Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse in New York City owned by Celebrity Chef Willie Degel celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2016, and with three locations, Midtown, Westside, and Bayside, finding a great steak in New York is as easy as 1-2-3. In addition to the USDA Dry-Aged Prime Steaks and Meats, Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse has a nice selection of seafood to appeal to both "land and sea" appetites.
Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse – Midtown
We had dinner at Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse in Midtown Manhattan, located at 44 West 56th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues in New York City, in late April 2016. The décor and ambience has a decidedly traditional feel with its dark wood, flocked wallpaper, exposed brick walls, and art work evoking the stylish 1930s.
Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse
There is a well-stocked bar on the first floor, with dining on the first and second floor reached by a curved stairway with ornate wrought iron railing, and a multi-tier chandelier dripping with crystals draws the eye. Red tufted high backed chairs flank tables dressed with double draped linens and accessorized with electric candles, and floor to ceiling traditional red and gold window treatments grace the wall of windows that overlooks 56th Street.
Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse
Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse has a large selection of wines by the bottle, half-bottle, and by the glass, which are especially nice for diners who would like to pair each course with a different wine. We selected a bottle of The Hess Collection, Napa Valley Allomi Cabernet Sauvignon, 2013, from California, 14% alcohol by volume, to pair with our tasting menu, as it had rich red and black fruit, spice notes, and balanced tannins that would complement the diversity of our courses.
We began our tasting dinner with the Fresh Buffalini Mozzarella Tomato Salad served on a bed of organic mixed greens, and drizzled with a Balsamic reduction. The restaurant imports the buffalini mozzarella from Campagna, Italy twice per week, and the mozzarella had a delicious creaminess and softness to it.
Fresh Buffalini Mozzarella
Next there was Oysters Jackefeller, their take on Oysters Rockefeller, which were very tasty, and consisted of oysters topped with creamed spinach and goat cheese, then baked in the oven and served with a lemon wrapped in a lemon bag.
Oysters Jackefeller
For our third course, we had a Maryland-style Crab Cake which was succulent crab meat encased in a golden panko crust ringed with a pool of Shrimp Bisque, which was a nice complement to the crab cake.
Maryland Crab Cake
We diverged for the fourth course, (Debra) taking the way of the sea, and (Edward) enjoying the fruits of the land, to show the diversity of the menu to appeal to various palates. The restaurant’s Spring Special of Pan Roasted Sea Scallops, Slow-Cooked Artichokes, Spring Peas, Tender Carrots, in a Lemon Broth, garnished with Pea Tendrils, was an aromatic and artistic presentation that enticed the eyes and delivered on the palate. The Lollipop Lamb Chops were delectably encrusted with a panko mustard mixture that provided a tasty kick, and were cooked to order.
Pan Roasted Sea Scallops
Lollipop Lamb Chops
Uncle Jack’s uses USDA Dry-Aged Prime Steaks and Meat, and believes "that aging our beef is as important as aging a fine wine," serves USDA Prime Beef Dry-Aged for 28-35 Days, and chars every steak in their 1800 degree infrared broilers to lock in all juices." Steak and Meat menu entrées included Prime Filet Mignon, Prime Bone-In Filet Mignon, Prime Rib Chop (aka Fred Flintstone), Boneless NY Strip, Porterhouse For Two, Côte de Boeuf For Two, Wagyu Beef, Kurobuta Pork Plate, Colorado Rack of Lamb, and Organic Half Chicken.
For our fifth course, we continued our "by sea and land" dining with grilled Atlantic salmon and a 45-day Dry-Aged Kansas City Bone-In Strip Steak that was a special on the night that we dined at the restaurant.
Kansas City Bone-in Strip Steak
The 45-day Dry Aged Kansas City Bone-In Strip Steak was fabulous, perfectly cooked to order, and with the extra aging, it was very tender and extremely flavorful with its charred edges adding to the overall experience, and highlighted the restaurant’s high quality of products used.
Although Uncle Jack’s is definitely a steakhouse, in addition to the many seafood appetizers, the menu also offers entrée selections of Yellowfin Tuna, Atlantic Salmon, Day Boat Fresh Catch, as well as a Build Your Own Surf and Turf, for diners who to experience the best of both worlds.
The Atlantic Salmon was a generous portion of salmon, which had a crispy crust that yielded to tender and flaky fish, arranged on a bed of toasted farm greens, with a rich pool of Champagne-Dijon sauce, and crowned with a dried-citrus gremolata, attractively served in a cast-iron skillet.
Atlantic Salmon
Sides are traditional steakhouse favorites including Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Steak Fries, Sweet Potato Fries, Baked Potato, Loaded Baked Potato, Creamed Spinach, Beer Battered Onion Rings, Five Cheese Mac, Steamed or Sautéed Broccoli, Steamed or Sautéed Asparagus, Sautéed Mushrooms, and Sautéed Onions.
We opted to share a side of the Creamed Spinach topped with golden crunchy slices of sautéed garlic, which was the perfect accompaniment to both the grilled Atlantic salmon and the Kansas City Bone-In Strip Steak.
Creamed Spinach
Our tasting dinner at Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse in Midtown culminated on a delightfully sweet note with a dessert medley of Chocolate Mousse made with Belgian chocolate, warm Pecan Pie made with Bazzini pecans in a rich caramel filling, and Tiramisu accompanied by a generous portion of whipped cream and a ripe strawberry.
Dessert
The restaurant attracts a diverse clientele and on the Saturday night we dined at the restaurant, there were couples celebrating milestone anniversaries, friends having birthday dinners, a bachelor dinner, families, couples out for a night on the town, and business travelers, all whom shared the common thread of wanting a great meal in a gracious setting.
Debra C. Argen and Edward F. Nesta
Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse is open for Lunch from 11:00 am until 4:0 pm Monday through Saturday, for Dinner from 4:00 pm until 11:00 pm Sunday through Tuesday, and from 4:00 pm until midnight Wednesday through Saturday, and for Sunday Brunch from 11:30 am until 3:00 pm. In addition to Uncle Jack’s Steakouse Midtown, there are two other locations: Bayside, Queens, and on the Westside in Manhattan.
Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse Midtown
44 West 56th Street
New York, New York 10019
United States
Telephone: +1-212-245-1550
Website: www.UncleJacks.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/UncleJacksSteak
Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse Bayside
39-40 Bell Blvd
Bayside, New York 11361
United States
Telephone: +1-718-229-1100
Website: www.UncleJacks.com
Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse Bayside
Westside
440 Ninth Avenue
New York, New York 10001
United States
Telephone: +1-212-244-0005
Website: www.UncleJacks.com
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© April 2016. Luxury Experience. www.LuxuryExperience.com. All rights reserved.
