Pairing Steakhouse Grub with Wine

When a 20-year veteran chef of Peter Luger opens a restaurant you know its going to be good. Chef Arturo Mcleod recently opened Benjamin Steakhouse in the Dylan Hotel in NYC (52 E. 41st St., nr. Madison Ave., 212-297-9177) and I was lucky enough to get to go last week. The 5,000 square foot restaurant has wonderfully high ceilings, dark chocolate leather seating (if you go ask to be seated at one of their corner booths very cozy!), a ten-foot working fireplace, oversized mirrors, and beautiful chandeliers.

Pair the perfect setting with their attentive service, and a noise level that makes it easy to enjoy a quiet conversation and you have the perfect backdrop to enjoy the restaurants luscious food and premium wines. Benjamin has over 300 new and old world bottles of wine and a nice selection of wines by the glass. Their sommelier is very well versed and made some truly great recommendations.

To start with, I had the seafood platter which I paired with bottle Conundrum White Table Wine, 2006, Rutherford, CA. It was a refreshing blend, with a floral nose that had hints of tropical fruits. For a drinkable wine, it was wonderfully complex and the notes of melon, peach, and pear, along with the long finish did a wonderful job at bringing out the flavors of the seafood platter (oysters, shrimps, lobster, clams, crab meat so fresh and delicious!). This wine just goes to show that when done correctly, blends can truly be a refreshing delight.

For my main course I had filet mignon with broccoli, paired with a bottle of Argyle Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, 2005. Given the warm weather and the amount of food I was consuming it was the perfect pairing as its fine-grained tannins and notes of raspberry, cinnamon, and cherry brought out the meats flavors without being too heavy on my stomach. Lastly, for dessert I had cheesecake paired with a cool glass of Nittnaus Premium Eiswein, 2005 a perfect cap to an extravagant meal on a warm, summer night.

It was truly a wonderful dinning experience and I highly recommend checking-out Benjamin Steak House if you’re traveling or live in the New York City area. Benjamin also has an array of fish (tuna, bass, salmon), as well as lamb and veal for those looking for something other than beef. Portions are big and can be prepared for one, two, three or four and all the beef is dry-aged in the houses special aging box. If you’re just looking for a glass of wine, theres a bar for those not looking to indulge in the cuisine.

(photo credit: 708718)

April 13th, 2009 by Beverage Blogger | Posted in Wine Pairing | (0)