Even though we are in a recession, and it’s all about save, save, save and scrimp, scrimp, scrimp, sometimes, all we want to do is eat a steak the size of our heads. At Center Cut, there is no shame in that game, as Jeffrey Chodorow’s newest venture within the Empire Hotel (he also designed the menu at the hotel’s roof bar) is an exercise in reined in indulgence. The restaurant’s bar, for example, is made from glossy, “center cut” agate quartz, which feels both opulent and rustic at the same time; rich brown leather banquettes are invitingly luxe; and while Center Cut is all about eating enormous pieces of steak, you can do so with a clear conscious as all the meat is naturally raised, the fowl free range and the seafood sustainable. While they offer appealing appetizers like Maine lobster stuffed mushroom caps ($18) and the duck foie gras terrine ($17) as well as a full raw fish bar, Center Cut is above all, a steak-eaters steakhouse. Go the à la carte route by picking a cut (tenderloin, New York strip, prime rib, etc.) a sauce (béarnaise, peppercorn, hollandaise, butter, borderlaise and our favorite, the house-made oak-aged Worcestershire) and the size (either 12 or 24 oz.) along with one of their ten veggie sides. Or, if you’re feeling indecisive, Center Cut’s “modern classics,” like Steak Diane (6 oz Brandt Beef filet, the aforementioned Worcestershire and fried oyster mushrooms; $36) and the Steak Rossini (6 oz Brandt Beef filet, seared foie gras, porte glace de viande and toasted brioche croutons; $41) definitely did not disappoint. Everything was buttery, rich and perfectly cooked. If you are able to, save some room for dessert, as the bananas Foster, cherries jubiliee, the peach Melba and the crepe suzette are cooked by a chef in front of your eyes in a flambé cart, which makes for an exciting grand finale.

Center Cut
44 W. 63rd St.
(212) 956-1288