Lavinia at Home

We went to Duke Ocean Grill for dinner and were pleasantly surprised by the eclectic cuisine and atmosphere. The place is massive, but well furnished to meet the diverse tastes of its patrons whether they prefer to sit at the sushi bar, in the bar/lounge or at a private dining table. Duke Ocean Grill is the largest restaurant in Rockland County, so the odds of long wait-times seem slight. It seats 400 people and would be a great place for large parties. Located at 37 Route 303 in Tappan, NY (tel. (845) 680-6631), the restaurant is easy to find. The entrance features a welcoming lobby with a cascading waterfall and a fish-filled pond. This turned out to be our 2-year-old daughter’s favorite spot. Guests are warmly greeted by hostesses and taken to the area of your choice—that is, of course, based on availability. Tables were spacious; no need to rub elbows. The main room also boasts a sushi bar with a rotating display of sushi options on a tastefully dressed up conveyer belt.

The true test is always about the food, and we were not disappointed. The homemade bread was delicious, and they were gracious enough to send us home with a care package of additional slices of their delectably spiced bread. Their Vietnamese salad with fresh mint and scallops was extremely refreshing and tasty. We also tried Duke’s Sushi Deluxe, and the portion was so big, it was difficult to finish. The fish was fresh and simply prepared. We also feasted on the seafood platter with whole lobster, mussels and clams and a pasta dish with shrimps in a Pernod cream sauce. Both were delicious. Even the kid’s meals were worth it. We tried both the sushi rolls and quesadillas, and the portions were once again generous. Desserts were also sampled, and they made the grade as well.
We plan to go back again and sample many other menu options such as their aged steaks. Duke Ocean Grill is worth the visit.

Restaurant Type: Steakhouse

Our Rating: 9

Food: 9 • Service: 9 • Décor: 9 • Atmosphere: 9 • Price: $$$

We had very good dinner at Bobby Van’s Steakhouse. This was location at New York City
135 W. 50th Street (Bet. 6th & 7th Avenues), Tel.: 212-957-5050. The very first Bobby Van’s restaurant was opened in Bridgehampton, Long Island in 1969. He was a piano player and actor who loved to perform and entertain friends at his home in the Hamptons area. There are also Bobby Van’s Steakhouses at 230 Park Avenue (46th Street, Tel.: 212-867-5490), 25 Broad Street (Tel.: 212-344-8463) and 131 E. 54th Street (Tel.: 212-207-8050). Also they have two restaurants in Washington D.C. at 809 15th Street N.W. (Tel.: 202-589-0060) and 1201 New York Avenue (Tel.: 202-589-1504).

We started with good appetizers and had great steaks with side dishes. I had the sirloin, which I really enjoyed. You are guaranteed the very best meats. The prices are not cheap, but the portions are enormous. I’ll definitely try out their other locations.

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Restaurant Type: Steakhouse

Our Rating: 8.8

Food: 9 • Service: 9 • Décor: 9 • Atmosphere: 9 • Price: 8

We have been in Craftsteak twice and both times we had great experience and meals. It’s located in the MGM Grand Hotel, 3799 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, Phone: 702-891-1111.

The service was outstanding, an enjoyable upscale dining experience. Last time I had the kobe steak tartar, which was unbelievable tasty and pretty huge portion. The porterhouse steak for two is perfect. The vegetable side dishes were excellent.

Would I go back, yes, and I would recommend it, but be prepared to spend $$$.

You want a juicy steak? This is the place. The Palm, located at the 837 2nd Ave (between 44th St & 45th St) Tel.; 212-687-2953. This is The Palm Restaurant’s flagship location and still in it’s original location. These restaurant was opened in 1926 by two Italian immigrants who wanted to call their restaurant Parma, but the city business registrar couldn’t understand their accents, so it became the Palm. The walls of The Palm are covered with caricatures of local notables and national celebrities that you won’t be able to take your eyes off the walls. The tradition started when John and Pio had no money to decorate. In a twist on the old saying “sing for your supper,” local newspapermen would draw a cartoon in exchange for a plate of spaghetti.

The Palm concentrates on an American menu – seafood and steaks. Certainly this is not the very best steak in NYC, but the food is great and the portions are huge.

When you become a member of the 837 Club, you`ll have the opportunity to earn special Club Points that entitle you to awards and special members-only benefits courtesy of The Palm.

Not a great place for a diet. But if you’re looking for a place with amazing history and a great story that screams “NEW YORK” – this is it. It’s something to do at least once in your life…and go to the original, not Palm Too across the street!

This is probably in top 10 steak places in NYC. Come and try for yourself….. if you have about $150 to spare for two.

“BLT” brings to mind “Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato” for most, but for gourmets and foodies in New York, DC and Puerto Rico, BLT is a Bistro franchise named after Executive Chef Laurent Tourondel. BLT Prime is the latest in Tourondel’s specialty line of restaurants featuring high-quality, dry-aged Black Angus prime beef. Located in the Gramercy Park neighborhood of Manhattan (111 East 22nd Street, between Park and Lexington Avenues.; Telephone: 212-995-8500), this clean line, modern décor steakhouse is popular for business and pleasure. Its sky lights provide a bright open atmosphere and its bar scene and mouth-watering food draw customers back for more.

The menu, accompanied by friendly wait staff, guides diners to steakhouse bliss, providing an education on various cuts of meat and recommendations for scrumptious side dishes and savory sauces. In addition to the Certified Black Angus or USDA Prime steaks, BLT Prime offers American and Japanese Kobe Beef, Lamb, Chicken and Fish.

To start, diners are presented with piping-hot gruyiere cheese-crusted popovers and pate with toast points. They’re delicious, so be careful, you may not leave enough space for your main meal.  During our recent visit, we ordered a flavorful New York strip and tried both the horseradish and red wine sauces. We also enjoyed side dishes of creamy spinach and Parmesan gnocchi, both served in cast iron cocottes. We suggest sharing a few with the table. Rest assured, your taste buds will be happy. We never made it to desserts, but they looked great. If they are anything like the desserts served at its sister restaurant BLT Steak, you won’t be disappointed.

While we did not use it, the private event space downstairs is attractively decorated and spacious. Typical attire is business causal to dressy. Prices are in line with other prime beef steakhouses. If you are not used to these types of venues, they meat prices are high. Net-net, we would recommend this place to steaks lovers.