The Sinanaj Brothers’ Empire Steak Homes Develop In New York And Globally

The proliferation of high-end, New York-style steakhouses exhibits no let-up. The latest (since July) is the third unit of Empire Steak Home, whose homeowners, Jack, Russ and Jeff Sinanaj, have established themselves close to the pinnacle of the nationwide chains, few of that are any longer linked with the unique founders. The Sinanajes got here to the U.S. within the Eighties from Montenegro and labored their means up the standard restaurant totem pole with pluck and nice vitality, pooling assets to open their first steakhouse early on this century. They’re constructing a small empire, with worldwide designs, and it’s that household dedication that has saved theirs from feeling as if conceived in a company board room.

Now there are the three New York Empire eating places—on E. fiftieth Road, W. 54th Road and now within the Theater District, together with their Chazz Palminteri Italian Restaurant (with a department in White Plains) in New York, and one in Tokyo, with plans for Singapore and Hawaii. I don’t envy them their jetlag.

The brand new Empire sits proper throughout the road from the theater the place “Chicago” has performed for ages, and inside a block of a slew of different exhibits, so it’s drawing a pre-theater crowd by 5:45. Sadly, Empire has not but acquired its full liquor license, so for now solely wine, from a robust record, and beer can be found.

The inside, with its L-shaped marble bar up entrance, and a eating room achieved in conventional wood-paneled wainscotting, wooden ground, bentwood chairs and spacious, well-set tables in view of historic images of New York landmarks. For the time being the noise degree is simply wonderful, although as enterprise will increase, I can’t vouch for that pleasure for much longer.

The menus in any respect the Empires are the identical, and priced that means. Other than a few nightly specials, you’ll all the time discover precisely what you count on and had final time. Nobody goes to a New York steakhouse to be stunned, even when one provides, say, numerous pastas, sushi or five-pound lobsters.

They all the time have two soups, the wealthy lobster bisque and, one night time, not often seen lentil soup ($21.95). The tuna tartare with avocado cream and seaweed salad ($29.50) makes for , spicy urge for food stirrer, and the jumbo lump crabmeat cocktail (market value) actually lives as much as its title when it says “jumbo.” The “Empire’s Sizzling Platter” of shrimp scampi, stuffed mushrooms and baked clams is a reasonably good purchase at $30.50, whereas the grilled octopus is first fee, a fatted portion served with sauteed spinach, cherry peppers, garlic, capers and spiced olive oil. ($30.95). In fact, they provide scorching Canadian bacon by the thick slice ($8.95).

Pasta parts are supposed to be shared, just like the one piled excessive with sauteed calamari, shrimp, clams and fish in a white wine tomato sauce ($46.95), and all of the Empire eating places pleasure themselves on their bucatini alla carbonara ($36.95).

There are many choices for cuts of steak, together with American and Japanese wagyu, although I all the time go for the USDA Prime porterhouse for 2 ($139.95) that may simply feed three. So, too, the double-cut rack of lamb is huge, with three giant chops that may serve three folks ($69.95). Rooster parmigiana ($41.95) is one other merchandise solely a trencherman may try to complete on his personal. Empire, like all its rivals, costs a excessive value for its meals, however splitting a dish for 2 or extra cuts means down on the tab.

The one actual disappointment once I visited was the Dover sole in a caper-strewn white wine-lemon sauce ($69.95). Since the perfect Dover sole is a rarity, a chef has to gauge what number of he can receive of first high quality and serve each one that night time. In any other case, like this instance, it lacks freshness, taste and texture.

For facet dishes, the baked potato ($9.95) should weigh a pound, and the creamed spinach ($15.95) and onion rings ($13.95) are each wonderful. The house fries ($15.95) are a home specialty for good motive, wealthy with onions and seasoning.

Desserts ($12), made in home, are huge and a desk of 4 want solely order two. Of explicit curiosity are the apple strudel, the chocolate lava cake, the pecan pie and the crème brûlée, which go together with a protracted record of dessert wines.

Empire’s wine record is first fee for a steakhouse, wealthy in each class, with three dozen wines by the glass, many underneath $20, together with a slew of half-bottles, magnums and enormous format bottles that provide the perfect worth on the record. Mark-ups are about common for New York, with a number of bottlings underneath $75.

I hope the Sinanajes don’t unfold themselves too skinny in overseas ports of name, as a result of it’s their private consideration to element that has gained them a trustworthy crowd in New York.

Empire Steak Home

233 W forty ninth Road

212-355-5542

Open for lunch Mon.-Fri.; dinner nightly.