I'm not really a steak person. Whenever I go to a Del Frisco's, Strip House or Wolfgang's, I always seem to order either a sirloin steak or filet mignon, cooked medium, usually with a nice char around the meat for the sirloin, and it all seems to taste the same. Granted, it's tasty and I totally appreciate that, but it's not like that piece of steak is the most fabulous, amazing thing I've ever had in my life. For the price I'm paying for that steak ($40+ at least!), you would think that you deserved a little piece of heaven on a plate, but I just never felt that way about the steaks I've had. In fact, I might even say that I found the sides more memorable--have you ever had the incredible and decadent crisp goose fat potatoes at Strip House? Now talk about heaven on a plate!!
But I think I now know why I've had a lukewarm reception to steak. I just haven't had the right cut. And now I know what my meat soulmate is--hanger steak. Yes, that humble, a bit stringy meat that resembles fajita meat. It's definitely cheaper than all the other strip steak, prime ribs, rib eye and other cuts on the menu at any restaurant. I'm not sure why, it's much more flavorful than the lean but bland filet mignon, but not too rich and fatty-tasting like the rib eye. And it's very tender too, the knife cuts right through it and if you melt some butter over it and eat it pure without any sauce, it's literally the most fantastic thing ever. I hope the restaurants never catch on that there might be more hanger steak fanatics out there, I'm definitely a convert and would be heartbroken if the best bang-for-your buck steak item suddenly doubles in price when management discovers this pricing inefficiency.
I've been to BLT Prime several times to satiate out-of-town guests who want to experience the extravagance of the NY steakhouse experience. Where else can you walk into a restaurant and see meats aged for 2-3 weeks on display in a glass room?? (Vegetarians should avert their eyes).
I've tried the filet, strip, rib eye and hanger, and the hanger knocked all of them out of the park. Of course, if you want more of the masculine, meaty steak experience, where the steaks are a little dryer than the hanger and get more of their flavor from marbled, juicy fats and delicious sauces, then the strip and rib eye are definitely for you. If you're watching your figure, I guess the filet is a great choice, but it's not a very soulful or memorable piece you're going to be chewing on.
I would say the sides here are very good, but they aren't decadently good in the way that Strip House's goosefat potatoes are. The leek hash browns had a nice golden crust on the outside, just how like a good hash brown should! I tried the baked potato skins, which were slathered in cheddar and bacon and was a little too salty and rich for my tastes. The seasonal creamed corn and truffles weren't my thing either, I think I like the lowest common denominator creamed corn that resembles the buttery stuff out of a can, so I probably couldn't appreciate Toroundel's delicate and more subtle creamed corn, but oh well, that's how I feel about it. The creamed spinach was also pretty good, but again, Strip House and even Wolfgang's was probably a teeny better.
Dessert is pretty awesome for a steak house. BLT Prime offers more than just the proverbial chocolate cake and ice cream. The strawberry sundae is a superb concoction of ice cream and delicious nuggets of short cake in a tall cup. We also had the seasonal specials of delicious huckleberry crumble and panna cotta and peach melba and ice cream, both of which made good use of glorious, seasonal fruits and creamy, lucious complements.
What didn't I like about BLT Prime? For starters, the staff can get a little aggressive in pushing all these other menu items on you so that you'll rack up a higher bill. They're pretty obvious about it, maybe it was just coincidence that several waiters used this approach, but it was slightly annoying. And food comes out really fast, and the waiters pounce on you to clean up your plates quickly too, even on a slow day where the table turnover isn't especially high. And the clientele isn't too diverse, it's made up of business types mostly, along with couples and some families. But with such glorious hanger steaks and crisp, warm popovers up its sleeve, BLT Prime can get by with these kinks in its otherwise magnificent steak machine.
(Pictures courtesy of nytimes.com, flickr.com, and nyjournal.squarespace.com)
BLT Prime
111 E. 22nd St. (Park Avenue and Lexington)
Rating (out of 5 stars):***** for the hanger steak, ***1/2 for other steaks and sides
Style: High End Casual American
Prices: $26 for the fabulous hanger steak, $40+ for other cuts; sides are $8-$9; desserts are $10; appetizers range from $10-$27
Summary: BLT serves steaks in their prime, especially if it's a hanger steak! Their steaks are a cut above the rest.
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