Buttons Bursting
Pants at a Glance
- scene: Sexy red walls add a bordello type feel, with old fashioned masculine touches that keep it from being hokey; cozy and buzzy at the same time
- sip: A dirty martini at a steakhouse necessity; slightly over-priced wines available by glass and bottle
- savor: Steakhouse faves with decadent twists; garlic bread with gorgonzola fondue; truffle creamed spinach; 24 layer chocolate cake
- sit: This place is really good for just about any carnivore gathering- dates, large groups, or Guy's Night Out; seats at the bar go fast, but the environment is far from stuffy, so it could be both a special occasion place or just your go-to steak joint
- spend: $$$
- address: 13 East 12th Street (between University and 5th)
- phone number: 212-328-0000
- website: www.striphouse.com
The Strip House is charming in a way that is rare (ha ha) for a steakhouse- everything about it extremely well done (ha ha). The atmosphere is a not all boys clubby (Old Homestead), Old New York (The Palm) or trendy (STK, Marble Lane), but rather an intoxicating mix of bordello and masculinity. I can only hope that Steve Hanson maintains this authentic and original vibe when he expands the place- we don’t need the Ruby Foos of meat in our neighborhood, Mr. Hanson. Anyway, this place is sexy in its own way, and a recent visit found me surprised at another type of meat: The place is ground zero for tables upon tables of men. The redness of the place keeps the balance of the testosterone that might as well be on the menu. I have not tested this out yet, but I feel that a girl or two eating at the bar would definitely have some options, but not in the desperate cougar way like STK. Both a destination and a neighborhood spot, the Strip House is a delicious gem…
Steakhouse fare is best when simple, and caloric. Strip House’s answer to the Lettuce Wedge (steakhouse classic) is a bibb lettuce salad with radishes, carrots, bacon chunks and a stilton dressing. It needed a little extra zip, but it was fine. The shrimp and seafood plateaus are beautiful, and of course garlic bread with cheesey fondue is a no-brainer, as is a bacon appetizer. Our steaks had a great, crunchy char on the outside, and were cooked to perfection, every time. Steakhouse pricing always confuses me slightly, but for two girls, sharing the 16 oz strip was a great way to not bust our wallets or our belts. As tasty as the meat is, it is merely a back-up band for the shining stars of steakhouses: the sides. I am probably not telling you anything new by extolling the virtues of the truffle cream spinach, but the texture and taste are as close to heaven as green gobs of vegetables can be. One night we caught a black truffle mac and cheese special, that was so ridiculous, all charred crunchy top and gooey truffley noodley inside. The goose fat fries and whipped potatoes are solid carb options.
For dessert you need the chocolate cake, hands down, no questions. I dream of doing a side by side comparison of this cake and the chocolate cake from the Palm, but I can’t imagine how I would ever choose the winner. My last note about Strip House was that on our last visit there was a large number of groups of 3 people…both at the bar and at tables, so I guess it is a threesome friendly place…in case you need to know that…
