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While we lay in wait for the new and improved $7 billion dollar Penn Station, developers have already spun up a new neighborhood around the transportation hub. The emerging locale dubbed the Penn District has begun to welcome everyday travelers and loads of tourists with retail, bars and eateries that trump the last-standing Sbarro in Manhattan.
Among Moynihan Train Hall’s bevy of businesses, including Alidoro, E.A.K Ramen and Jacob’s Pickles, you can get a solid Guinness pour and then some at The Irish Exit from the team behind The Dead Rabbit. Joining Los Tacos No. 1 on the pedestrian-only plaza on 33rd Street, Roberta’s opened a standalone location in Manhattan last year, replete with a grab-and-go slice shop and a rooftop that streams basketball games from the neighboring Madison Square Garden. And while casual, to-go restaurants make perfect sense in the transit-heavy area, the minds behind Sunday Hospitality (of Sunday in Brooklyn, Rule of Thirds and all of the F&B concepts inside Hotel Chelsea including the recently opened Teruko) figured that the concertgoers of Madison Square Garden deserved a nice sit-down something as well. Tapping into New York's steakhouses of yesteryear backed by some serious chef talent, the team opened The Dynamo Room on May 31st.
Modern steakhouse it may be, The Dynamo Room is quick to hit us with all the nostalgic feels. Referencing iconic eras from the atomic age to the space race, the interior designed by Evidence of Things features embroidered booths, mirrored and bronze elements and a massive Sputnik-styled sculpture with magnified lenses that hangs over the bar. Speaking of art, the larger-than-life portraits that dot the interior will rotate every six months, thanks to a partnership with KARMA Gallery. But if you'd rather admire the great outdoors, the space's indoor-outdoor patio welcomes nine to fivers to the late-night crowd over cushioned furniture, palm frond-like plants and lazily spinning black fans that help to push the air along. When things cool down, the patio can easily be closed off from the main room thanks to interlocking glass sliders.
The kitchen keeps it in the family as Sunday Hospitality’s co-founder Jaime Young is joined by head chef/partner Derek Boccagno, previously of Café Chelsea at Hotel Chelsea. Using chef Charles Ranhofer as a guide (the famous Victoria chef who put Delmonico's on the map back in the 19th century), the two straddle steakhouse classics alongside the ever-changing palates of the city.
“Our goal was to craft a menu that feels both timeless and forward-thinking, honoring the classics while introducing flavors that reflect the evolution of dining in New York," said Young in a press release.
Taking cues from New York’s storied oyster cellars, the menu starts with all of the tried-and-true raw selections: oysters, Maine mussels and littleneck clams. Showstoppers include impossibly thin slices of tuna and salmon found in Sicilian Crudo, finished with crushed pistachios, capers and a few glugs of good olive oil. The Chilled Deviled Lobster is also sure to turn heads, as plump lobster chunks served with deviled egg filling as a side are proudly served in the hollowed-out body of the beast. Soon, the back room will house a full raw bar for sitting and slurping.
Starters continue on with golden brown Parker House Rolls with glossy tops that shatter upon ripping and roasted bone marrow charred with a lashing of barbecue sauce. Meanwhile, the Smoked Cheddar Souffle is as appetizing on the eyes as it is on the tastebuds. Served at the table, a server carefully breaks through the airy top, filling the resulting crevice with molten cheese delicately poured from a silver ladle.
But if you came for steak, then steak you shall have. Eleven cuts of beef grace the menu at The Dynamo Room, from KC Strip Steak to 50-Day Dry-Aged Ribeye shareable for two or even three hungry souls. If the number of steaks on the menu intimidates you, fear not. Before an order is placed, servers present a tray of all of the prime cuts via a rolling cart, gently walking diners through marbled selections and dry-aged portions.
And if you are in need of a drink, industry veteran and Sunday Hospitality’s director of bars Brian Evans has mixed up a blend of old and new. Classic cocktails reign supreme with seven martinis on the menu (including the scotch-heavy Rob Roy priced at $41.95) next to tipplers that lean into the futuristic theme, such as the Saturn (gin, passion fruit, macadamia nut and makrut) and the Galaxy Surf Club (Greek gin, kalamata olive, yogurt whey and blanc de blanc). There's also a tight wine list, spirit-free drinks and even Miller High Life, if that is more of your speed.
And it wouldn't be a steakhouse without choice desserts, now, would it? Decadent finishers include thick slices of Carrot Cake and Triple Chocolate Layer Cake plus chocolate tarts bumped with a serving of caviar and gold leaf. But as we are in the season of ice cream, the Cherries Jubilee will keep you cool with glee, with spoonsful of fat cherries, ice cream, chunks of brown sugar and whipped cream.
Will The Dynamo Room help to add some legitimacy to New York's latest district? Make a visit to this stellar steakhouse and find out for yourself.