Always Hungry: Mo’s New York Grill (New Rochelle)

Arthur Bovino — April 13, 2010

20 oz. Rib Eye Steak with Au Gratin Potatoes, Sautéed Spinach, Crispy Onions at Mo’s New York Grill.

Restaurant: Mo’s New York Grill
Address: 14 Memorial Highway, New Rochelle, NY
Hours: Tues-Fri, 11:00am-10:00pm; Sat, 12:00pm-10:00pm; Sun, 12:00pm-9:00pm; Closed Mon.
Contact: (914) 632-1442
Grade: B-
Recommended Dishes: Panama Special, Pork Osso Bucco, Rib Eye Steak.

Even after all these years, when number 42 leaves the bullpen at Yankee Stadium and jogs across center field to the mound, you know that barring an extraordinary bloop single, things will be fine. At Mo’s New York Grill, Mariano Rivera’s restaurant in New Rochelle, the servers sport his number too— it’s a nice detail. While the food is decent, and the idea behind the menu is sound— a few Latin touches that reflect Mo’s Panamanian heritage— seeing that 42 as the food is served won’t inspire the same supremely high level of confidence.

Photographs of the Food at Mo's >>

Always Hungry: Strip House

March 10, 2010

Roasted Bacon with Boston Lettuce & Russian Dressing, Sliced Rib Eye Steak, Black Truffle Creamed Spinach, and the Strip House Chocolate Cake.

In today’s review, Sam Sifton gets seduced by Strip House’s “generally marvelous” food and “often superb steak,” awarding the restaurant two stars. Well-deserved. In fact, we recently named it New York’s best steakhouse in Always Hungry’s Restaurant List: A Strategic Guide to New York Eating:

“The best steakhouse in New York. Not only is the steak great, but the appetizers, sides and desserts are next level as well. It is so rare to find a Steakhouse that performs from beginning to end. Order as follows. To start: a dozen Oysters, followed by a Tomato & Onion Salad, a Shrimp Cocktail, and an order of thick-cut Bacon. Consume all in combination. For steak, get the 22 Oz. Bone In Rib Eye. For sides, the Black Truffle Creamed Spinach and Crisp Goose Fat Potatoes. For dessert, the world famous multi-layered Strip House Chocolate Cake.”

Best of 2009: Trends and 2010 Predictions

Jeff Zalaznick — December 23, 2009

It’s that time of year again. Time for reflection and prediction. As we leave the aughts behind, we look back at the trends that changed New York City’s food landscape in 2009 and ponder what’s in store for 2010. We are going to take a positive spin: those that we hope will remain and those we eagerly anticipate.

TRENDS 2009

1. Best Steaks, Not From a Steakhouse New York has always been known for our steakhouses, but this year the best meat was ripped from the house’s hands and put into the control of some of the city’s best restaurants. Much of this loosened grip has to do with the all-star quality and distribution ability of Pat LaFrieda (watch video). Though I love me a Porterhouse at Peter Luger’s, a Rib-eye at Strip House and a Double Eagle Strip at Del Frisco’s, they have been surpassed by the Côte de Boeuf at Minetta Tavern, the Rib-eye for Two at Locanda Verde, the Strip at Marea. The list goes on and on. It was also the year that the bone in rib-eye finally rose up to overtake the porterhouse as King of all Steaks. It was only a matter of time. This is a major advancement across the board.

2. Haute Dogs The hot dog went gourmet and I am not complaining. Crif Dogs has been doing impressive things with the genre for a while now (though their new usage of “everything bagel spice” is very exciting), but restaurants like DBGB, Fatty Crab UWS and Cabrito are jumping into the mix with some seriously delicious contenders. This is one that I think will continue to grow in the next year.

3. Omnipresent Octopus Seriously, think about every restaurant you’ve visited lately and ask yourself if there was octopus on the menu. I guarantee that more often than not, no matter the cuisine or price-range, this cephalopod was probably present. And why not? It’s economical to serve, and recently, the average rendition is fabulous. I am so happy that chefs have finally learned how to prepare it so well, leaving the chewy childhood memories behind. Also, keep an eye out for sweetbreads, I think that they are starting to fall into the same category.

PREDICTIONS 2010

1. Artisanal Italian beer everywhere.
2. Large-format alternative (not steak or chicken) proteins for two.
3. Lamb belly becomes the new pork belly.
4. Italian Small Plate (aka “Stuzzichini”) Restaurants
5. Brain is the hot new Offal
6. Mexican Infusion: Fusion Cuisine and Sandwich Revolution.

Featured Desserts: Porterhouse Cake & Baked Potato Ice Cream

The Gluttoness — September 30, 2009

Dylan Prime’s Chocolate “Porterhouse” for Two: Red Velvet “N.Y. Strip,” Frozen Mousse “Filet,” and White Chocolate Bone, $24.00.

Porterhouse and a baked potato are a classic steakhouse combination. The steak’s bloody juices mix with the melted butter used to cook it, creating an obvious dipping sauce for the potatoes. Things don’t get more savory than this. But this classic combination of steak and potatoes is now getting even sweeter. Two restaurants have cleverly turned them into decadent desserts made to satisfy even the most demanding sweet tooth.

Dylan Prime’s (view) clever Chocolate Porterhouse is just as big as the real thing. The dessert even mimics the steak’s proportion of N.Y. Strip to filet: a white chocolate “bone” separates Red Velvet Cake and Chocolate Mousse Cake. Both are covered with a dark chocolate shell as if they had been seared on a flaming griddle, and raspberry purée replicates the natural juices that seep from a freshly cooked steak. A cross-section reveals how the red velvet cake emulates a rare steak, while the chocolate mousse appears more well-done. This cake can’t compete with what you’ll find in the best bakery, but whipped cream and raspberry sauce make everything better, and you won’t have to worry about taking your Lipitor.

Continue Reading >>

AlwaysInvestigating: NYY Steak (New York Yankees Steak)

Arthur Bovino — May 13, 2009

The dining room at NYY Steak in Yankee Stadium.

Having thoroughly sampled the ballpark food in the new Yankee Stadium, it was time that Always Hungry visited New York Yankees Steak, the New York Yankees’ organizational attempt at creating refined dining in the new cathedral in the Bronx.

A Dish-by-Dish at NYY Steak >>

AlwaysInformed: Sometimes I Dream

Jeff Zalaznick — March 04, 2009

There are few things in life that I like more than steak, but Michael Jordan happens to be one of them. When he opened his eponymous steakhouse in Grand Central Station in August 1998, I was so excited that I celebrated my 14th birthday there a few days after they opened the doors. But, after all of the excitement, I quickly learned that they served surprisingly good steak (Michael does everything like a champion), but that there was not much inherent MJ to be found there. I gave up on this “Best of Both Worlds” scenario and moved on with my life.

Enter Michael Jordan Steaks, launched over a month ago, I feel like my prayers have been answered. MJ Steaks not only can potentially bring me good eating, but, much more importantly, have given my computer a new homepage. A place that I can go to look at pictures of Michael Jordan, pictures of steak, and pictures of Michael Jordan with steak. In short, heaven on earth. Talk about food porn!

More MJ >>

AlwaysTraveling: Barclay Prime

The Gluttoness — February 08, 2009

Considering his tremendous success reinventing Buddakan and Morimoto in the Big Apple, there’s been buzz that Steven Starr has plans to bring a steakhouse to Wall Street. If he continues the trend of duplicating his Philadelphia stalwarts, then the steak-centric Starr venture may be a carbon copy of Barclay Prime on Rittenhouse Square. What separates Barclay Prime is their extensive selection of steak knives from Shun to Wusthof, offered in a seductive library setting that’s both manly and modern—oh, and their famed $100 Cheesesteak composed of Kobe beef, sauteéd foie gras, melted Taleggio cheese and truffles (pictured). I hopped back to my hometown for a carnivorous feast and felt it was only fitting to share the acclaimed Starr-standard for steakhouses, as it may soon be coming to a neighborhood near you.

AlwaysInformed: Ariete Steakhouse Grill

The Gluttoness — September 11, 2008

The toaster is already a magical machine. It can turn an already delicious bagel into…well, something even better. Now, Ariete has taken the obvious next step and applied this easy-cooking toaster methodology to making perfect, hassle-free steak with the Ariete Steakhouse Grill. Granted, chefs of any level will scoff, but for $270, this sleek kitchen appliance will not only look sharp on your counter, but it will also grill a juicy steak to your preferred temperature at the touch of a button. Not to mention, limited clean up and perfect quadrillage grill marks to impress the ladies.

Yes, in this uniquely awesome situation, you can actually buy that sort of convenience…

The Round-Up: Thinking Outside the Steakhouse

August 20, 2008

Steakhouses may be the obvious choice when looking for a place to get a prime cut of beef, but according to Time Out New York they aren’t your only option. Below is a list of NYC eateries giving steakhouses a run for their money. (8/14-8/20)

Morandi: 40-ounce Porterhouse for Two ($78)

Loreley: 12-ounce Boneless Strip Steak ($22)

Prune: 32-ounce Grilled Prime Ribeye Steak for Two ($46)

Employees Only: 28-ounce Seared Ribeye ($38)

Convivium Osteria: 48-ounce Roasted Ribeye for Two ($72)

Gotham Bar & Grill: 13-ounce Grilled New York Strip Steak ($44)

Great Moments in Food History: Fine Dining Hits America

July 09, 2008

Originally opened as a pastry shop in 1827 by brothers John and Peter Delmonico, Delmonico’s was first considered a restaurant in 1830 and is credited as being one of the first fine dining establishments in America. By August of 1837, all construction on the full-service William Street restaurant was complete and celebrities from around the world flocked to what they called “The Citadel” to enjoy gourmet à la carte cuisine as well as a separate wine list—the first of its kind. Still open (and crowded) today, Delmonico’s is regarded as one of the longest continuously running restaurants in American history.