Strip House

Contrary to popular belief, I am not a full time food blogger. I spend most of my days studying the law, locked away in a small room with ten pounds of books nobody should ever be subjected to. Being a student, my access to restaurants in New York City is often limited by the exorbitant price of the city's top eateries. However, once in a blue moon, be it special occasion or momentary periods of being a "baller", I gain access to these high priced restaurants. This week, I ate at Strip House. 

Strip House is a men's club. It exists somewhere between a steakhouse and a bordello, lights dimmed blood red and its walls covered with pin ups and celebrities from the early part of the 20th century. Its the sort of place where the well off talk business over cigars, scotch, and steak. Much like the rest of the New York City steakhouses, it aims to convey a certain nostalgia, however here its not one of charm and a simpler time. Rather it conveys pure sin and vice. Its the perfect place to grab hold of a hefty knife and rip into some juicy beef. 

The main attraction is obviously the steak. Unless you are dining alone, there is no reason not to get the "table side carving for two". We got it for three, and it was more than enough steak, not to mention the bounty of sides we ordered. You have the choice of a Porterhouse or a Chateaubriand. The Porterhouse is the mac daddy of steaks. On one side of the bone is a filet mignon, or the tenderloin. On the other side is the strip, a less tender, but arguably tastier cut. The steak is dry aged, perfectly charred on the outside, and cooked to your liking. Its served up with their own steak sauce. I am not an A1 kind of person, and I generally do not like "steak sauce". Yet, this steak sauce is not to be missed. Its tangy, spicy, and a perfect compliment to the meat. In short, the steak was good, but I've had tons better, and its surely not a foodgasm. 

For me, steakhouses are all about the sides. We ordered three of them. First, Goose Fat Fried Potatoes. This was a knockout punch. The waiter informed our table that this dish is consistently voted the best side in New York. I dont know about that, but it was outrageous for sure. Imagine a perfectly rich and buttery mound of mashed potatoes, dropped into a deep fryer full of savory goose fat. This dish may have taken some years off my life, but I was glad to make the exchange. 

Next, Black Truffle Creamed Spinach. Creamed spinach is a must at a steakhouse. It would be like going to McDonalds and not getting fries. The creamed spinach at Strip House was good, but it wasn't great. The hint of black truffle was an interesting note, but the spinach was just didn't really do it for me. 

Last, and least, was the Sautéed Wild Mushrooms. There isn't much good or bad I can say about this dish. It was simply some wild mushrooms, presumably sauteed with some garlic and butter. Tasty? Yes. A complex and original work of art? Not even close, but hey, its a steakhouse, so I wasn't exactly expecting molecular gastronomy. 

When I am privileged to enter the world of restaurants I can't afford, I want to be enlightened. I want to experience something unique, or interesting, or overwhelmingly delicious. Sadly, this was not my experience at Strip House. Don't get me wrong folks, it was great, especially those potatoes, but all in all, it fell a little flat. 

Until next time, stay hungry. 

Jon 

Report Card:

Food: B

Atmosphere: B+

Service: A-

Price: B- (its expensive, but not in comparison to like restaurants) 

Overall: B