American Cut: A Steakhouse For The 21st Century

American Cut, chef Marc Forgione's new steakhouse located in New York's TriBeCa neighborhood, is reinventing the American steakhouse while keeping it classic at the same time. It's fun, lively, creative, and most importantly of all, the food is delicious.

We had the opportunity to dine there at the invitation of the restaurant, and (after resisting the urge to down way too many delicious everything bagel-topped biscuits) sampled the Diamond Jim Brady Oysters, the surf-and-turf, and the twice-baked potatoes. The oysters, a tribute to the way that the fabled glutton ate them, are doused in a cheesy, truffle-y béchamel sauce and champagne and baked. The result is insanely rich, creamy, and one heck of a baked oyster.

We ordered Forgione's signature chili lobster, a play on Malaysian chile crab that takes a whole, cut-up lobster and douses it in a spicy, buttery, Sriracha-kicked sauce, as an appetizer, but our server suggested that we try it as part of the surf-and-turf, which pairs it with a 42-ounce tomahawk rib-eye. We suggest that you order the two of them separately instead of together: when served on the same platter (top), the steak is sitting in a pool of the very spicy sauce, which can overpower its flavor. She was more than happy to have them separated, and the unadulterated steak was a thing of beauty: dry-aged for 21 days and sliced thick, it was perfectly charred, minerally, and full of flavor (you have the option of topping your steak with an egg, bacon, bone marrow, foie gras, chili lobster, or one of five sauces, but there's really no need for adulteration unless you want to show off). The chili lobster was spicy and rich, and the only thing it was missing was gold leaf. And as for the twice-baked potato, well, we could have eaten only that and left happy.

The room is inviting and as opulent as the food, with Art Deco touches and deep banquettes, and service is attentive and spot-on. As far as steakhouses go, American Cut is a temple to opulence and glamor. But the food is delicious, service is top-notch, and overall it's a great addition to the New York steakhouse scene.