A Cut Above

Center Cut at the Empire Hotel is a dining experience that should not be missed



Contemporary meets classic at Center Cut, the latest restaurant from Jeffrey Chodorow’s China Grill Management. Right next to Lincoln Center at the Empire Hotel, the restaurant is the perfect spot for a pre-theater, pre-concert or pre-entertainment bite to eat. And yes, to a New Yorker, location is everything, but what makes Center Cut really stand out is simple: the food is actually good.

A welcome addition to the Upper West Side’s ever-expanding crop of solid restaurants, Center Cut is unique. Following the insight of CGM’s Corporate Chef Luke Rinaman, Center Cut’s Executive Chef Bradley Day dreamed up a menu built around one theme: eco-friendly cuisine. The concept is carried out in each of the restaurant’s can’t-miss dishes.

Beginning with a mouth-watering selection of seafood from the Sea Bar, diners can choose from sustainable shellfish such as Pacific Olympic oysters, Alaskan king crab and jumbo pink shrimp, in addition to a range of oysters from both the East and West Coasts. For appetizers, the crab cakes served with lump blue crab meat and blood orange marmalade are a favorite, as are the Berkshire Bacon wrapped diver scallops with black truffles and apple ponzu. But the main event is certainly the main course. The menu features a full range of steaks as part of the restaurant’s “modern classics” selection. Try the New York Steak with mushroom caps and carmelized onions or indulge in the restaurant’s signature “A La Carte Center Cuts,” an extensive assortment of meat and fish including an Australian Wagyu Tenderloin (served in 4- and 8-ounce cuts) and an 8-hour roasted Brandt Beef Prime Rib (served in 8- or 16-ounce cuts).

Whatever your preference, Center Cut is the perfect prelude to your night on the town. And thanks to an extensive cocktail list, it’s also a great spot for a nightcap too.