The Best Steak I've Ever Had

If you're a Manhattanite who loves steak and you haven't yet made the (very short) trek to Williamsberg for a piece of Peter Luger beef, do yourself a favor and pick up your phone right now, call (718) 387-7400 and make a reservation. I'd say you should just go there now, but let's be honest. You and I both know there's no way you'd get a table. Your best bet is to put up with the less-than friendly receptionist, pick a date at least a month in advance (unless you don't mind going on a Monday night at 5pm) and make the reservation that will change your life.

There are few foods I love more than a good steak. Over the years, I've gone from ordering them medium well (the horror!) to a super bloody rare. I'd bet my mother is gagging while reading this, but she raised a serious carnivore. I've found my favorite steaks in Manhattan (Del Friscos, Old Homestead & Wolfgang's), but have been told by many people that I haven't tried a steak until I've been to Peter Luger.

About a month ago, I made the plunge. I called at the beginning of November and asked about availability for every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night in the month of December. The receptionist said, "I have 8pm on December 24th, do you want that?" I didn't. I'll be home for Christmas Eve, and I knew I better be ready to settle for a non-weekend night reservation. By the time it was said and done, I had made an 8:45pm reservation for Monday, December 13th. I started counting down the days.

Patrick and I decided this meal would be what we gave each other for the holidays, and both became very excited about it. As we got closer to the date, we realized it was the same night that his beloved Ravens were playing Monday Night Football, and I asked him if he wanted to move the reservation. Because he's awesome and knew how long it took to get the reservation, he declined, and I hoped more than ever that this would be the best meal of our lives.We took the M-train to Brooklyn and emerged from the subway into the snowy evening. A quick 3-block walk, and we were there. We walked into the brightly-lit restaurant and gave our name to claim our reservation. They told us it would be a few minutes, and it truly was. Before we could order a drink at the bar, our table was ready. My heart was literally beating in foodie anticipation.

We were seated at a lovely corner table and started to take in the menu. We ordered cocktails and decided on one piece of Luger's Sizzling Bacon and the Sliced Tomato with Luger's own sauce. The bacon tasted like heaven. Smoky and juicy with just the right amount of crisp on top. The tomatoes were enormous, bright red and delicious, especially when we dunked them in the sauce and covered them in salt and pepper. These fabulous appetizers had us very excited for the main course. Our dinner order consisted of the Steak for Two, the Onion Rings for Two and the Creamed Spinach for Two. Then we sat, and we waited. Other steaks came out, and we looked at them longingly, but we were patient, and then Patrick saw a waiter point at our table with a giant plate of steak in his hand. It was time.

When he put the plate down on our table, we were silent for a few moments. It was the most incredible steak I'd ever seen in my life. It was drenched in a mysterious yellow liquid (obviously butter, but I think my brain ignored this fact so I could enjoy it more[for those who don't know, I'm quite allergic to butter]) and a beautiful shade of bloody red. The waiter placed a piece on each of our plates, and we began to eat.

Between grunts and other sounds of approval, all we could talk about was how delicious the steak was. Don't get me wrong, the onion rings and creamed spinach were both incredibly good, but the steak was transcendent. It was not only the best steak I'd ever had, it was pretty much the best meal I'd ever had. We quickly ordered ourselves a bottle of red wine and went to town on the behemoth piece of meat.

With a few pieces left, we were both so full that we almost couldn't speak. But waste a single bite of this steak? NO WAY! I kept going. Patrick threw in the towel, but I didn't back down. I finished every last piece, and then started working on the precious meat left on the bone. Don't judge me until you've tried this steak.

When the waiter came back to ask if we wanted dessert, I think the looks on our faces was all he needed to know that the answer was a big, fat "No!" We sat in silence as we slipped into food comas, and waited for the check. I couldn't stop smiling, even though my stomach was killing me (both from fullness, and that blasted butter) but I didn't care. We paid, exchanged a quick "Happy Holidays!" to each other, and set back out into the night.

You better believe we took a cab home.

Let's Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie