26 Little West 12th (near 9th Ave)
646-624-2444
Rating: The food is addictive; the crowd is a bad trip.
Cuisine: American/Steak
Entree Price: $26-$34
Hours: Open every day from 5:30PM-2AM
Most addictive dish: lamb porterhouse
Review
"STK is a New York Restaurant,” at least that is what the staff kept telling me over and over. In fact, the bartender repeated it with so much energy that I wanted to hand her some sort of "New York Restaurant Pride" flag that she could wave as she described the place. "We take our drinks and our customers very seriously," she said. (pause) Okaayyy. She then told me about the bar downstairs called Tenjune and said, “we let people down there at our discretion.” What? Did she really just say that? I wonder if those fake horns on the wall behind her (picture at right) came from her head. Anyway (reeling in my ADD now), at STK you'll find plenty of banker look-a-likes, tourists and a few BMW-driving-Long-Islanders, all of whom want to dine at a “New York Restaurant.” But after a short while, you might be left asking yourself, "Am I in NYC or Los Angeles?"
If you can overlook the snobnoxious crowd, you’ll find an interior that is actually very cool. Funky lights suspended by long, super-thin cords, strange white tusks jutting out from the bar and black leather banquets give the space a hip, fun vibe. Though, the shiny, purple fireplace cheapens the effect a little.
The food is surprisingly good, bordering on great at times. The salads are crisp, fresh and flavorful. The foie gras French toast and the carpaccio were dizzyingly good. The skate was a little underwhelming, but the steaks we tasted were well-prepared, had lots of flavor, and were cooked perfectly. Executive chef Todd Miller, who has worked with many of the big names in the industry (Rocco Dispirito and Jean Georges just to name a couple), has created a crowd-pleasing menu that rarely disappoints.
So, if you can ignore the crowd around you (or you’re in the mood for that sort of schmooziness), and you’re in the area, STK is cool space with very good food.