Tartare to You

Last night, some co-workers and I went to Porter House for a nice dinner.  Overall, Porter House is a typical steakhouse but perhaps a little pricier, if that's possible.  There wasn't much on the menu that made it stand out from a Ruth's Chris or Capital Grille, but a steakhouse is a steakhouse and as long as they don't overcook my meat, I'm happy.  Unfortunately, I can't tell you from personal experience how the steaks stand up to their competitors because I went with two apps instead.  I don't usually pass up the opportunity to try a good piece of meat from a quality steakhouse, but I was still kind of full from lunch and didn't want to overdo it.

I couldn't go completely filet-free so I ordered a filet mignon...just a raw one.  Porter House prepared a wonderful steak tartare in one of the largest appetizer portions I've seen.  It was a full steak that just hadn't been touched by heat.  The toast points were thick but soft and the egg accompaniment was so incredibly fluffy.  It was like topping my tartare with a winter fleece. 

In addition to my tartare, I ordered the bay scallop special, which came with brown butter, fried parsley, and hazelnuts.  The scallops were great and I really enjoyed the fried parsley, but I was not a fan of all the hazelnuts.  All the crunch took away from the buttery scallops.   I'll consider this a half win.

Everyone seemed pleased with their meal, making me think Porter House may be able to hold their own against New York's other steakhouses.  What it may lack in originality, it makes up in portion size and a spectacular view of the city.  The view is made even more special this time of year when you get to see it after ascending the escalators in the Time Warner Center and taking in the building's Holiday music and decorations.