For our last restaurant week meal for the season (so my waistline hopes), Mika and I joined Monkey and Buddha for a steak dinner at Bobby Van's Steakhouse down in the Financial District. The bar was packed with finance types when we came in, making you think, "Recession? What recession?"
I picked the grilled portobello mushroom with goat cheese for my appetizer. YUM. The portobello tasted rich and earthy, and that great slab of goat cheese was delectably creamy. Feeling overwhelmed with so many successive rich meals, I went with salmon rather than steak tonight. I was intrigued about the salmon being horseradish crusted, but truthfully I tasted no horseradish when I had it. I was happy though because I asked for my salmon to be cooked medium rare and they delivered. The pink meat was beautifully moist and flaky. Mika went with the sirloin, which was quite good but not extraordinary. The meat was juicy, well-seasoned, and a good size. Linda had the filet mignon, which I originally really wanted. The edges were too well done, but the steak was generally good. The garlic mashed potates were super garlicky, creamy and delish. The creme brulee I picked was good, but paled in comparison to Buddha's light-as-air chocolate mousse and Mika's scrumptious bread pudding. Oh my god, I wanted to marry that bread pudding, it was so good.
The meal was made that much more interesting when a waiter suddenly hugged Mika just as we were about to dig into our apps. It turns out they knew each other from the pool community. He gave us a round of Moscato and several rounds of belly laughs from his hilarious stories. The meal was definitely great value for money. I was so full afterward that I could barely close the clasp of my pants. Or was that maybe a result of weeks of indulging? Hmm. Salad diet starts tomorrow!
Bobby Van's Steakhouse is located at 25 Broad Street, New York. Tel. 212-344-8463
