I for one am never someone to turn down a good steak, especially when its at a reputable and fantastic institution in the city for the best food in the world. This past Friday night, I took a friend with me to review the fantastic and beautiful Rocco Steakhouse, which is a short walk from Penn Station in the Flatiron District, located on Madison Avenue between 28th and 29th Street.
For a steakhouse that is still young in its presence overall, it has done pretty well for itself over the course of time since it began. Since opening, the restaurant has received many accolades from the press and is attracting a well-heeled crowd, including celebrities and athletes like New York Jets Quarterback Geno Smith and a number of New York Knicks players. This success is due in part because owner Rocco Trotta (co-founder of the engineering firm partly responsible for Manhattan’s High Line Park and the No. 7 Subway Line Extension), co-owner/GM Pete Pjetrovic and co-owner/Beverage Director Jeff Kolenovic (both 10-year veterans of Wolfgang’s Steakhouse), have mandated 10 years of prior steakhouse experience from every employee. This includes Executive Chef Johnny Jevric, who uses only USDA prime beef dry-aged onsite for his porterhouses, filets and tomahawk steaks, as well as the freshest seafood.
The location itself is quite beautiful, even from the outside looking in. I’ve always found that the majority of the steakhouses that I have written about for Manhattan Digest that they have a similar execution when it comes to the overall design of the establishment. Rocco Steakhouse is a great example of that, with its beautiful wood furnishings adorning the bar and throughout the restaurant. it has a refinement and elegant quality to the place, from its beautiful tables to the service we received throughout the night.
The food itself was absolutely spectacular, and decently priced in my opinion, especially for the amount of food that you will receive. Here is what I think you should order the next time you find yourself at Rocco Steakhouse. In the appetizer category, you really can’t go wrong with a tasty Shrimp Cocktail, but what stood out for me is their Sizzling Canadian Bacon, which was thick, juicy, and a great start to what would become a fantastic meal.
On the salad side, they have several different options however I really loved their Iceberg Wedge with bacon and Roquefort Blue Cheese. Let’s keep it real here, bacon and Blue Cheese are a fantastic pairing and one that really worked with the fresh iceberg wedge. Another great salad option was their Fresh Mozzarella and Beefsteak Tomatoes. All of these options are classics, yet are wonderfully prepared, and that is easily stated with the tomatoes and mozzarella. All good choices to start with.
For the entrees, we have two options that work for you, one on the surf and one on the turf side. For the turf side, this is a steakhouse, so naturally they have a bevy of steak options that work best to whatever palate you are experiencing that night. Keeping in the tradition of classic options, I recommend that you try their Filet Mignon, as mine was cooked perfectly, and was juicy as can be. On the surf side, I recommend trying their Grilled Tuna, as my friend really enjoyed the char marks on it and how it was prepared, not to mention how tasty it was. Courses like these need to be paired with some great side options, so I recommend their German Potatoes and Asparagus as they complimented both the steak and tuna very well.
If you have enough room for dessert, they have so many great options to choose from. I mean, look at the above photo! I have had Carrot Cake several times in my life, however their version really takes the cake (pun intended) as it was the best I’ve ever had. Other standouts were their Cheesecake and Fresh Fruit as it really was a spectacular finish to a great meal. I would highly recommend you trying this location out the next time you happen to be in the Flatiron District.
For more information on Rocco Steakhouse, check out their official site.