Peter Luger

The name "Peter Luger" had been uttered by friends and family for years.  I first heard it sometime during elementary school.  My friend Chris had moved to Florida and had been fortunate enough to go.  The namesake restaurant sounded impossibly lavish.  Kids tend to exaggerate.  The name would remain synonomous with class and quality.  A brand like Ralph Lauren or something.  More stories would come in adulthood. The steaks were to die for.  Some thought there were ties to the Mafia.  They only took cash (and the house credit card).

Back on the sixteenth, I finally made it to Williamsburg.  It was a birthday celebration with family.  I tried not to hype it in my mind too much.  I've been disappointed before. There were thoughts that maybe this place was at least as good as Musso & Frank's out in L.A., which I visited in 2013. The moment I saw the exterior, I knew it was something special.  The ambience hit long before we sat down.  I was waiting for the rudeness I had heard about to swell.  Didn't take long - the host was short with us when our party got separated on the way to the table. When we gave him the name for the reservation, he quickly snapped "...Doesn't help me!"  But that's the Old New York I remember, and miss sometimes.  NYC is a very different place these days.  You have to chuckle when Yelp reviews dock Peter Luger several stars for having caustic staff.  Our waiter was pleasant enough.

We ordered the "Steak for Three".  Medium rare.  The menu is simple. You can also order home style chicken, filet of sole, salmon, or lamb.  My father ordered the ribeye.  Medium.  The dry-aged USDA Prime Beef is sliced up for you. Mouthwatering.  It's hard not to use time worn descriptors for a great steak. We had a few bottles of Poseidon red wine.  The mixed green salad was also good, as was the thick bacon, creamed spinach, and German Fried Potatoes, though honestly there may be better side dishes at Keen's in Manhattan. No matter.  The entire experience works for a memorable time.  The ancient walls with beer stein replicas in the moulding.  The mysterious other diners who show up without a reservation (you normally would need to book well in advance). One guy was wearing a backwards baseball cap.  The "Schlag" (whipped cream) that accompanies your dessert.  We had the apple strudel.  The musings as to whether an armored car pulls up every night to haul away all the cash (you can also pay with a debit card or a check).

You like steak? Go.  History (130 + years old, the third oldest steakhouse in NYC)? Go.

178 Broadway

Brooklyn, N.Y. 11211

718-387-7400

also in Long Island:

255 Northern Blvd.

Great Neck, N.Y. 11021

516-487-8800