NY Fine Dining at “Center Cut, Casa La Femme, & Benjamin Steakhouse” (3/09)
Center Cut Restaurant is located in the premium historic Empire Hotel. You will walk into an elegant, modern, historic building when entering this famously restored restaurant. Right in the center of town it is the perfect location if catching a show at Lincoln Center. A restored treasure filled with mahogany paneling, grandiose chandeliers and floor to ceiling curtains gives this location its old world charm yet modern chic aesthetic. The spiral staircase is one of prestige and royalty while still feeling like stepping into the comfort of a home.
The staff was very welcoming and well informed. The highlight of the menu was the meat. As this is the specialty at Center Cut. But seafood and poultry dishes are also recommended and there is a variety to choose from. The sauces offered as condiments were a unique twist. A number of courses were offered from the sea bar: the classic oysters, clams, crabs and lobster cocktail. All of these are accompanied by a selection of sauces: mustard remoulade, lemon aioli, flash-roasted serrano pepper rouille, balsamic vinegar and lampong peppercorn mignonette, oven-dried tomato and horseradish cocktail sauce. To the appetizers consisting of crab cakes with blood orange marmalade, bacon wrapped Dover scallops with apple ponzu butter and more. This delightful range of sauces made the choices difficult to choose from and most tasteful. A variety of soups were offered from lobster bisque, clam chowder and French onion soup. We opted for the onion soup and Caesar salad to save room for the main meal and dessert. The salad and soup were done in the traditional styles and were perfect for the opening palate. We then moved to the main course: for meat lovers choices ranged from beef tenderloin, 8-hour roasted prime rib, New York steak, and familiar names from the past: Steak Oscar, Steak Diane and Steak Rossini. We opted for the New York steak, which was truly moist, tender and perfectly cooked. There was very little after taste and not an overwhelming taste, which proves to be the natural way the meat, is raised. The sides we opted for were the baked potatoes and asparagus to stay on a healthy tip saving room for the special dessert plates.
For fish lovers, this is also an attraction not to be missed. From the seabar and sauces listed above to the number of appetizers, one will also be pleasantly surprised with the options for their main meal. Yellow fin tuna chop, baked ziti lobster and smoke king salmon with poached asparagus, morel mushrooms and dried cherry butter are a few of the many choices.
And last but not least, one must not leave Center Cut without the unique desserts offered: bananas foster, cherries jubilee, peach melba and crepe suzette. This was quite a decision as we went with the bananas foster prepared at our tableside. Every bite was fully wonderful and a delight not offered many places. Center Cut will fill your appetite with the many tasteful offerings and leave you wanting to come back to try more.
Center Cut
The Empire Hotel
44 W. 63rd St. New York, NY 10023
212- 956-1288
Casa La Femme
I had the pleasure of dining at Casa La Femme in the quaint area in the W. Village.
As entering the restaurant I felt transformed into a place outside of New York City.
It was lively, dark and colorful. The bar was our first stop, which was surrounded by a comfortable sitting area.
Already I felt at home and was not yet ready to move into the dining area. The seating here was the perfect spot to
lounge with friends or be on a romantic date.
We were then lead into the dining room, which encompassed a higher-level middle section and a lower section.
Both had their charm. We sat in the elevated area cocooned at a table behind sheer drapes that pulled back so one
could enjoy the atmosphere. We sat together on a cushion overlooking all the middle eastern decor and of course the
show of the belly dancer, which was quite entertaining. Again, escaping to a warm, intimate place from the cold winter
that awaited us outside.
The menu was filled with many delights especially for one that craves true middle eastern cuisine, specifically Egyptian Cuisine.
The staff was very helpful and friendly as describing the prix fixed menu that entailed four courses.
if sat below then this menu was alacarte.
First Courses (Mazzas) consisted of:
Hummus, Babagonoush and Fuul Medames all served with pita.
Each had the pure taste of freshly made.
Second Courses (Appetizers) consisted of many choices.
This was a difficult choice but we decided on the:
Warak Enab: traditional Egyptian grape leaves with rice, dill, parsley and coriander.
Each herb complimented the taste buds yet did not outdo the other.
Felfel Mahschi: baked sweet bell pepper, stuffed with savory mixture of jasmine rice, fresh herbs and spices served over house made fresh tomato sauce. Another true sensation of so many flavors mixed together fulfilling us in pleasure.
And lastly, on a light note, we went for the Peasant Salata: sweet grape tomatoes, Persian cucumbers, red onions and carrots in a spicy citrus vinaigrette. This was the perfect addition for a tasty yet simple combination of flavors.
Third Courses ranged from grilled free-range chicken seasoned with sumac, whole grilled prawns with sayadeya rice, grilled whole fish of the day. All of these seemed as perfect selections from the seasonings to the grilling making these the perfect flavorful meal yet still being healthy. We decided on the most traditional middle eastern plates:
Riash Mashway: grilled lamb chops with fatta. This dish melted in your mouth filled with tenderness.
The second entree of choice was the Tagine Khodar: hearty oven braised mélange of market vegetables with homemade couscous.
This was the perfect selection to compliment the meat dish and still keeping a degree of light and hearty.
We finally came to the Fourth Course: Egyptian Dessert. I am definitely a chocolate lover and this was not on the menu.
But we were pleasantly surprised with the evening’s last taste of:
Baklava: Layers of phyllo dough, filled with ground mixed nuts and finished with a cinnamon simple syrup. This is the most traditional middle eastern dessert and one with a sweet tooth cannot go wrong.
The Kunefa: shredded phyllo dough, stuffed with Egyptian custard was truly extraodinary and a dish not to pass up.
This was a true delight filled with a charming atmosphere, friendly staff, tasteful food, lively entertainment and an escape from
reality. The four-hour meal was one of relaxation, fun and quality time we often forget we are entitled to.
I recommend an evening of fine dining, filled with flavorful tasteful cuisine and a soulful atmosphere.
Casa La Femme
140 Charles St.
(Between Greenich St and Broadway)
New York, NY 10014
212-505-0005
Benjamin Steakhouse is a unique dining experience. It is located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan at the Dylan Hotel. This upscale restaurant is the perfect place for business or pleasure. It is not your typical steakhouse: as it has an old school feel with a modern classic decor. The food selection has a wide variety of seafood as well. For steak connoisseurs this a top destination of choice in New York City.
Former chef Arturo Mc Leod of Peter Luger’s for twenty years is the present chef at Benjamin Steakhouse.
His expertise for over thirty years and this past experience is no wonder why your mouth will water at your first bite into the most delicious meat. All meat is prime USDA selected to the highest level. After a meal here one will wonder how steak can taste so flavorful, rich and tender. The meat goes through a special process: in which it is dry-aged in a handcrafted aging box at just the right temperature for a specific number of weeks.
The staff was very accommodating, friendly and warm. After entering the bar area which is perfect for an after work drink we were then led to the fine dining room. This was a space that was simple and elegant with an old world charm. It was comprised of modern chandeliers, a fireplace giving the comfort to the room, chocolate leather seating and oak wood decor. There are two floors: the main floor, which felt busier and not as private as the mezzanine level.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served. We came for the dinner, which entailed many choices. Appetizers ranged from a selection of seafood: shrimp cocktail, lobster cocktail, fresh oysters and baked clams. Soups were offered from the classic Onion Soup that was truly as tasteful as the original Parisian style to lobster bisque. A variety of salads were also offered. We decided on the Cesar salad, which was very tasteful. As for the main meal although many quenching seafood dishes were offered from lobster, Chilean seabass, Norwegian salmon and yellow fin tuna, we still opted for the famous steak. We were not disappointed when the steaks arrived sizzling at our tableside. This was a complete luxury and truly a dream for any meat lover. There was also the perfect combination of side dishes from a range of potatoes: mashed, steak frites, baked potatoes to vegetables to top off the classic American meal: cream spinach, onion rings, asparagus and mushrooms. For the final ending to a delicious meal the classics were offered from chocolate mousse, crème Brule, hot fudge sundae, tiramisu, apple strudel and more. After this complete top to bottom meal you will definitely leave satisfied and dream about your next fine meal at Benjamin Steakhouse.
Benjamin Steakhouse
52 E. 41st St. New York, NY 10017
212-297-9117