After several trips to NYC where we had consumed massive amounts of meat at Peter Luger’s in Brooklyn, my long time dining companion and I decided to give the competition some of our business and spend the evening in Manhattan. It was a good idea. Ben & Jack’s, as we were lead to believe, were former employees of Peter Luger’s who wanted to create a more upscale establishment, serving the same quality dry aged beef as Luger’s. Similarities in food selection were quite apparent and went a long way in keeping us happy with our meal. Dining at Ben & Jack’s was like ordering at Peter Luger’s and being served on white linens instead of funky wooden tables, but better.
First of all, if we are to compare the two establishments, you could actually sit down at the bar without being jostled from behind by the numerous customers awaiting their tables; that was a big plus. Better yet, they served house made potato chips with your drink order; I don’t even recall whether or not Luger’s had snacks, but with all the waiting one did even with a confirmed reservation, they should have. The chips were excellent, thin, crispy, salty; just as good as they looked.
Two classic Luger items were available from the Ben & Jack’s menu, onion rolls and thick cut bacon. Both were as good as those served at Luger’s; identical in fact. We were very happy to see both, but when looking at the side dishes, there was a selection of salads that was far superior. Ben & Jack’s offers a classic Cesar salad with a very good dressing, and a mixed salad with several choices for dressing. Make mine Thousand Island. We truly appreciated an option besides tomatoes or onions and tomatoes. As good as they are with Luger sauce poured over them, I cannot consider either Luger choice a proper salad. Clearly, at this point in the meal service, one would not hesitate to choose Ben & Jack’s.
Now that the discussion has turned to “sides”, it might be worthwhile to mention that we enjoyed both the baked potato and creamed spinach. Peter Luger’s has a slight edge on the creamed spinach, but where they really shine is in the Luger Sauce. Ben & Jack’s version was good, but when compared directly with Luger Sauce, it can’t hold a candle to it. They may look the same, but the taste is very different.
The meat compared favorably and for once, there was no thought concerning a “fair share”. It was a pleasure to be able to offer what I couldn’t finish to my dining companion who generally likes to eat more meat than I do, and is not adverse to sharing meals. At Peter Luger’s we always order “steak for two”. Theoretically it should be split equally, but it almost never is. Must one keep track of what remains on the platter, to avoid losing one’s share of the filet? What happens when one person eats faster than the other? Is that person entitled to take more? Since Ben & Jack’s offers individual steaks, these esoteric dilemmas never manifest themselves. Service was good and ambience would have been too except for the woman at the next table who thought we might enjoy hearing her read the riot act to her husband with language so “peppery” it would have made a sailor blush! That poor man couldn’t get a word into the conversation, nor could he finish his dinner. It was truly an “only in New York” moment, that dragged on for a little under an hour!
| 219 East 44th Street (between 3rd & 2nd Avenues) New York, NY 10017 (2120 682-5678 M-Th 11:30a.m. – 10:30p.m. Fri 11:30a.m. – 11:00p.m. Sat 12:00p.m. – 11:00p.m. Sun 3:00p.m. – 10:00p.m. |
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