Friday, April 11, 2008

Sparks Steakhouse

As I entered Sparks Steakhouse from the chilly New York sidewalk , I instantly noticed how loud the steakhouse was. Not that it surprised me. My host that evening, my friend, Adam Mimeles had already warned me of the dangerous chemical reaction that happens inside the steakhouse. This is the equation: Rowdy Businessmen+Beer+One of the Best Steaks in Town=A Noise That Resembles a walk off Home Run at Yankee Stadium. As I said, I was not surprised. As the professional waiters escorted us to our table, I realized we were located right next to a table of a dozen drunk businessmen just off from work. Now this just keeps getting better and better. Our steaks arrived on a piece of old china, which really made me think of the decor. This steakhouse was one of the last classic steakhouses in all of New York City, complete with wood paneling and chandeliers. However, I was surprised when the steak arrived just flat on its plate. It seemed as if the kitchen made no effort whatsoever to make the dish even look vaguely nice. That stunned me for a few seconds, because I was expecting one of New York's favorite steakhouses to put a little more effort into the dish. However, all was forgiven as the steak was exquisitely cooked. It was juicy but crispy at the same time. It was the best steak to ever enter my mouth. Then came the sides. Mushroom caps that were sauteed in oil, or may I say drowned. However, they were delicious and almost all of them were eaten. As I looked over from time to time to my host, I could see that he was enjoying his enormous steak almost as much as I. Our favorite side however, were the hash browns. We both had to fight to see who got the delicious crunchy part. Then came the dessert. Adam ordered the classic New York cheesecake, while I ordered the mango sorbet. However, the generous portions proved too much for us and we sadly gave up our desserts to our waiter. The check came and I estimated that the price tag was around $70 per person, which was a deal compared to the amazing meal we had just witnessed. As I exited the restaurant, I realized I had won one thing and lost one thing. I had won one of the best meals I have had in at least three years and I have lost partial hearing in both of my eardrums. I give Sparks Steakhouse a 9.4/10.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Be careful of the drunks and loud noise. Your hearing is too precious!!

What--no grilled chicken, steamed veggies, baked potato, fresh fruit--or chocolate.

Tell Adam he will need to take me somewhere else.

Love, Grampy

Dotblock said...

Julian, don't you know that RED MEAT is bad for you?????? Gummie,

Alison said...

Forget the food, your writing continues to amaze me. I love reading each new post.
love, Mommy

Stephane Gerson said...

What a wonderful post! Reading it, I could almost taste the steak and hear the boisterous drunk businessmen!

Love, Papa

Anonymous said...

Julian, you really make me want to go to Sparks, but WITH you and Adam! You write about it so graphically that I can picture it, hear it, and taste the food!! Where will we go to eat when I'm in NY in May?
Love, Bubby

Isabelle said...

This sounds great! I hope Adam takes me there next time I am in town!!!

Malka Drucker said...

My father used to take buyers to Sparks, Julian. He never took us girls, too rowdy, maybe. Your vivid description has given me the next best thing to eating there--without the calories!

Alison said...

THIS IS FROM ANONYMOUS:
Max has a truly wonderful palette and a wide variety of culinary interests. He will certainly be a good occasional tasting sidekick, entertaining and honest.