Hillstone

While Peter was visiting Boston recently, I had a chance to take him to visit one of my favorite—Houston’s. However when we arrived we noticed that it was no longer called Houston’s. We were informed by the staff that the name of the restaurant had been changed from Houston’s to Hillstone. Apparently Houston’s is owned by a parent company caleld Hillstone and few of the Houstons (in Boston, LA and NYC) were renamed to Hillstone. I’m not sure I get it, but I guess the new name is close enough to the old one.

I’d like to take you guys back a few years and tell you one of the reasons why I love this place so much. If you rememeber, a few podcasts back we were talking about service and how important it is to the dining experience. Well on my first visit to Houston’s they were given a chance to show me what they were made of and they did right by me and now I am a fan forever.

Let me tell you just how it happened. It was February 15th, 1993 (yes, I remember the date), my family went to Houston’s for lunch. Houston’s was the first steakhouse I had ever been to here in the U.S. My dad had told me all about the place and in particular the steak that they have called the “Hawaiian Steak”, so I had been looking forward to trying it. He hyped it up so much that my whole family ended up wanting to order the Hawaiian Steak. We were so disappointed when the server told us they were all out because it was Valentine’s day the day before. He must have seen the disappointment on our faces because he went back and told the manager about it. The manager came over to the table and apologized to all of us which I thought was a very nice thing to do. However, the story doesn’t end there, after we finished eating, the manager came out to tell us that the because we could not have what we originally ordred, the bill was on the house. How’s that for a great first impression, right? Well it just keeps going, not only did he comp our meals, he also handed us a card that allowed all of us to come back for Hawaiian Steaks on them. Let me tell you, after that day, I was so impressed with them that I have been telling everyone about my experience at Houston’s and whenever there are some problems when I dine at Houston’s, I just can’t seem to be angry at them.

Now fast forward to present, we went in to Hillstone for lunch. I seriously thought about ordering the Hawaiian Steak but opted for sandwich instead. In fact we all ordered sandwiches. I went with the FAMOUS FRENCH DIP AU JUS, Peter ordered a BBQ Hickory Burger, and Glenn ordered a chicken sandwich. All of them were amazing especially the French Dip, a generous helping of delicious prime rib and a crazy amount of au jus for dipping. I mean seriously it came out in a coffee cup! Not that the sandwich needed any au jus, the prime rib was just spectacular.

If you haven’t try Hillstone before, do give them a try. Most of the stuff they have are awesome. They even have sushi for those who doesn’t feel like having meat. To me the name may have changed, but they are still one of the best steakhouses in my mind.

Review: Peter Luger Steak House

I’m a big meat eater. I’ve made no claims to the contrary. In my family, when we need to celebrate something major we end up at one of two types of restaurant, an Italian place, or a steakhouse.

My anniversary falls into that “major celebration” category and for the past four years, we’ve been making a habit out of visiting expensive, fancy steakhouses. We started out at a Ruth’s Chris, next we tried Morton’s and last year we visited the Old Homestead at the Borgata. The Old Homestead is a second (or third) location for one of the oldest steakhouses in New York City and while doing some research on the Old Homestead I came across another very old steakhouse in NYC—Peter Luger’s.

I had decided that I would at some point have to try each of these restaurants as they both have been open since the late 1800s and they have both been written up as the “best” steakhouse in New York City. This anniversary, our great steakhouse tradition continued when I was surprised with a lovely weekend in New York City complete with a reservation to Peter Luger’s.

The reservation was made more than three months in advance and were still only able to get the last seating of the night, 10:45PM. This of course meant that I had a chance to eat three complete meals during the day topped off with a HUGE steak dinner when I should be getting ready for bed. A tough task to be sure, but one I was happy to undertake on behalf of you our dear reader (ha ha ha!). We were staying in the Lennox Hill area of Manhattan not far from Grand Central Station, which is quite a ways away from Peter Luger’s original location in Brooklyn. Of course, my incessant worrying about being late meant we left more than an hour before the reservation, but it was a long trip that included crossing the Williamsburg Bridge into what turned out to be not such a great neighborhood.

Walking up the street toward Peter Luger’s we immediately noticed a large billboard painted on the side of building advertising the restaurant. The building stands out among the others in the neighborhood and makes one wonder what the area looked like in 1887 when the restaurant first opened. We walked into the restaurant and gave our name to a very unfriendly maitre d’ and were told to wait near the bar. As I looked around the beirgarten decor was inauthentic and not at all what I expected from a restaurant in this price range. Speaking of the price range, Peter’s Luger accepts cash only unless you happen to have a “Peter Luger Credit Card.” I spent most of the wait worrying about whether the $400 in my pocket was going to cover the bill or not. I tried to take a photo of the very plain bar when I was told by the bartender and the maitre d’ that NO PHOTOS were allowed. I’m not sure if they were joking but putting all of this together with the ZAGAT review (which clearly and repeatedly over the years mentioned the rude and aggressive waitstaff) made me put my camera phone back in my pocket in a hurry. We waited nervously in the bar area not knowing what to expect but being pretty worried that not only did not I have enough money in my pocket, but also that I was going to have to tell off a waiter or two.

The very gruff maitre d’ called us back to our table and sat us in the far corner of one of the dining rooms and our waiter came right over. He immediately asked us if it was our first time at Peter Luger’s, to which we answered “Yes” and the whole experience became a lot more relaxed. The menu was also seriously surprising. It was not very big at all. In fact your choices of steaks were really limited. There was the steak for two, the steak for three, the steak for four and the single steak. They also had a rib steak and some lamb chops, but that was pretty much it. Now the “steak” at Peter Lugers is a dry-aged (onsite) poterhouse steak. The size is the only thing that changes. There were also some appetizers, veggies and desserts.

The waiter suggested “the usual,” which was the steak for two, creamed spinach and the Luger’s Special German Fried Potatoes. We ordered drinks, perused the menu and dove into the bread basket. There was a selection of breads but the one that caught my eye was a roll with salt and rye seeds on top. It was amazing. For dinner we decided to start with a slice each of the Luger’s Extra Thick Bacon, followed by the Steak for Two, some broccoli and some french fried potatoes. We gave the waiter our order and sat back to take in the atmosphere.

Now, Peter Luger’s is not the normal upscale steak house that I’ve become accustomed to. It was a very laid back place that really felt more like something out of the Sopranos. There were lots of drunk patrons, lots of loud patrons and several rude waiters floating around arguing with said patrons. Ordinarily, this would have really irked me, but for some reason it was all just part of the place’s charm. Seriously. We listened to the man behind us in a mixture of English and Italian tell his daughter off, we watched as four buddies got drunker and drunker and bragged about their recent “conquests” and we listened to a happy couple talk about it being their anniversary also.

But enough about the place… on to the food. The bacon came up first as an appetizer. Everything I read and all the shows I saw about Peter Luger’s mentioned their bacon appetizer. It was not so much “bacon” as it was a narrow ham slice, super thick, sizzling and truly delicious.

As soon as I took the last bite the waiter showed up with our steak and sides. However, I don’t think they were “our” steak and sides because while the waiter brought us the steak for two… he also brought us creamed spinach and the Luger Special potatoes, neither of which we ordered. I mentioned to him that I ordered broccoli to which he replied “eh…you’re gonna like this better” and began to serve us. The steak was huge. It came out on a big oval plate and was pre-sliced. The waiter set the plate down and propped one end up on the backside of a saucer so that all of the juices ran down to one end of the plate. He then used two spoons to create makeshift tongs, served us each the steak, spooned a generous amount of juice over it and told us to enjoy our meal. He came back a few moments later and apologized that while he did put in for the sides we ordered, he picked up “the usual” sides instead. He offered to also bring over the sides we ordered for free, but we turned him down because we did in fact like the usual sides more, as he suggested.

The steak was very good. Being dry aged, it had a very distinct flavor and was cooked exactly as ordered. The fact it was prepared and served so simply was exquisite. The sides were also very good. I really enjoyed the Luger Special Potatoes, which were very close to hash browns, but seasoned very well and quite tasty. I have to also say that the steak for two really was a steak for two. It was just the right amount of food for us. We were neither stuffed nor hungry.

I really didn’t need dessert, but that didn’t stop us from ordering a slice of cheesecake which was accompanied by an obscene amount of fresh whipped cream. The cheesecake was New York style (naturally), very creamy and just what the doctor ordered. As much as I enjoyed the cheesecake, I loved the whipped cream more… it was out of this world.

So. the question before me is “Did Peter Luger live up to the hype?” I would say yes and no. Was the food great? You better believe it was. Some of the best I’ve ever had. Was it the best steakhouse I’ve ever eaten in? Not really, no. Was the waitstaff rude? Some of the staff were rude, but some, like our waiter weren’t. Was it expensive? Peter Luger’s was nowhere near the most expensive steakhouse in which I have eaten. I actually think it was pretty reasonable for what you got. The one last thing I want to note about Peter Luger’s was the efficiency of it all. I know they have many, many patrons every night and in order to make sure they can seat them all, they have to keep things moving. Having a small menu helps, but our whole dining experience took about 30 minutes from drinks to check. We never really waited for anything and it was just amazing. Definitely worth a visit, not just for the “atmosphere” and history, but for a good steak and the experience of it all. 4 pans.

Peter Luger Steakhouse
178 Broadway
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11211
718-387-7400
http://www.peterluger.com

Review: Seven Stars

Last week was my partner’s birthday. We decided instead of making a big deal out of it that we would just head out for a nice dinner. I decided to use his birthday as an excuse to check out a very well known, old restaurant in our area called “The Seven Stars Inn”. The history of the Inn dates back to 1736, when the then owner of the land petitioned “His Majesty’s Justices” for the right to conduct a public house (inn) to house travelers from Philadelphia out to the Old Iron Works. The Inn was named “The Seven Stars” two hundred years ago in 1809.

Many people have recommended the Seven Stars to us. A steakhouse in Chester County, it’s a very old school place. Quiet, intimate dining rooms, with tables decked out in white linens it was very upscale, if not a little dated. I have to apologize in advance for the photos as the dining room was very, very dark. I did my best to clean them up, but they are what they are.

We walked in and were led thru the bar and lounge into a small, empty dining room. The decor was not my taste (It was very “country”), but the atmosphere was extraordinary.

Our waitress was one of the most enjoyable part of the meal. She was just our waitress. Not waiting on loads of customers, she spent lots of time speaking to us, and it was lovely. She noticed me taking photos and asked me just why I was doing so, I told her I was writing a review for my food blog and she offered to bring us samples of some things to try, even tho we didn’t order them. That was a nice touch.

The menu was very much what I’d expect from a steak house but I was overwhelmed by the size of the entrees. We started off with soup. I had the clam chowder, he had the crab bisque. The clam chowder was just right. Sometimes clam chowder can be kind of “sandy” and I don’t really like when the potatoes are super huge, and this chowder had neither of those problems. The bisque was also much better than I had anticipated. Super creamy and full of crab it was delicious. Our waitress was also nice enough to bring us a sample of the snapper soup as well. It was unlike any other snapper soups I’ve had. Thick and flavorful, it was almost more like a stew than a soup. There was a very strong flavor of nutmeg in it. It was the best snapper soup I ever had.

For our main courses, we chose two classics on their menu. My partner chose the “Seven Star’s” specialty… the 40oz Prime Rib. I went with the King’s Cut of Filet Mignon. An equally huge 20oz filet and I ordred it “oscar style”. I’ve eaten large cuts of meat before in other steakhouses, and in those places everything other than the meat is usually a la carte, but at the Seven Stars.. it wasn’t. Each entree came with a salad, bread, and two side dishes. This yielded entire too much food for both of us. The prime rib was as humongous as it was delicious. I had no idea just how big 40oz of prime rib, served on the bone would be but as you can see below… it’s huge!

My filet in my mind was even more ridiculous than the prime rib. When my plate arrived I could not believe how piled with food it was. The steak, since I ordered it “Oscar Style” was accompanied an enormous amount of lump crab, a huge handfull of asparagus and a lovely hollandaise . Add to that the fresh cut and fried onion rings, the baked potato and broccoli! There was hardly any room on the table! My steak was cooked perfectly and the crab meat was amazing. The hollandaise was great and the onion rings were the best I’d ever eaten!

Even tho I had an enormous amount of food left on my plate, we decided on coffee and dessert… why not right? I ordred the Molten Chocolate Lava Cake. A lovely devil’s food cake with hot chocolate truffle filling inside. It was amazingly delicious. I had it served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, which we were immediately able to identify as “Turkey HIll” brand. Turkey Hill is a local dairy that makes fantastic ice cream and it was nice to see them give the nod to a local place.

In short, the Seven Stars Inn is amazing. Not the best decorated place, but a great atmosphere, fabulous wait staff and unbelievably large portions and just outstanding food make this place a must visit in my book. 5 pans!

The Seven Stars Inn
Rte 23 & Hoffecker Road
Phoenixville, PA 19460
610.495.5205
http://www.sevenstarsinn.com

Review: Chima Brazilian Steakhouse

The week before Christmas is always a busy one in my family, not only do we have to prepare for a huge feast on both Christmas and Christmas Eve, but it’s also my father’s birthday. Having a birthday in the middle of the summer, I never really have to worry about my birthday being combined with another holiday. My father however having to celebrate his birthday just a few days before Christmas is used to getting combo gifts and often not having a party. Ever since I was old enough to do something about it, I’ve always tried to make sure that he gets a major gift, never one combined and that we always take him out for dinner to make a big deal out of it. This year I wanted to take him to a new place that I had not been but had heard tremendous things about… Chima Brazilian Steakhouse.

Chima, is a sort of upscale Brazilian Steakhouse located in the Center City are of Philadelphia. It is a “chain” of sorts… there are 4 other locations on the East Coast in Florida, North Carolina and Virginia. I have decided that one of my new years resolutions is to head out to the city more often, no easy feat considering how far I live from Philadelphia, but I’m going to make an effort and tonights was worth it. We arrived a little late for our reservation (damn traffic!) and the hostess was very understanding and accommodating, definitely a good start to the evening. The lobby area was warm and inviting and decorated very modernly and as we were walked to the table, I was more than overwhelmed at the buffet table.

Now for those of you who may not have heard of a “Brazilian Steakhouse”, permit me to explain as I had never heard of one before. It’s basically an all you can eat buffet of meat. Seriously there are so many kinds of meat you might not even believe it. Now, I know you’re thinking “Okay… so it’s a buffet…” but what makes the Brazilian Steakhouse experience a little different is that waiters dressed as gauchos bring you the meat on giant skewers and slice it for you on your table. The premise is simple, they give you a plate, a pair of tongs and a card that has “Yes” on one side and “No” on the other.

When you are ready and you flip the marker to the “Yes” side, waiters come from every angle offering you amazing cuts of meat, Leg of Lamb, Sirloin, Ribeye, Filet Mignon, Swordfish… I mean the choices are endless.

One of the things that I thought was nice was that amazingly each piece of meat had just about all the temperatures you could ask for. You want it medium, the waiter flips the skewer, cuts the meat you grab it with your tongs and away he goes, while another waiter is right there to offer you another succulent cut of meat! This will continue non-stop until you flip the marker to “No” at which point they will give you a chance to catch up! I tasted just about everything and while I was too embarrassed to take a photo of them slicing the meat, here are two shots of my plate at two different periods during the meal…

Along with the meat, there are three side dishes served. Unlimited amounts of fried bananas, polenta and super creamy mashed potatoes are offered, and there is a huge buffet table with many kinds of salad from Caesar to Waldorf, Tomato and Mozzarella to Potato Chicken Salad and melon and prosciutto, smoked salmon and fresh asparagus as well.

The food was outstanding. There were three choices of meal, the full buffet with all meats, the full buffet with just fish (swordfish and salmon) and just the buffet with no meat. We ate until we were stuffed and then were extremely tempted and finally gave in to their desert menu. We ordered coffee and three deserts to share among the table. First up was a very tasty Key Lime Pie. Nothing to write home about, but certainly nothing to complain about. Next was the Apple Strudel. I was not fond of the crust as it almost too flaky outside and too tough inside. Last but certainly not least was the unbelievable cheesecake. New York Style, extra thick and covered in honest too goodness icing. It was so delicious I was beside my self.

All in all, the meal was spectacular. The decor was elegant and cozy, the food was plentiful and perfectly prepared, the desert was to die for and the company was sublime. I seriously can not wait to go back. With that said, be prepared… all this food and drink did not come cheap but I have spent far more on a meal for two than I did for four. I rate it 5 pans and I recommend to anyone who loves meat and is near a Chima, or near any Brazilian steakhouse to go and give it a try.

Chima Brazilian Steakhouse
1901 John F Kennedy Blvd
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103
215-525-3233
http://www.chima.cc