American Cut

After becoming quite addicted to the meat-cooking Aden Films channel on YouTube, I found myself with an irrational craving steak recently (funny how that works). I reviewed a dozen or so of the most prominent steakhouses in NYC, looking for one that had a bit more novelty than the classics like Peter Luger, Minetta Tavern, and Old Homestead, which I've been to before. Celebrity chef Marc Forgione's American Cut (of which there are several outposts in Manhattan) looked great and fit the bill for what I wanted - so much so that I knew exactly what I was going to order before I even made the reservation.

American Cut
363 Greenwich St, New York, NY
American Cut Tribeca

Happy wife! The restaurant was pretty empty when we arrived, though we tend to eat on the early side, so that was no surprise. We both enjoyed the décor, which was warm yet modern. 

Biscuits

Everything Bagel Seasoning, Vegetable Butter

For bread service, American Cut offers hot homemade biscuits with a generous crust of everything bagel seasoning, served alongside butter dotted with vegetables (like those found in veggie cream cheese). These were to die for, and, like the infamous cheddar bay biscuits at Red Lobster, were worth coming for by themselves. 

Cocktails

Two cocktails to start - I can't remember what they were other than mine being flavored with cucumber. They were both good, and we purposefully ordered lighter spirits that would pair reasonably well with the early part of our meal. 

Grand Seafood Tower

Oysters

Crab Salad, Tuna Tartare, Kampachi Ceviche, Poached Lobster

Homemade Potato Chips, Shrimp Cocktail

I wasn't just craving steak - I also had my heart set on a seafood tower, one of my favorite restaurant treats. I generally like a tower that has a mix of plain raw bar shellfish with a few prepared plates, and this was a perfect example of that. We enjoyed every bite of this enormous masterpiece. 

A5 Miyazaki Wagyu Beef

Our server was a nice guy and was clearly working hard, but I was a little annoyed by the "script" he was working from. To start, he asked if we had ever been to American Cut before, to which we replied, "No." He then proceeded to explain not only the restaurant itself at length, but the concept of steakhouses in general, including detailed descriptions of dry-aging and why some steaks are different from other steaks. I wanted to say, "We said we had never been to this restaurant - not that we have never been to any restaurant." Next he went through the menu almost dish for dish and made a half dozen or so recommendations. I find the practice of waiters making (unsolicited) menu suggestions to be annoying. It makes me feel like they a) think I'm helpless and can't order for myself, and b) are trying to sell me something (which, of course, they are). 

In this case though, the latter point actually worked out for everyone, as Leah and I decided to take one of his recommendations and splurge by ordering four ounces of wagyu beef. We were uncertain if it would be worth the steep price, but having experienced it now, I can say that this beef is every bit the incredible luxury food item that caviar, foie gras, and truffles are. Our piece was lightly seared on the outside and glistening with melty fat on the inside. With each bite, my teeth punctured the delicate outer crust, after which the almost gelatinous interior burst with juicy liquid fat and extreme beef flavor. Served simply with good salt and pepper, it was one of the best things I've ever eaten. I later thanked the waiter for his recommendation. 

Pastrami Ribeye

Dry Aged, Whole Grain Mustard, Caraway Butter

Potato Puree "Robuchon" - Local Butter

Hen of the Woods Mushroom - Soy, Lime, Shallot

For our main course we shared the 20oz pastrami ribeye, which tasted delicious, delivering on all the pastrami spice flavors it promised, though it was also one of the stringier and more gristly steaks I've ever been served. Both sides were delicious, and it was nice seeing menu options that were more adventurous than the typical spinach and potatoes (like the fantastic maitake mushroom we ordered). 

Cracker Jack Sundae

Popcorn Ice Cream, Caramel Popcorn, Peanut Brittle

We took most of our ribeye and sides home so as to leave room for this giant sundae, which was just delightful. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Along with the check came two soft chocolate chip cookies, wrapped up for us to enjoy the next day. These were great. 

Cocktails

Service had become very slow by the second half of our meal and we never had a chance to order a second round of drinks. We decided to finish the evening at the bar with another cocktail each. It was a nice way to end the night, as the bar was quiet, with the dinner rush mostly complete. The bartender was quite a character and, though entertaining, he apparently forgot the sugar in Leah's old fashioned, which made for a strange-tasting drink.

Kinks aside, American Cut provided exactly what I was looking for - a steakhouse experience with a novel twist. I would definitely recommend it and plan on going back the next time the craving strikes (and I can afford it).