Happy 4th of July! Love, THG

Food Goat: Review of Del Frisco’s (New York)

If you walked into Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse on Wednesday night on 6th Ave., you would think you warped back to 1999, when pets.com was a strong “buy”, we were bathing in Evian water and pissing 100 dollar bills.  Despite the recession, my favorite steakhouse was packed, without an empty table in the house.  Here are some highlights/information for a newcomer to this fine establishment:

Cut recommendation: I’ve never had a server at Del Frisco’s recommend the Prime Strip (for the steak connoisseur, there are far superior choices).  But Prime Strip is a great choice for the person who wants a leaner meat, but doesn’t want to settle for a wimpy filet mignon (which I’ve always viewed as more of a snack, than an actual meal).  For the temperature, I usually go between medium-rare and medium.  I also opt for without the bone (which sacrifices some flavor, is less manly, but makes life easier).

Sides:  The sides you order with your meal are just as important as the steak itself.  I would normally go with creamed spinach and mac and cheese with bacon, but Wednesday night they had a special that we ordered as well.  It was a sweet potato with walnuts and a caramelized exterior (all the great qualities of creme brulee and french fries combined into one food item, but in a non-disgusting way).  To be completely honest though, I felt like throwing up at one point.  Maybe it was because the sweet potato was a little too sweet, or because I was eating it too fast, or because I was switching between too many food groups too fast.  It was still a delicious side though.  No regrets on the choice.

Cost:  The amount you spend varies tremendously on how you handle the situation.  On Wednesday night, we got away with spending $80/person, which is relatively cheap (including the steak, one side per person at the table, dessert, coffee, but no bottles of wine or appetizers).  But we also spent $50/person at the bar while waiting for our table (we had reservations but had to wait about 25 minutes).  If we also ordered bottles of wine and appetizers, it would be closer to $120/person and up (not including the binge drinking at the bar).

There are other noteworthy items, i.e. their crab cake, the great atmosphere, the lemon cake.  The list goes on, but hopefully you will discover these things for yourself (there is also a Philly location @ 15th and Chestnut fyi).  Also, in the coming weeks I will be posting a ranking of my favorite steakhouses in NYC, so please look out for that.