Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House : Great Steak, Great Space, No Pretense
Del Frisco's Double Eagle is a high-end steakhouse with 10 locations throughout the country. It's a power-players' steakhouse, sleekly designed and sumptuous in just about every regard. Walking into the bi-level New York City location, situated on a prominent Midtown corner near Radio City Music Hall, is a nearly overwhelming experience, but once your eyes adjust and you're taken to your table, you'd be hard-pressed to have a more opulent steakhouse experience anywhere in the five boroughs.
While it may look slightly pretentious, with its huge windows, curved staircases, dark woods, leather, loud, energetic crowd, and packed bar area, once your server arrives at your table you'll realize that it's decidedly not. While dining there at the invitation of the restaurant recently, it was nice to discover that the service was about as unstuffy as it gets, while remaining professional and nearly flawless. Interacting with sommelier Jessica Certo was also a joy, as she clearly knew just about everything there is to know about wine and made navigating the 1,200-bottle wine list fun and interesting.
As for the food, it's what you would expect from a great steakhouse, but taken to another level. The baked crabcake appears to be about 95 percent crab. Onion rings are piled to a height of more than a foot. Steaks were perfectly cooked, and the three filet medallions, perfect for someone who's not looking for a huge steak, each come topped with different sauces and showcase the skills of an expert saucier. And for dessert, you can't go wrong with the lemon cake.
If you're able to snag a table on the second floor, make sure you do. The view out onto Sixth Avenue is stunning. Del Frisco's is a power broker's steakhouse, for sure, but that doesn't mean that it's stuffy or elitist in any way. It's just a place for a great steak, great service, and, most importantly, a great dining experience, no matter who you are.