By Christopher A. Pape
Expertly prepared meat, fine wine, class. If the previous sentence failed to grab your attention in all three parts, then perhaps it is best you turn the page as there is not much else to discuss when it comes to the excellence of Vic and Anthony’s Steakhouse. Exclusivity is the order of the day, with only four restaurants nationwide; we are lucky that Manhattan is such a magnet.
Beginning in reverse order to the opening line of the preceding paragraph, the first outstanding aspect of this establishment is its class. While they do not demand blazers and ties for entry, everyone must be well-dressed and they will not tolerate shorts, hats, flip flops or the like. It is no surprise that this has become a popular choice for wedding receptions and business meetings and the management has acknowledged such in offering private rooms. The style of the décor and layout is, dare I say, somewhat reminiscent of a high-end 1920’s English restaurant; a pre-war Ritz, if you will.
This sense of extravagance is reflected in the quite spectacular array of wine on offer. Vic and Anthony’s takes pride in importing wine from around the globe and has amassed easily more than a thousand different wines, resulting in a number of prestigious awards including the Award of Ultimate Distinction from Wine Enthusiast in 2006. Here, wine is more than just a sideshow to keep your meal company, as there are regular wine events in which the said drink becomes the center of attention.
Now to get to the meat of the restaurant, forgive the pun. As you will have gathered from the name, steak is its obvious forte, but this is a restaurant of many talents and can prepare all the best from seafood and poultry. The staff goes a long way to ensure that the meals taste as good as they look, which is a difficult level of consistency to maintain but maintain it does. For the height of elegance, I recommend choosing the Petrossian Caviar; a dish of Armenian descent from a country, which has condensed two millennia’s worth of perfecting food preparation into one entrée.
Also loved was the calamari served with sweet and spicy peppers. The interplay between texture and flavors was excellent and certainly different (in a good way) from what was expected. Mention of course must be made of their steak. Here their bone-in ribeye reigns supreme. With succulent tenderness and seasoning that surpasses any other steakhouse - it is a must have.
If you are reading this now, then you were either won over after the sixth word or you were skeptical and have now surely now switched sides. Words, however, cannot always do the subject justice. So, if you think this was good, then just wait until you get there!
Vic and Anthony’s
233 Park Avenue South
Manhattan, NY 10003
(212) 220-9200
