TravelNoise: Del Frisco’s, New York
If you find yourself in Rockefeller Center maddeningly confused and hangry (as I often do when I’m exploring midtown), Del Frisco’s Grille is without a doubt the steakhouse that satisfies. From their signature Cheesesteak eggrolls to the classic juicy steaks, you can expect a whole lot of flavour, and an increasing urge to “treat yo’ self.”
Upon entering, you quickly realize this is not the kind of place for a quiet meal. The upbeat music and lively chatter are just loud enough to silence clinking glasses, and the restaurant is packed at dinner time, so be sure to make reservations. Large, plush booths and generously portioned meals (or should we just be honest and call them platters?) will call you in and keep you there for a long, long time.
Their signature cocktail, the VIP martini ($16.50), was an easy choice for my dining partner and I after hearing it was a hands-down favourite. Tropical with pineapple and clementine notes, this frothy martini was a light, refreshing start to the meal.
The menu is straightforward, hosting a large but necessary group of appetizers. I looked to my server for advice and without hesitation he pointed to the Cheesesteak egg rolls ($16.50), accompanied by spicy chili sauce and mustard, and the Crab cake ($20), in a cajun lobster sauce. The egg rolls were crispy and filled with juicy steak and melted cheese, and the crab cake was rich and filling. We polished off both plates and sighed, contented with our life choices. Even if we were already feeling full, we were ready to go full-force into the entree round.
As we were finishing our martinis, it had arrived. The large Porterhouse ($63) came sizzling, medium rare, and down right sexy, followed by sides of creamy spinach supreme ($12) and truffled mac and cheese ($12). The steak was tender and well-crusted and the spinach was flavourful and velvety. And then there was the mac, which was mildly truffled and cheesy, and topped with crunchy savoury breadcrumbs—let’s just say it stood less than five minutes against us. #SorryNotSorry
After consuming more meat in one sitting than anyone really should in a day, you’d think we would’ve been done, but we aren’t quitters, and we certainly weren’t that night. For dessert, we eyed the nutella bread pudding ($11), served warm and gooey with coffee ice cream and caramel sauce. The pudding was more dense and bread-like than anticipated but was tasty nonetheless, especially when soaked a bit in the ice cream and caramel.
I can’t exactly tell you I didn’t consume thousands of calories during my visit, but I can tell you that doing so was worth it in every way (don’t tell my nutritionist). My plus one and I rolled ourselves out of the restaurant and down into the subway, only to resurface when we awoke from our meat comas. All I’m saying is, come for the full spread and you’ll experience true happiness—just make sure to leave your diet at home.
…and if you are at home and fancy a bit of grill action when the weather gets a little warmer, be sure to check out this awesome blog post on How To Choose A Grill, According to Science over at the fab Jen Reviews.
Address: Rockefeller Center, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020 United States
Telephone Number: 212.767.0371
Website: delfriscosgrille.com/new-york
Sami A
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