Shula's Steakhouse: A Weeknight in New York City - Part 2 of 2
Written: Mar 30 '04 (Updated Feb 28 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Good selection of menu items. Excellent sides/salds. Steaks were good - not exceptional.
Cons: Ghastly prices that'll make you think twice about returning for an encore visit.
The Bottom Line: Despite the high prices, the Shula/Dolphin-centric decor, and the 'good' steaks, this is still an above-average dining experience. Just take out a home equity loan and you're set...
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On to part 2 of my series regarding a weeknight in New York City - a Christmas gift I 'gave' my wife this past holiday.
Part 1, if you missed it, can be viewed at: http://www.epinions.com/content_134592761476
Now that we had settled into our luxurious hotel room at the Westin Times Square hotel, it was time to find a suitable restaurant to dine at prior to our 8pm show.
It was my intention, from the get-go, to dine at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse - see one of my earliest reviews at http://www.epinions.com/content_21412875908. Ruth's Chris has been a favorite of ours for quite some time and, considering it's not overly kid-friendly, it had been quite some time since my wife and I had succumbed to the butter-sizzled steaks that they offer.
But even as I was getting off of the phone with the restaurant to establish our reservations, my eye caught an advertisement in the hotel directory.
Shula's Steakhouse
I had heard, many times in the past, that Shula's steakhouse - a small country-wide chain - was considered among the best in the states. And, as luck would have it, the restaurant was located right in the hotel.
I gazed out of the floor-to-ceiling windows of our room to witness a slight drizzle beginning to fall on NYC. Ruth's Chris was a solid 10-15 minute walk from the hotel. The sound of the shower wafted out of the 'heavenly' bathroom - she was getting ready for the night on the town.
I had to make the call. Do we stick to the plan and go to Ruth's Chris steak house, or do we take in a dinner at a restaurant owned by Football's winningest coach?
Now, being a Jets fan, I have no love for Mr. Shula. But I do love steaks.
The drizzle intensified - or so I told myself - into a steadier rain - and there wasn't an umbrella in sight.
"Well, maybe I'll just call to see if they have an available table..."
Yep - table available. Shower still going. I shouldn't interrupt her.
Oh the heck with it - let's try something different for a change.
So, I canceled the reservations at Ruth's Chris and switched them for reservations at Shula's.
A shiver hit me - just for a moment. I'd soon find out why.
The shower stopped, I slid the door open slightly, allowing steam to escape.
She said "Hi" and smiled, as I handed her the smallest wash cloth I could find.
"Change of dinner plans" I added as she rolled her eyes at the wash cloth.
"Oh?" she queried.
"It's raining - and there's a good steakhouse in the hotel I thought we'd try" I continued.
"Sounds good..." she said as she pulled a larger towel from the rack before I pulled it back.
Ahem. In the interest of keeping this G-rated, we'll just skip ahead to the actual restaurant/dinner section of the review.
:-)
Besides, she'd slap me silly if I continued writing down that avenue...
So - on to Shula's Steakhouse which was a quick 22-second elevator ride down from our room.
The atmosphere and decor of NYC's version of Shula's is what immediately hits you upon entering the restaurant. Everything is adorned in a rich, dark cherry wood with soft lighting throughout the restaurant.
But more so than the fine wood accents, the one piece of decor that no one could miss were the countless - and I mean countless - large black and white photographs of Don Shula, the Miami Dolphins and other assorted foot ball visuals.
Now, as stated, I'm a Jets fan. Jets and Dolphins don't mix. And seeing that I was in the heart of NYC, I was actually a little surprised at the Dolphin-centric atmosphere of the restaurant. Yes, I found one picture of Joe Namath, stuck in the corner. Aside from that it was Shula & Dolphins. Dolphins & Shula. Shula & Shula.
Oh, and more Shula.
Ok - it's his restaurant, but I was already wondering if this was a good choice. Ah, but that's me.
As we were shown to our small table, the waiter handed my wife a standard menu and I, in turn, was handed an official NFL football with the steak selections expertly painted on one side.
I thought this was a bit cheesy - more suited for a Hooters restaurant than a 4-star NYC steakhouse - but I couldn't help but toss the ball around a little - until I almost knocked over my wife's glass of wine.
I quickly opted for a traditional menu which, as steakhouses go, did offer quite a large selection of choices. As with Ruth's Chris steakhouse, just about everything was served ala carte.
Translation - the menu was pricey as 'nothing' was included with the dishes.
We both ordered a 12 ounce Filet Mignon, cooked medium. We also both ordered a Caesar Salad. I ordered a double-baked potato to her single-baked potato (hey, we can't order everything alike). We then moved on to a massive piece of chocolate cake for dessert.
So, starting off with the salad, this was one of the best Caesar salads I've had in a long time. Each piece of lettuce was lightly coated with a flavorful, but not overpowering Caesar dressing. Sprinkled with grated parmesan cheese and topped with a few croutons, this was almost a meal in its self. Exceptional, without question.
After a moderate wait - about 15 minutes - our main course finally arrived. Both steaks were cooked to perfection - seared on the outside, slightly pink on the inside. Now clearly I didn't see the steaks before they were cooked, but my first impression was that these were not 12 ounce filets. Closer to 8 if anything. But a steak will shrink and lose some weight while being cooked, so I let it go.
The Angus beef Filet's were very tender - as any good filet should be - and they were moderately flavorful. I'm not one to add anything to a steak like steak sauce, ketchup (egad!) or an abundance of salt, pepper or other spices. To me, a truly good steak will reveal its flavor without the aid of outside influences.
That being said, I was satisfied with the flavor of this steak, but I wasn't blown away as I expected to be. It was 'good'. My wife echoed my sentiments as I asked her opinion. But as she re-adjusted her white napkin, my thoughts shot to the wash cloth I gave her a few short hours ago.
But I digress.
Our potatoes - interestingly enough - were absolutely superb. My wife's simple baked potato, with bacon and cheese was enormous and absolutely baked to perfection.
My double-baked potato was a work of art. Coated with flavorful mozzarella and cheddar cheese and sprinkled with flecks of onions and green peppers, this potato was a joy to eat.
Finally, both stuffed from the generous portions of our complete meal, we opted to share a gargantuan piece of chocolate cake. It, too, was good - perhaps better than good. But at nearly $10 a slice, I expected a bit more.
And therein lies the problem.
The dinner described above, including two glasses of wine, came to nearly...
get this...
$180.00
No typo's this time, folks.
That's $180 smackers. Without TIP.
$180 and I had to stare at a picture of Shula all night long.
Was it a good dinner? Absolutely. Very good. The service was exceptional, albeit a tad slow, the selection of food - especially for a steakhouse was nicely varied. The Times Square location was convenient if nothing else.
But could it have been better? Yes, in some ways - the food was good - not exceptional. The prices were absurd.
Was it worth it?
Ah, no.
Look - there was nothing special here. We ordered, to be fair, 24 ounces of Filet Mignon, a head of lettuce, some dressing, two large potatoes and some cheese. Plus the wine and cake.
Two weeks later, I reproduced the exact meal at home - with a more flavorful steak, and it cost me a mere $22.
Ok - so NYC restaurants gorge their prices. Fine. But that's a bit excessive.
So, if your a Dolphins fan, have $200 to blow, and are hungry for good steaks, then walk on in to Shula's.
As for me, I'll stick with Ruth's Chris steakhouse in the future.
For a complete listing of the NYC menu, see: http://www.donshula.com/steakhouse/newyork/menu.htm
Now, where did I put that wash cloth...
-John
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
jag2112
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Member: John
Location: Clinton, NJ
Reviews written: 304
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The writer stares with glassy eyes...
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