Fancy a Genuine New York Steak? Try Smith and Wollensky

I am a man. I can parallel park a manual car. I can unscrew a stuck jam jar lid with the minimum fuss and bother, and I can quickly come to the aid of any woman by disposing of any spiders in the house with the bare minimum of fuss and drama.

I have to shave twice a day unless I want to resemble a cave dweller, and once, during the war in Afghanistan, I had to kill a man using only my bare gun. So, it’s safe to say, I do like a good steakhouse.

Ideally, I would serve steak so rare that I could put my ear to it and hear the meat still gently mooing.

Smith and Wollensky

A good friend of mine is a bit of a fan of all things American and was very jealous when I told him about our upcoming NYC Break. Naturally, I was looking for recommendations for the best restaurant in New York.

So when he told me that Smith and Wollensky is the best steakhouse he’d ever been to, this restaurant immediately went to the top of my “Things to do in New York” list – pushing aside the other boring contenders for my time like seeing the Statue of Liberty (“Can I eat that? No? Not interested“).

Luckily for me, my son, a.k.a. “The Boy”, is also a fan of steaks, so it was with some excitement that we set off on a warm New York City afternoon to 49th and 3rd to find this hallowed steakhouse that has served hungry New Yorkers steak since 1977.

I had visions that Mr Smith and Mr Wollensky were some sort of steakhouse experts, but it turns out that the names were randomly selected from a New York Phone Book!

Booking a Table at Smith and Wollensky

Although we had not booked ahead, it was early (they open at 5 pm), and we were found a table for two with the minimum of fuss and sat down to study the menu. If you want to book ahead to guarantee a table, you can do so through the OpenTable website.

The staff were attentive and kind to my son (his first experience in a NYC steakhouse!), and it may have been the New York atmosphere, or perhaps the large number of gentlemen in finely tailored Italian suits who were also dining, but I had the overriding sense that I was in some sort of Sopranos-style hangout.

It certainly made the evening more interesting, and I made a mental note to make myself a small target if any man carrying violin cases walked in.

The interior is cosy and busy and obviously popular with everyone from locals to tourists trying not only the steaks but also the seafood which seemed really popular.

The Smith and Wollensky Menu

The menu is exactly as you would expect.

As their website states, “USDA Prime, dry aged steaks are the cornerstone of our menu, but the menu is varied and offers many options beyond the signature exemplary steaks.  Guests can also select from a variety of market-fresh seafood, poultry, and lamb.  Delicious side dishes complete the Smith & Wollensky meal, such as creamed spinach, hashed browns, and seasonal vegetables.  The irresistible dessert selection ends the meal on a memorable note with a variety of decadent, housemade cakes, sorbets, and ice creams.”

My eyes were immediately drawn to the sirloin ($64), and The Boy agreed this would be great. Despite the myth, the sirloin cut isn’t named for the time that a King of England knighted his steak “Sir Loin”.

Rather, the word sirloin derives from the Middle English surloine, itself derived from the Old French word surloigne (variant of surlonge), that is, sur for ‘above’ and longe for ‘loin’. There you go, that’s a thing you now know.

The Boy also wanted to try a lobster tail ($48)! This came out pretty quickly, served on top of the shell with a choice of garlic butter or lemon as an accompaniment.

Our steaks were soon dished up, along with a massively generous serving of whipped mashed potatoes and, for the sake of The Boy’s health, a huge side of broccoli ($10 each). I also went for some delicious creamed spinach ($17) because I love it.

One serving between the two of us was more than enough – American portions are nothing if not generous!

As an amateur connoisseur of all things meat, I took some time to observe the steaming, tasty-smelling meal placed gently in front of me. My mother always says, “The first bite is with the eye,” and if this was true, I was already halfway full.

The sirloin was hanging gently over the sides of the plate, and I gently pressed my fork into the tender, delicious meat as I lowered my head level with the plate. I could have sworn I heard a gentle “Mooo“. Perfect.

The sharp steak knife cut the meat like butter, and as soon as the first forkful of steak hit my tastebuds, I am sure I underwent a physical reaction similar to a drug addict experiencing his first hit of the day.

My pupils dilated. I gasped for breath. Saliva production increased, and I was overwhelmed with taste. In a millisecond, the next forkful was in my mouth, and I was in man-steak heaven.

“Is it good, Dad?” inquired The Boy.

I didn’t reply, I was much too busy slicing and eating steak, so he had to make do with me simply giving him the thumbs up while I made eating noises. It was bliss.

Then, after about ten minutes of eating, something strange happened. There was still a delicious Smith and Wollensky steak in front of me, but I couldn’t eat it.

Either the steak, the universe, or my stomach was broken in some way. It would appear that the generous American portions had beaten my skinny British frame, and it was with some sorrow that I had to admit I was beaten, stuffed to the brim with delicious steak, immaculately made mashed potato, and delicious creamed spinach.

The Boy was similarly overfilled!

Service and Smith and Wollensky

I’ve got to say, the servers at Smith and Wollensky are really excellent. I explained to our waiter that it was my son’s first time in a restaurant in New York and his first time in a steakhouse, so of course, they made it their mission to make sure he was well looked after and fussed over accordingly.

The bill, when it came, was not outrageous, and the staff seemed to understand that we had become temporarily disabled through a steak overdose. That said, they kindly gave my son a complimentary ice cream cone to nibble on the way home!

Rolling like a barrel out of the door into the exciting New York night, I left with a sense that Smith and Wollensky do a terrific steak and really know their stuff.

The only negative point I could think of is that the steak was so delicious – and I was so stuffed – that if my man skills had been needed that night (to rescue a baby from a house fire, fight off a mugger, put up a shelf) I would have been unable to perform due to my constant rubbing of my stomach and saying “Mmmmmm” a lot.

Rating of Smith and Wollensky

I can’t bring myself to say this place is rated as “Excellent” (although the service certainly was) as I only had the steak and lobster and didn’t sample any starters or the deserts but I look forward to returning next time I am in New York City.

Perhaps eating less tasty steak and sampling more of the menu, to see if the complete experience is as good as the steak itself.

Give it a go.

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