Frankie & Johnnie's
Photo: Cititour.com
Contact Info:
Address: 32 West 37th Street
City: New York, NY
Zip: 10018
map: View the Map
Phone: (212) 947-8940
Website: http://www.frankieandjohnnies.com/
Food Info:
Menu: View the Menu
Cuisine:
Steakhouses
Payment:
Amex Visa Mastercard Discover
Cititour Review:
I am not usually one to play favorites -- just ask my friends -- but I do admit to having a favorite steak in New York. It's the sirloin at Frankie & Johnnie's, which is the most flavorful, perfectly cooked piece of meat I know. I also confess to having another "favorite." I prefer Frankie & Johnnie's West 37th Street location, now just a few years old, to the timeless original on West 45th Street. This elegant bi-level eatery, with its cushy banquettes and gracious, friendly servers, seems to me the ideal setting for this first-rate food. While very much an old-fashioned steakhouse in some respects, Frankie & Johnnie's is also a 21st century kind of place. Here, you can start the meal with an excellent tuna tartare made kicky by pieces of red onion, or its signature crab cakes, two enormous lumps of crustacean that use hash browns as their crust. Just delicious! Somewhat more traditional is the house's delicious homemade mozzarella and tomato salad. If sirloin isn't your favorite cut, you'll be equally enamored of the filet mignon, T-bone or rib-eye, all of which come exactly as you request them. (So don't say rare unless you mean it!). Should you decide to eschew a steak rather than chew one, the truly gigantic lamb chops -- like nothing you've ever seen -- are a great alternative. Among the many side dishes, all large enough to feed two to four diners, I'm partial to the oversized yet fluffy potato pancakes and the pleasant (if slightly underspiced) creamed spinach. To leave room for dessert here is truly a challenge -- and one you might decide to leave unmet. But if you're up to it, the key lime pie, topped with a generous layer of whipped cream, will certainly satisfy your sweet tooth. The lemon sorbet -- served inside a frozen lemon -- is also nicely refreshing, especially in the summer heat.
Review By: Brian Scott Lipton
Location: