Steakhouses are all over New York, but Reserve Cut is a kosher restaurant with no peers in the city, so, naturally, we invited it to hold court at Time Out Market New York. Learn how our market curation works here, but basically we tasted its food, reviewed the restaurant and, ultimately, recommended Reserve Cut for a coveted spot. Here’s why:
Kosher steakhouses may not be on the top of your restaurant hit list if you don’t follow the dietary practice, but that may change when you make your way to Reserve Cut, which is more of a stellar steakhouse that just happens to be kosher. Located inside the former Sho space in Fidi, a recent visit shed some light on why this spot stands above the rest in its category.
The 200-seat dining room is nothing short of eclectic, split in two by a long, ornate glass hallway displaying racks of Kosher wine. If you make your way to the half we were seated in, you’d be greeted by framed Japanese paint brushes hanging on the walls and a flat screen in the corner displaying a football game, all while a club remix of Lana Del Rey’s Blue Jeans played on the speakers. It was extra and disjointed, yet somehow managed to work, creating a fun and relaxed atmosphere.
Our meal began with sushi, which I consider to be one of the best ways to warm up for grilled meats. The volcano roll with spicy tuna, avocado, aioli and tempura crunchy was a light, yet satisfying starter, giving you the kitchy nostalgia of American-style sushi, but done well. Again, it’s not an omakase, but sometimes you just want a good ol’ spicy tuna roll.
However, we weren’t there for fish, we were on a mission to try the steak. While kosher meat is definitely on the pricier side, the most important aspect is that you get what you pay for. And luckily, owner Albert Allaham delivers, sourcing chops from his Gravesend butcher shop, the Prime Cut. The 14-ounce dry aged ribeye was beyond tender and perfectly seasoned, making it one of the best steaks I’ve had in NYC recently.
Ending with a parve (dairy-free) molten chocolate cake, we left completely content with every last thing, even as non-kosher diners.