My 9th Grade World Geography teacher, Mrs. Kotheimer used to say that she was a pantyhose teacher, No Nonsense. She also said that if you weren’t careful, you’d learn something everyday. Yesterday I learned that if you have a gift certificate to
Peter Luger Steak House , you can apply the left over money not spent on food, to the tip. I thought that since we had a gift certificate, the tip would come out of our pocket because it’s a service fee separate from the cost of the certificate. Matt, Diana and I debated over this issue, but he won. Hell, we all won by me being wrong! For a few bucks, we were able to enjoy what people say is the best meat in town.
Diana is a lover of food; however, she’s not eating meat these days. So she ordered the tuna salad. Our waiter, John, who could have played a cop on the Law and Order beat, informed her that she was the first customer to order the dish and it would most likely be a can of tuna on a piece of lettuce. She quickly decided to get the grilled salmon and the creamed spinach. She said the fish was good, but I didn’t feel like trying it.
For me and Matt, it was all about the meat. We split the ½ lb cheeseburger and steak for one (37.95). We jumped on the burger because it’s only served at lunch time which is until 3pm, and and ten bucks, it’s also one of the cheapest items on the menu. I’ve heard it’s one of the best in town because of the quality of the meat. This is a good thing because the medium-well, was actually rare, as you can see in the picture. The bottom bun was like a maxed out pantyliner. I didn’t eat it, which is fine because I had already loaded up on carbs with the free breadbasket. My favorite roll was the seeded rye with rock salt on top slathered with butter. The golden fries were also awesome, especially dipped in the dreamy creamed spinach.
When John brought out the steak, the sputtering of the hot grease on the plate reminded me of the entrance applause when I saw Liev Shreiber step out on the Talk Radio stage on Broadway. The supporting dishes are all great, but the steak is the star of the show. When the steak for two came out for another table, the meat was actually on fire! I wish I had filmed the way the steak is served because it was another reminder of how eating at Peter Luger is an Old New York experience. I imagine the way John served the steak pieces was the way it was done over 100 years ago when the place opened. Using two spoons like tongs to place the meat on my plate, he carefully spooned some of the butter juice onto two chunks. Diana asked what makes the steak taste so good. I should have said something about the dry aging process is like cheese aging, it adds flavor or something smart. I think I just said something like, steak good. I rarely eat them, but eating steak, really anything on the bone like ribs or a drumstick just feels primal. The broiler makes a slight char on the outside that contrasts with the tender inside, so when you chew, there’s a light crunch as your incisors slide into the meat. Matt said that if he wasn’t facing some loverly Brazilian girls at the next table, he would have gnawed at the bone. He also liked the steak sauce. I thought it was too sweet and overpowered the meat flavor.
We agreed that the hot fudge sundae seemed like a good idea, but once we got it, I could have done without it. I thought their famous Schlag, German for whipped cream tasted funny, like Cool Whip mixed with cream so stiff that it’s almost butter.
But it didn’t matter. It was such a treat, literally and figuratively to experience Peter Luger. I’ve only been to fake ranch steakhouses near the highway in Plano, TX. They don’t have the history or authenticity that you feel sitting at those weathered farmhouse wood tables. The seats have rickety bentwood backs and dark beams cross white plaster walls decorated with huge German beer steins. The service has been reported as gruff, but it’s like Mrs. K, full of character and no nonsense. Just the way I like it.
178 Broadway @ Driggs Ave
Williamsburg Brooklyn
