Where to Dine - New York City 2009 - page 81

Strip House STEAK With a photo gallery of seminude bur-
lesque performers decorating the red velvet walls, burgundy ban-
quettes, and a steady flow of lounge music, you may, as I once did,
mistakenly refer to the Strip House as the Strip Club. But despite the
faux- Playboy look, the decadence here is in the titanic portions of
perfectly charred and seasoned red meat, specifically, the strip steak.
I had the strip on the bone that I still remember with fondness. The
filet mignon is simply and impeccably prepared and the porterhouse
for two, carved at your table, is in the Peter Luger league. The sides
are variations on the standards: creamed spinach with black truffles,
french fries with herbs and garlic, and, best of all, the crisp goose-fat
potatoes. Is goose fat a good fat or a bad fat? Only your dietician
knows for sure. Desserts are monumental, especially the multilayered
chocolate cake, so ask for extra forks. With the exception of the ban-
quettes, seating is tight.
13 E. 12th St. (btwn University Place and Fifth Ave.). & 212/328-0000. www.strip
house.net Reservations recommended. Main courses $28-$51. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V.
Mon-Thurs & Sun 5-11pm; Fri-Sat 5pm-midnight. Subway: L, N, R, Q, 4, 5, 6 to 14th
St./Union Sq.
INEXPENSIVE
The original John's Pizzeria is at 278 Bleecker St., near Seventh
Avenue ( & 212/243-1680; see “Pizza, New York-Style,” on p. 94).
Also, you'll find Murray's Bagels at 500 Sixth Ave., between 12th
and 13th streets ( & 212/466-2830; see “The Hole Truth: N.Y.'s
Best Bagels,” on p. 88).
7 Chelsea
To locate the restaurants in this section, see the map on p. 82.
EXPENSIVE
Buddakan ASIAN My expectations of Buddakan were of a
loud, dance club scene in a 16,000-square-feet bi-level space where
the food would be showy, but flavorless. I was right about the loud,
scene, but wrong about the food. The “Brasserie” is the main dining
room on the lower level and the steps can seem steep after a few cock-
tails in the upstairs lounge such as the signature Heat, a combination
of tequila, Cointreau, and chilled cucumbers. To fortify yourself after
those cocktails, don't hesitate to order some of Buddakan's superb
appetizers like the edamame dumplings, the crab and corn fritters,
and the crispy calamari salad. In fact, you can make your meal out of
appetizers—the extensive menu works best for large parties and has