I had the pleasure of dining here with a close friend of mine a few months ago. The two of us have these private steakhouse nights every couple of months, and these nights are truly special. We eat dinner; we catch up on life; and the world stops around us for a couple of hours.

Over time the food has taken less of a role in our bonding nights; the restaurant has become less relevant than the time together. Such is the evolution of us as adults.

When we selected BLT Steak for our dinner, we walked in with no expectations. We had heard it maligned for a number of reasons, mostly by steakhouse “purists.”

I can understand their disappointment. Even a few years ago, this environment would not have been my style. Of course a few years ago, a trip to a steakhouse was less about conversation and more about a meat binge lubricated by 12 year-old scotch.

BLT Steak is a juxtaposition of condtradictory elements. On many levels, it is an evolved compromise that makes steak accessible without the perverse abundance of testosterone.

It is not a steakhouse per se; it is a restaurant with a steakhouse menu. It has the requisite cougar/older bar scene up front but the restaurant is much nicer. The crowd is substantially more female than most steakhouses I have seen, as well.

On the food:
First an foremost, the steak was phenomenal. We both had rib-eyes and the seasoning was dead-on. They also cooked the steaks to a perfect medium-rare for my friend, rare for me. The sauces, typically a no-no at a steakhouse, were downright slutty. Rather than drowning the flavor the steak, the bleu cheese and bearnaise sauce served as excellent complements, with the attendant saltiness accentuating the flavor of the steak.

The onion rings were light, airy, and intensely flavorful. The potato gratin was also an excellent alternative to the typically abusive carb course. The popovers were delicious and, since we weren’t in a full-on steakhouse, we felt no guilt about actually eating the bread.

The creamed spinach, crab cake, and caesar salad were all solid, perfectly good by any steakhouse’s standard.

The bacon was a disappointing rendition, but I think that my view of steakhouse bacon has been permanently biased by the swinish luxury that is the Luger’s edition. Truthfully, it was fine; the bacon just wasn’t my taste.

Desserts happened but were not memorable.

The tab was as expected, with dinner for two running north of $200 all-in, ex-alcohol. For the frequency with which I hit a steakhouse, the price is not outlandish.

i think BLT was at par with Craft. now, i’ve never been to Craftsteak so i dunno, but BLT is okay. fancy…and really, people, do we need FANCY for our meat? i don’t think so. just good slab of medium rare is all i ask and frankly, this minimalistic-yet-hoity-toity ain’t my cup of steak juice.

you live on the island and everyone says.. go to brooklyn! Visit Peter Lugers.. They ONLY take cash! You show up and realize you forgot the cast but of course there is an ATM across the street then you visit BLT Steak and you realize that you can have the absolutely best steak on either side of the east river AND they take credit cards. Only compliant is they NEVER seat you on time so book a time about 30 minutes before you like to eat.