sushi places in the Bay Area. He insists that no Chinese restaurant in New York can compare to the Chinese restaurants in the San Gabriel Valley (okay, okay, he may have a point there). And he insists that no New York restaurant is more impressive than the top restaurants that he's visited in San Francisco. However, there is an exception to that sweeping and unfounded declaration. Yes, there is one New York institution that is positively untouchable. This is the one restaurant that he must dine at each time he is in town. And it's not even in the city proper!
Located in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn (the new frontier of trendy restaurants), Peter Luger Steak House claims to be the number one steakhouse in the country. And yes, this claim is backed up by a number of reputable critics and restaurant guides. There is something magical in each cut of meat....so they say. I'm not sure I would go that far. Although the steak is delicious, the main reason that I would bring people to Peter Luger's over any other of Manhattan's finest is for the whole Seinfeldian experience of it.
It begins with the reservations process. Even if you call two weeks in advance, you will be given two choices of times at which to dine - either ridiculously early (4:45 p.m.) or absurdly late (10:15 p.m.). Who wants to eat steak at 10:15?! Having made reservations at Peter Luger's on 3 separate occasions, I can tell you that the conversation with the reservationist is always the same. No amount of cajoling could get us a better time. And, as I have learned from other foodie friends and as I have experienced first hand myself, no matter what time your reservation is, you can always expect to wait at least another half-hour to forty-five minutes upon arrival.
Now I know some of you may be thinking, you have a mouth, Epicure - why don't you complain? My friends, I must caution you now that regardless of the indignities which you must suffer - the smoke, the noise, the crowds, the LOOOONG wait - you must NOT complain. It would indicate a complete lack of understanding of the Peter Luger etiquette. Complaining is for wooses. Manly men (and manly women) do not complain, and this is a restaurant for manly men. Plus, you never know, the Peter Luger manager may pull a Soup Nazi on you - No steak for you! What a tragedy that would be.
Another quirk about the restaurant - despite the relative priciness of its steak entrees, Peter Luger's does not accept any credit cards, except its own. Yup, there is such a thing as a Peter Luger credit card, even though there are only two restaurants in the whole wide world that accept it - Peter Luger's in Brooklyn and Peter Luger's in Great Neck, Long Island. So either, you carry a couple hundred dollars of cash with you to dinner or you apply for the Peter Luger credit card, a status symbol if ever there was one. Clearly, this is not a restaurant that suffers from poor self-image.
Our Latest Peter Luger Adventure
A miracle happened last night! We walked in at our appointed reservation time, and we were actually seated immediately. I nearly fainted from the shock of it. Or perhaps I was already feeling faint due to hours of starvation. (Yes, you must starve yourself before a meal at Peter Luger's. Otherwise you risk having your stomach explode right after you finish eating.) Everything was as I remembered. The German beer hall style of decor. Well-worn wooden tables that could be cleaned with one sweep of a rag. Plain white walls lined with brass plates and colorful beer steins. A couple of hooks next to each table on which to hang your coats. Not much to be said about the appearance of the restaurant except that it is masculine, modest and intentionally rough around the edges. Women should feel perfectly comfortable provided they leave their strappy, three-inch sandals and pink Kate Spade bags at home.
Our server, an older, balding, brusque fellow, dressed in a white shirt and a black bow tie, stopped by within minutes after we were seated. No introductions were made. No pleasantries were exchanged. No extraneous words were spoken.
Server: Do you know what you want?
Mr. Epicure: Steak for three.
Server: How do you want that cooked?
Mr. Epicure: Medium rare.
Server: Creamed spinach? Hash browns?
Mr. Epicure: Just creamed spinach.
Server: Steak for three. Creamed spinach. Okay.
And that was it. Note, we did not ask for menus. That is the key to appearing like a regular, even if it is your first visit. I think the servers are always somewhat perplexed when you do ask for a menu. After all, what is there to decide? This is a steak house. You WILL eat steak. The only relevant questions are: Will it be steak for two, three or four? How should it be cooked? And what sides do you want? If you order all of their sides (sliced tomatoes and onions, creamed spinach and hash browns), you might see that rare smile on your server's face and a quick nod of approval.
We've tried all of the sides before. The tomatoes and onions are fine, but nothing special, except that the slices are humongous. They are served plain - the way you might find them at a make-your-own-hamburger bar. The tomatoes are usually fresh, but not terribly flavorful. The hash browns are good, but again nothing special. Just sauteed potato slices. I like my hash browns a little crunchier than Peter Luger's, but who cares about the hash browns anyway. Face it, everyone is here for the steak. That's the other thing: Do not even think of ordering anything but the steak! Yes, they have salmon, but to order it would make you the disgrace of your table. Think about your friends, your family! Do not bring such shame to them!
The Food Arrives!
A basket of onion rolls large enough to feed an entire village was deposited at our table along with a gravy boat containing Peter Luger's famous steak sauce. The gravy boat even had the words "Our Own Peter Luger Steak House Sauce" imprinted on it. No ego problem here. The onion rolls were tasty - soft and chewy, and covered with onion bits. We were so hungry that we started tearing into the bread even though it is far more prudent to save one's appetite for the steaks.
*A note about the steaks: Peter Luger's is one of the few steak houses in the city that serves dry-aged steaks. What is the difference between a dry-aged steak and a wet-aged steak you ask? In a word, the flavor. The dry-aging process (hanging meat in a cool, open space) tends to enhance the complex flavoring of meat to a greater degree than the wet-aging process (storing meat in a vacuum-packed, airtight pouch), but fewer restaurants choose to dry-age because it is more expensive. Dry-aging causes the meat to lose some of its moisture which results in a smaller cut of meat. Dry-aging also leads to the growth of mold, which needs to be trimmed from the meat, thereby again shrinking the amount of meat available for consumption. So if you are wondering why Peter Luger's steaks taste better than other steaks that you have ordered in the past, the difference may lie in the aging process. Now, on with our meal....
The sizzling T-bone steaks were served on one large oval platter that was placed in the center of our table. In one deft movement, our server flipped over a small bread plate and used it as a platform for the steak plate, so that the plate holding the steak was slightly tilted downward. This is so all the meat-and-butter juices can be collected at one end of the plate. You'll see why this is important later. After arranging the plate just so, our server placed two pieces of the pre-cut porterhouse on each of our individual plates. Then he carefully drizzled a spoonful of fatty meat juice on each piece of meat, flavoring it beautifully. To finish off the performance, he spooned some creamed spinach on each of our plates and voila - we were ready to go!
The first bite is always a revelation. The meat is so tender, so juicy, so aromatic! I have tried the Peter Luger special steak sauce before, but in general, I prefer to have it plain. This is steak that tastes best dripping in its own juices. I carefully dipped a piece in the pool of meat-and-butter juices simmering at one end of the plate (see, I told you there is a reason for tilting the plate) before sinking my teeth into it ever so slowly. Mr. Epicure laughed at the dainty way that I dipped my steak as if I were partaking in fondue. He then plopped his entire piece into the greasy liquid. It emerged several seconds later - a shiny, earthy, completely coated succulent piece of meat.
I eat slowly, savoring each bite, knowing I can never finish my share of the steak. I don't know why, but for some reason, I don't have a large appetite for steaks. Perhaps it's just the density of the meat that makes me feel full long before I finish my third. I try a bite of the creamed spinach, hoping to defuse the heaviness of the meat. It's good - not too salty but not too bland. What can one really say about creamed spinach, except that it brings back bittersweet memories of tortured childhood meals.
Mr. Epicure and Epicure's brother polish off the last of the steak, staring at the two naked T-bones, sitting by their lonesome on the plate.
Epicure's brother: Shouldn't there be three T-bones since we ordered steak for three?
Mr. Epicure: I don't think it works like that.
Epicure's brother: But didn't tonight's portion seem smaller than before? It definitely seemed less to me.
Mr. Epicure (wavering): Maybe. Maybe for some reason, they didn't think we could eat as much as other parties of three.
Epicure's brother: Yeah, maybe they looked at us and decided we weren't capable of finishing steak for three.
At this point, they both turned to me with accusing glances as if I was to blame for my small stature.
Epicure: Let's order dessert! Dessert. My solution for everything.
We ordered two apple strudels to share among the three of us. My brother is not a big dessert person. Otherwise we would have ordered three. The strudels consisted of a flaky phyllo pastry surrounding a chunky apple-raisin-cinnamon filling. I found the filling to be a bit cloying - too sweet after such a heavy meal, but the fresh whipped cream that was served with it - the schlag is excellent. I topped every bite of strudel with two dollops of schlag. Luckily, Peter Luger's is generous with the schlag which came in its own bowl, like a separate dessert rather than as an accompaniment to the strudel.
We barely opened our mouths to ask for the check, and our server was already there, laying it on the table. I guess they were ready to close shop, which was fine with us. I desperately needed to walk. Maybe we should walk back to Manhattan. Ha! No chance of that happening - my brother is a Californian after all. Finding a cab in Peter Luger's neighborhood turned out to be such a challenge that we ended up taking the subway back to the city. It was well past midnight by the time we arrived home. Our little pug greeted us at the door with an eager wag in his tail. We knew what he was waiting for. His big eyes lit up with joy as he watched us taking the leftover Peter Luger T-bones out of the foil bag. Yes, he is a dog after my own heart.
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: No
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations Address: 178 Broadway (Broadway and Driggs Ave.).
Telephone: 718-387-7400.
Reservations: One month in advance suggested for prime dining hours.
Cost: Steak for Three ($94.95), Creamed Spinach ($5.95), Apple Strudel ($6.95).
Attire: Casual. Nothing too cutesy.
Nearest Subway Stop: the Marcy stop on the J, M or Z line.
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Epinions.com ID:
Epicure
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 - Top 500 |
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Location: New York, NY
Reviews written: 88
Trusted by: 100 members
About Me:
I generally avoid temptation....unless I can't resist it.
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