Location: 515 Seventh Avenue
Cuisine: American/French Steakhouse
Items: 1 appetizer, 2 entrees, 2 desserts 2 cocktails.
Cost: $195 with 20% tip
Best Dish: The steak is by far the best I have had in a long while. It was thick but tender and moist. The béarnaise sauce really complimented the hearty beef. A close second is the seafood offering. For the price, it is a beautiful and filling dining experience.
Overall: You may visit Desmond’s for their amazing food but you will return for their first class service. The attentive staff treats everyone like a VIP.
Desmond’s is one of midtown’s rare gems. This decadent steakhouse lies just a few short blocks from tourist haven, Times Square. From the outside, it is impossible to imagine the beautiful interior that awaits you. The hidden entrance makes the eatery more like a secret clubhouse that only the most fab may enjoy. I arrived on an annoyingly brisk evening, and for once I beat my companion to the locale. When I found my way into the 38th street entry I was surprised at the beautiful focal wall and rich dark wood accents.
The short flight of stairs leads to the hostess station and bar area. Beyond the bar is a surprisingly large dining area. Not long after seating, I was greeted by a server, told the specials, presented with water, and offered the wine list within the first 10 minutes of sitting! If you have ever been to the local chain restaurant then you know how rare it is to be attended to so quickly and expertly.
By the time my companion had arrived, I was tasting the selection of bread and enjoying a slice of lemon. Not long after my friend was seated we were sipping on a round of premium cocktails selected by our server and awaiting our appetizer. I sampled the lightly sweet and refreshing “Between The Sheets” and my companion opted for the “Black Manhattan.”
For appetizers, I chose the grilled bacon. This is not your average ihop bacon..it is thick and juicy with the bit of saltines that makes bacon so delish. The saltines are balanced by light pepper applesauce.
For an entree, we did a take on surf and turf. We ordered the cowboy ribeye and a seafood platter to share. Steaks and other cuts of meat are served a la carte which means all alone so you will need to order a side if you want more than flesh. All Steaks on the menu are served with your choice of three gourmet sauces. We chose to pair our beef with a traditional béarnaise.
We also ordered a dish of mashed potatoes and creamed spinach.
For the surf portion of our feast, we had the Queen Seafood Plateau. This impressive looking dish is a massive mixture of premium chilled seafood. This dish has lobster, shrimp, jumbo lump crab meat clams oysters and ceviche.
Dinner is incomplete without a dessert. We chose the apple crumble and molten chocolate cake. Both are familiar treats served with Vanilla ice cream but at Desmond’s, they are given special new accents. The Apple Crumble has sweet little raisins and the chocolate cake holds a surprising hint of smokiness.
With so many eateries vying for your hard-earned money, make a choice that makes sense. You could spend $20 per person at a chain restaurant, where you are forced to wait 30 minutes for an empty and barely clean table, just to eat substandard food and be mostly ignored… or you could spend your money on fresh, delicious well-prepared meals with impeccable service.
www.desmondssteakhouseandgrill.com