Peter Luger (encore)

Jusqu'a ce jour, la presence de Jonathan sur ce blog a ete plutot discrete. Ses remarques sont aussi concises que pertinentes mais certaines experiences reussissent a le faire parler. Jugez plutot...

When Estelle asked me if, during our trip to New York, I would like to go to a Steak House named "The best Steak House in New York" by the Zagat survey, I did not hesitate. I like steak and, because I often order it when we go to a restaurant, I think I know steak. I was not too concerned when she told me that the side dishes are know to be a little disappointing. After all, how hard is it to make a baked potato or some French fries? Besides, that must be some really good steak if the easy sides do not match. Well, the beginning started off well with good bread. Then came the menus. A little expensive, but this is New York, and besides this is going to be really good. No problem. I ordered the large steak and a side of fries. While I waited, I tasted the "special house sauce" that was on the table. Interestingly, it tasted like cocktail sauce for shrimp. A little bizarre, but I don’t usually use sauce on the steak. It hides the flavor of the meat. The steak and fries came out a little while later and immediately a little alarm went off in my head. The juice from the meat looked like oil. I took several slices and placed them on my plate. I put the first piece in my mouth and immediately knew that the steak had been pan-fried! Fried! In oil! A more blasphemous action, I could not imagine. Then, I reconsidered the sauce. Cocktail sauce and fried steak? Where was I? I hesitantly reached for the fries. Yup, disappointing with regard to the steak. Imagine how bad the fries have to be to be disappointing compared to fried steak. Like a soldier, I used a lot of ketchup for the fries and a lot of cocktail sauce for the "steak". I had to go to a chain steak house (Morton's) for a quality, grilled, piece of meat. Maybe New Yorkers should stick to choosing good fancy salads.

As far as I am concerned, the best steak I have ever had came from the Colonade in Bethlehem (Pennsylvania). A very surprising second was from Stone Bridge in Union Dale near Elk Mountain (Pennsylvania), followed by Sullivan's (another chain), and finally, Morton's.

Merci Jonathan ! Vivement notre prochain passage a Bethlehem...