Murtha's (Long Island)

Murtha's overall score: 70

Murtha's is a small neighborhood joint in the area where I grew up. It holds a special place in my mind, since I have been there a number of times and have even had friends who worked there back in high school.

1) Flavor: 7

Murtha's packs a punch. This little mom & pop offers better tasting choice steaks than some of the prime and aged steaks you find at more expensive places considered "top steakhouses." That is the difference that truly knowing meat can make. You can coax really great flavor out of even grocery store cuts if you understand meat, how it tenderizes, and how flavor develops while cooking or during preparations. Murtha's knows what they are doing. This is the kind of place to order a marinated steak; it turns choice into prime. Simply getting a broiled steak here may leave you unsatisfied; go with the blackened or marinated versions. I ordered my ribeye medium but it came back medium-well. It was, however, cooked evenly throughout, and it was delicious.

2) Choice of Cuts & Quality available: 7

Murtha's covers the basics of steakhouse cuts (though they call their strip a NY sirloin, so it might not be the most marbled of that particular cut). They also occasionally offer a flank or something on special. On my last trip they had a t-bone and a special filet as well. The meat is choice, but it is treated with care and different preparations are offered for boosting the flavor, such as marinaded, blackened, or charbroiled. Occasionally they offer a garlic preparation as well. They also offer pork chops, lamb chops, and several preparations of chicken.

3) Portion Size & Plating: 7

Murtha's is on par with the big boys here, which is impressive for a small place, especially one that does not charge you an arm and a leg. They regularly offer a 24oz porterhouse, a 20oz ribeye, a 12oz NY sirloin, and a 10oz filet. The t-bone is 20oz. Plating is basic: nothing fancy. All steaks come with a veggie and a potato, and soup or salad.  Bonus.

4) Price: 9

You get a great meal here for your money. I came with a gift card, so even better for me! Total for two entrees, two appetizers, soup, salad, and a side of creamed spinach was just under $100. My gift card covered more than half, so this was a steal for us.

5) Bar: 7

Not the best place to hang out, but they do have a decent bar for watching sports and they do make a solid martini - even leaving the small shaker for you to pour out that last bit of ice-melted gin into your quiffy, curved, diva martini glass for a second slurping. Occasionally they have live music at the end of the bar too.

6) Specials and Other Meats: 7

Murtha's definitely offers a variety of specials that run across each section of the menu. They often offer garlic preparations of each of their steaks, which are nice. In the "other meats" category they have pork chops, lamb chops, and chicken.

7) Apps, Sides & Desserts: 7

Despite the lack of oysters being on the menu, which I consider to be a steakhouse MUST HAVE, Murtha's offers some less traditional but still yummy alternatives. The fried ravioli is delicious. And if you need to get your shellfish fix like I do, they still offer clams on the half shell (at a very reasonable price), as well as shrimp, crab and calamari. The crab cakes are a bit under par, but not horrible for $9. At $9 for the clams on the half shell, you get 6 on the plate. Not cheap but also not that expensive. The creamed spinach was average to slightly under par (a little bland but okay for a few bites). The soup and/or salad that comes with the meal are basic throw aways - filler. The fries, however, are great - nice and double fried to a golden crisp.

8) Seafood Selection: 6

In addition to the semi-typical seafood appetizer offerings, Murthas has a decent amount of fish on their menu for the weak, vaginal appetite: several preparations of shrimp and scallops, sole, lobster, and king crab legs. Nothing fancy though - either simply broiled, scampi, or fried. The scallops were good, nicely cooked, and you get about 8 large ones in your order.

9) Service: 7

As a local joint, Murtha's generously employs local school kids as bus boys. The service is good, reliable, and friendly. Murtha's has provided me and my family with satisfying meals for between 15 and 20 years now, so, clearly, it makes no difference if a waiter wears a tie or knows his/her meat. As long as they are friendly and the food is good, what else really matters? Appetizers were a little slow to come out, but everything else was well timed. Bread was warm, butter was spreadable.

10) Ambiance: 6

Not the greatest location (a storefront next to a Sleepy's and a floor/carpet place), small, not very classic steak-house, but also not cheesy like some places with themes or picnic blanket tablecloths.

Mac's (Long Island)

Mac's overall score: 80

I stumbled upon Mac's while browsing some half-off coupon deals on a local Long Island website; it turned out to be a nice find. I purchased a half-off coupon (I paid $25 to get $50 worth of gift certificate) because I was impressed by what I saw on the menu online, so my wife and I went to check it out for a late lunch. In summary, Mac's is a great restaurant, but as far as pure steak is concerned, I have had better. Read on:

1) Flavor: 6

First, please note that the flavor marks here are for the steak only. As it turns out, the flavor of their other items probably would have merited a higher score, possibly something like 8 or 9, but I felt a sense of duty to score primarily on the steak. I ordered a dry-aged bone-in ribeye. It was cooked a bit over along the edges, and a bit under in the center, but other than that it had a good charred flavor and good crisp despite being a little bit under-seasoned. Perhaps the uneven cooking was a result of the fact that it was a Sunday, early in the day, and just after brunch service. They may have had a different cook/chef in the kitchen and the steak was fired in a way that is not typical of their normal dinner service. The chop itself had a bit more grizzle than I would have liked or expected from a well-aged steak, but that is the nature of a ribeye sometimes. In hindsight, I probably should have ordered the boneless ribeye, which seemed to be dressed up a bit more to impart additional flavor (Gorgonzola and truffles were involved in its preparation). Sometimes I am a purist, and want my steaks pretty much just cooked correctly with nothing except salt & pepper, but other times I want my taste buds to get a kick in the ass. Today I was somewhere right in the middle. The server even offered to have the bone-in prepared in the same way as the boneless; I guess I was just thinking the dry-aged bone-in would have a better natural flavor. I may have to go back and try the boneless ribeye.

2) Choice of Cuts & Quality available: 9

I was blown away by the selection of beef this place offers. They have all of the four basic cuts (ribeye, porterhouse, strip, & filet), offered in various sizes and preparations. On top of that, they also had a T-bone, skirt steak, a Kansas City sirloin, some Texas Kobe, braised short rib, and other great selections of meats; a true chop house. They offered wet-aged steaks that were also served with starch and veggies as composed plates, and they also offered larger dry-aged cuts served solo. Lots to look over and think about before ordering. On the down side, the cut I did get was a little uneven. It was a little thinner on the edges than it was in the center. It also had too much grizzle for something that is dry-aged: that stuff should break down and eventually cook / melt into the meat if done properly.

3) Portion Size & Plating: 7

The steak portions here are normal. My bone-in ribeye was 28oz, the boneless ribeye was 18oz, the strips were 16-18oz, the filet was 10oz, the porterhouse was 21oz per person, the Kobe was 12oz, and the T-bone was 30oz. The appetizers, however, were large (if the short rib appetizer came with a side of string beans it would pass for a full entree portion). The side of creamed spinach was average sized.

4) Price: 7

The prices here are similar to slightly less than they are in the city. The boneless ribeye is a fair $30, and the most expensive single cut of meat from the dry aged section is $44. Mac's participates in that half-off coupon deal on the WALK FM website - so that helps. My cut was $42. If cooked perfectly, I would say that it was worth the money, but since I had a slightly uneven fire I took a few points off for price.

5) Bar: 8

Mac's bar was really nice. An amber, back-lit shelf showcases their top liquors, and I could see even from a distance that they had a nice selection of scotches and after dinner drinks. They have an extensive selection of nice wines as well. Nestled in the heart of Huntington's village, this is a good spot to hang out even if you aren't shoving steer carcass down your esophagus.

6) Specials and Other Meats: 10

This place had everything: duck, lamb chops, veal chops, pork chops, and chicken. I mentioned above how they had plenty of other beef cuts outside of the basic 4 steakhouse cuts, and they offered specials from each part of the menu: apps, salads, fish, and beef. This place has a lot to choose from.

7) Apps, Sides & Desserts: 6

Unfortunately, I had to take off a few points here because my wife had a fly underneath some of the sliced fish in her sashimi appetizer. It was unfortunate too, because she had to stop eating it even though it tasted nice. Once you see that bug on the plate, it kinda just throws you off and you can't finish the item. The restaurant was very apologetic, and I am sure it hardly ever happens there - we just had a little bad luck. They were kind enough not to charge us for that item. As for me, I had the braised short rib appetizer; it was HUGE and tasty, and fall-apart soft. We also ordered creamed spinach with our meal, and it was quite possibly the best I've ever had. Just the right amount of cream, just the right amount of salt, and there was what seemed like chopped up gnocci folded into it (something starchy with a texture between a potato and pasta). I'm not sure if that is what it was - it could have even been clumps of a thickener like flour or corn starch that didn't fully mix in for all I know - but it was delicious no matter what it was. For dessert we had a blackberry Cabernet sorbet, made in-house and topped with fresh blueberries and strawberries. Delicious; a perfect dessert item - it tasted like a good dessert wine.

8) Seafood Selection: 10

My wife was hard pressed to choose an entree here. They offered salmon, white tuna (which is not actually tuna), tilapia, shrimp, lobster, yellowfin tuna, scallops, and seabass. My wife, however, ordered the red snapper special, which was cooked perfectly (with some crispy skin to boot). There is also a great selection of seafood appetizers that run across the entire range: cooked and uncooked shellfish, crab, lobster and shrimp. Mac's could easily pass muster as a seafood restaurant if all the meat suddenly disappeared.

9) Service: 9

Our waiter Steven was fantastic. He allowed us to order off the full dinner menu despite it still being brunch when we arrived (1:20pm on a Sunday) in order to honor the half-off coupon we had. He knew everything from the size of each cut to the details about how the dishes were prepared, and, most importantly, he knew all about the steak cuts. The staff was very professional and sincere, and, as mentioned earlier, they were upset that we happened to get a fly in the sashimi app. The bread was good, but the butter was a little cold since it probably just came out of the fridge.

10) Ambiance: 8

Mac's is nice inside and out. The front doors look like nice weathered greenish-painted wooden castle gates. There is outdoor seating, and the interior is all dark wood, leather wrapped and cushioned wood chairs, and the walls are decorated with abstract paintings of the bulls and other animals that you will be dining upon. An elegant curved staircase rises up to an upstairs, but I did not get a chance to check it out.

Delmonico's

Delmonico's overall score: 86

Delmonico's claims to be the first fine dining restaurant in the country. In addition to that interesting bit of history, Delmonico's is famous for coining the "delmonico steak" cut/term - which is a boneless ribeye (though there is some debate as to which cut was actually used back in the day). That's right - this place invented the delmonico steak (duh). I've been here once before, but it was a while back, so a second visit solidified the experience for a thorough review. This time I got a nice 30% discount from a Village Vines coupon, which was helpful on this man-date with my cousin.

1) Flavor: 10

This place was perfect in terms of flavor. My cousin got the filet, and I got the signature delmonico/boneless ribeye.  Just the right amount of crisp and seasoning (salt and pepper - nothing fancy - they respect the meat), and just the right temperature when the plates arrived.  The meat was well rested and cooked just right. The filet was ordered rare, and the ribeye was ordered medium. They were both delicious.

2) Choice of Cuts & Quality available: 8

Delmonico's has all the basics and then some. They have the signature delmonico steak (18oz boneless ribeye), as well as a 36oz bone-in ribeye. The double porterhouse is about 36oz, and there are also filets (in the 10oz-12oz range) and strips (16oz). The strip, porterhouse and 3-pounder are all listed as dry aged and the strip is listed as prime, but I think all of the cuts are prime and aged. Delmonico's pretty much just covers the basics, but they do it well.

3) Portion Size & Plating: 8

The portions here are normal. As mentioned above, the steaks broke down as follows: 18oz boneless delmonico; 36oz bone-in ribeye; 36oz porterhouse; 16oz strip; and 10oz-12oz filet. The plating was elegant but restrained; good for men, nothing too fancy.

4) Price: 8

The prices are average to slightly high, but given the exceptional flavor of the steak, it is totally worth it. I thought the foie gras was overpriced and small ($21), but hey - it IS goose liver. We were nice and full, but not uncomfortable, like lions after devouring a wildebeest. That said, I got 30% off through Village Vines, which was a bonus. They also offer the same deal for (aged.) by the way. The total spent for 4 martinis ($13 and $14 each), foie gras, special oysters, creamed spinach and two steaks came to around $190, tax and tip included. We skipped dessert.

5) Bar: 10

Delmonico's has a really fantastic old-school bar. It is sunken down a few steps from the main dining room, and it has a side entrance through a revolving door off the corner from the main entrance. They serve a great steak sandwich there to boot. This is the kind of bar every steak man or lover of "ye olde tyme" things should visit. It is, simply put, an American classic. One look at the lounge and bar pics on their website should have you salivating for booze and beef. They made a good martini too, despite a missing olive on our second round, but I take that into account more in my service section rather than changing my bar rating.

6) Specials and Other Meats: 8

In the "other meats" category, Delmonico's offers a fat veal chop, which is nice, lamb chops, and chicken. Standard plus, I would say. For specials, I would call the 3-pound ribeye a special, but other than that, they do offer some off-the-menu items (though, no beef). The Chicken a' la Keene (served with a pimento cream sauce) is also a signature dish created in the 1880s and with a rich history: the dish ultimately became known as "chicken a' la king." Yes - Delmonico's invented that dish too! On special, there was a 5 pound lobster for sharing (or not!), and some special oysters for an appetizer: 3 pairs from different regions.  We ordered the oysters.

7) Apps, Sides & Desserts: 7

We started with the oysters special. One was briny and fishy, one was normal, and one, called a stingray oyster, was awesome. All were on the small side, however. That's not necessarily a bad thing: I just expected one or two to be a little larger. Then we had foie gras. It was sort of small, and sat on a hunk of bread that was a little too think in proportion, but it tasted like the really good, soft, melty fat of a ribeye that you can eat. My cousin wasn't that impressed with it, and said he probably wouldn't order it again. I probably wouldn't either for that price ($21), but I definitely liked it. With dinner we had the staple: creamed spinach. It wasn't that good: kinda bland. It was made fresh, but it lacked roundness and creaminess. We skipped dessert this time around.

8) Seafood Selection: 8

Lobster, halibut, and snapper were listed under entrees in addition to the seafood towers and shellfish on the appetizer menu. The lobster dish, Lobster Newberg, also a signature dish with a unique sauce, has a great story to go along with it. They also offered the 5lb special lobster for two, which seemed like a fun thing to order if you are a giant pussy.

9) Service: 9

The service is great here - really top notch. Everyone knows their meat, and they are right there whenever you need something. Literally - you can see the waiters lined up near the doors to the kitchen watching over the dining room. They stay out of your way, yet they know when you need attention. All male waitstaff, ties: the classic steakhouse experience. The check getting and paying process was fast as well. I've dropped a point off here only because our second round of martinis were missing an olive. A martini should always have at least 3 olives, regardless of size. The olives here are nice and big, fleshy and fresh, but we still must have 3. When we ordered our first round, at the bar, they came with 3. Our second round, ordered at the table, only had 2. My cousin pointed out that it is bad luck to NOT have 3. The waiter wasn't aware that martinis should have 3 olives, but he quickly remedied the situation and brought over a couple more on a small plate. The little things make a difference. I had a hard time deciding if I should knock the point off in the service section or in the bar section, but ultimately decided it should be taken from here. And since I didn't want to take a FULL point off for that minor infraction, I figured it would round out the point to mention that the butter served with the bread was cold and hard (but the bread was semi-warm and crispy). Two half points off make a whole point off.

10) Ambiance: 10

Delmonico's is known for its private dining rooms and alcoves, its fantastic bar, and rich history. Both times I ate here were in the main dining room, which is adorned with a huge mural of 1920s style fanciness, great wood paneling on the walls between windows, wide spacious floor, and high ceiling.  It is a very elegant yet still a classic steakhouse feel. it is similar to Sparks in that regard, but without the mafia feel. The bathroom, through the bar area, was small, but it had nice dark tiling all the way up the walls, a fresh cinnamon smell, and medium quality paper hand towels (not the thick, cloth-like stuff).