On the second night of our honeymoon in New York city, we dined at Ruth’s Chris steakhouse in Manhattan. My lovely parents treated us to the meal for my birthday which was a few days previously – my Father said it would be an experience we wouldn’t forget and he wasn’t lying! Some 9 months later Neil and I are still raving about it!
Ruth’s Chris is a chain of some 130 steakhouses across the United States and beyond, with locations including Dubai, Hong Kong and Indonesia! The popular steakhouse chain has evolved from humble origins in New Orleans, Louisiana when in 1965, Ruth Fertel, a single mother, bought Chris’ Steakhouse in order to provide an income to fund her sons’ college education. Fertel taught herself the tricks of the trade including how to butcher a steak by hand along with running a successful restaurant. She employed an all female wait staff and hired a large number of single mothers, stating they made reliable and hard-working employees. I must admit I find Fertel’s attitude extremely impressive, particularly as she built an extremely successful business in what must have been, at the time, a male dominated area of the food industry. The chain has since gone from strength to strength and has expanded significantly over the years.
The Manhattan restaurant is situated very near to the Rockefeller Centre, just a stone’s throw from Times Square so it was easily accessible from our hotel, The Empire Hotel, near to Columbus Circle. We started the evening in style with cocktails in the beautiful art deco inspired hotel bar which has been the scene of many films and TV series over the years including Gossip Girl and Law and Order to name but a few.
After a short wander to the restaurant, we were quickly welcomed inside and shown to our table, hidden away from the street entrance, past a striking wine collection visible for all to see in order to showcase the extensive collection the restaurant has to offer. Ruth’s Chris embraces traditional, old-school New York decor with a modern twist; dark, moody and luxurious, without a hint of stuffiness. It is truly a world away from the hustle and bustle of the city outside, so that you can indulge in the delicious food and drink on offer.
After ordering some delicious wine and perusing the menu for a while we decided to really over indulge and opted for ‘The 40 oz Poterhouse’ which consists of a New York strip and a fillet, for two to share. We then chose a few sides to accompany it in the form of ‘lobster mac and cheese’, ‘shoestring fries’ and a ‘Caesar salad’.
Firstly, let me apologise for the quality of the photos! The restaurant was rather dark so it was impossible to photograph the dishes to the standard which they deserve! My poor quality snaps definitely don’t do the food justice. The steak was served medium rare and, as you would expect, was cooked to perfection. Ruth’s Chris serve their steaks sizzling in butter on an extremely hot plate. As soon as our meal arrived at the table, our mouths were watering with the delectable smell of caramelised beef and butter. The restaurant’s seasoning and cooking technique obviously pays dividends as it was the most flavoursome and tender steak I have ever tasted – the quality of the meat has to be tasted to be believed!
With eyes bigger than our stomachs, we certainly over ordered as the side dishes were as huge as the steak – we could have sufficied with a single side dish, two at a push. The lobster macaroni and cheese was a big hit with us both, wonderfully creamy and rich, with generous chunks of meaty lobster. I loved the presentation of the Caesar salad and the contrast in texture between the crispy onions and creamy dressing. If I am honest, the shoestring fries were probably my least favourite part of the meal but that was probably because of the huge portion that somewhat over faced us! Needless to say we unfortunately couldn’t finish it all but you’ll be pleased to know we managed to polish off the steak! There was no way we were wasting that beauty.
We were both way to full to manage a dessert which was such a shame as there were so many delicious sounding puddings to choose from. Much to our delight our waiter, knowing it was our honeymoon, brought us out a selection of mini desserts, complete with candle, on the house! The cheesecake was incredible, very creamy without being too heavy. I adored the berry sorbet which was really refreshing after such a decadent meal. The chocolate cake offered a hint of decadence and richness without being overpowering.
All in all we had a fantastic and memorable meal at Ruth’s Chris. I would recommend a visit to anyone who is in the area – My Dad was right, it really was the best steak I have ever tasted! Thanks Mom and Dad xxx
Places to visit:
- Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, 148 West 51st Street, New York, New York, 10019, (212) 245-9600 https://www.ruthschris.com/
- Empire Hotel, 44 West 64th Street, New York, New York, 10023, (212) 265-7400 http://empirehotelnyc.com/
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