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“Parlor Steakhouse”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Night Out	New American	Upper East Side	Moderate	Good

I don’t know many people who don’t like steakhouses. Well, actually my brother and my brother-in-law (who are vegetarian and vegan, respectively) are two people who don’t, but for anyone who does not shun beef, what’s not to love? In general (especially in this town), you’ll find pretty decent cuts of meat (often sourced from high-end farms that rival Canyon Ranch, aside from the obvious no exit situation), cooked well, matched up with crowd-pleasing (albeit calorie-loaded) sides. Classic starters like raw bar, crab cakes, wedge salads, are just as easy to enjoy. Even if these meals are not as memorable as those served at more ambitious and unique culinary haunts, you’ll still have a good time.

Perhaps owing to its universal appeal, the steak house model has flourished lately. From Primehouse to Porterhouse, to BLT Steak, Prime, and T-Bar Steak, even in this time of economic trauma that we’ve been experiencing, the desire for a good steak (or its cheaper cousin, the burger) has seemed to remain strong.

Adding to the mix most recently is Parlor Steakhouse, a handsome new corner restaurant on the Upper East Side that opened this June. The space is rather upscale for the neighborhood, with tall white French doors wrapping the restaurant, and formal upholstered seating set up with glossy dark wood tables in the main dining room. While it caters to a more mature set in the main dining room, it also knows its neighborhood has its fair share of youngsters. You’ll find a nice big bar and lounge area equipped with an icy raw bar, and a couple of oversized flat-screen TVs showing the games. Parlor is owned by a husband and wife team who have some experience with the neighborhood: Michael Glick (A Voce, Gaia) and Susy Salvo Glick (Gaia) also own the nearby BB&R on Second Avenue. To bring their steakhouse to life, they installed Executive Chef Lucas Billheimer, a veteran of Lure Fishbar, in the kitchen. He’s offering a nice selection of five cuts of steak (hanger, bone-in strip, filet mignon, rib-eye, and porterhouse for two), and an extensive menu stocked with alternative proteins—chicken, pork, branzino, salmon, scallops, cod and even a lobster roll ($24).  

When Craig and I had dinner there last week with my Dad, we were seated in the restaurant’s side room, behind the bar room. It’s a room they call the café. I call it cramped. While the ... [more, click below]

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Posted: October 11, 2008

Other restaurants in Upper East Side :
+ Sfoglia   + Zoe Townhouse   + Accademia di Vino   + T-Bar Steak and Lounge   + Parlor Steakhouse   + Le Caprice   

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