Steaktastic

My friend Carlota is working at Angelo & Maxie's --it's a classy steakhouse conveniently located near Union Square. I didn't let the 'classy' thing stop me, though, and dropped in one Saturday with my friend Sara. Carlota had been telling me for some time about their 3-course prix fixe deal, and I decided now was the time to go for it.

For 20.99, you get a salad (or French Onion Soup for 1.50 extra), entrée and dessert. Sara & I both got the Caesar, though I opted for mine with anchovies on the side. Here's the thing--I know they offer incredible depth of flavor and tang to recipes, but I need to NOT KNOW they are there. If you make me dressing with anchovies in it (not too many, now, there is such a thing as too fishy), I will eat it and enjoy it. But if you give me the option of NOT putting them in there, then yeah, I will wimp out and ask for them on the side. And then see their hairy fishiness and not use them at all. Sometimes I'm lame like that. The salad, however, was delicious and HUMUNGOUS.

For the entrée, we both chose the filet mignon. I chose it au poivre (crusted in black peppercorns), and Sara chose it plain. We ordered them medium rare, and they came out quickly and were cooked to perfection. This was steak perfection. Oh my goodness. I savored every single delicious, buttery bite. The pepper was hard core--I felt the burning all the way into my ears (a good thing, trust me)! I ate half the
steak there, taking my sweet time with each wonderful bite, and wrapped the other half to take home.

We each got a glass of Malbec. Carlota recommended it highly, so of course we took her at her word. Sara & I have had similar experiences with Malbecs: we've had some great ones, we've had some AWFUL ones. This one, the Colores del Sol, was fantastic. It was light, puckery, and perfect with the steak. Later that night when I went home, I was flipping through old foodie mags (trying to get rid of clutter), and I spotted the same wine being touted as a winning pick for reds. I couldn't agree more!

Then the time came for dessert. Oh, the cheesecake. The dense, tangy, New York style cheesecake, with a drizzle of intensely flavorful raspberry sauce. I am so glad I ordered this. It was rich, it was satisfying, it was exactly how I like my cheesecake. I shared a few bites with Sara, who was being good and getting the fruit, then I packed the rest up for the next day (and I promise you, I finished it the next day).

This deal is beyond excellent. The portions are fantastic, the food is delicious, and the staff (aka Carlota) is superb. You might even have enough to take home for later (the cheeky little cow below is from my take-home bag)! If you're in there for this deal, make sure to belly up to the bar and take care of your bartender--cuz she'll take care of you! Thanks again, Carlota, for taking such good care of US!