01/27/09

Nothing to write home about

by outandaboutphilly

Took my boyfriend here for a surprise night out, a month or so after it had opened. After being seated and waiting 15minutes for the waitress to come, we could see that she was clearly overworked; she had one very large table and another 1 or 2 small tables like ours. The drinks took forever to come both times, but hey, out of the 2 martini?s we had the 1st was amazing. We ordered the appetizer she suggested, the oysters, which were great. More waiting, then came dinner, both had filets. The sides were kind of cold and the steaks were good at best. More waiting, then the bill... I don?t complain about price but for $200 I was nowhere near impressed, at all! I do want to say that when the waitress wasn?t busy and was at our table she was at her best, but she definitely had way too many tables going at once. I wouldn?t say they have all their kinks worked out yet (hope that?s all it is), maybe try going after its been open awhile. It?s surely not at its best now.

• Pros: Sat right at my reserved time
• Cons: took forever for everything and was overpriced for what we got

11/22/08

Fabulous steaks, swanky decor

by mp1112

We went here for a special occasion dinner and were pleasantly suprised. We couldn't find many reviews for the place, but knew it would be crowded on a Friday night because it's a Steven Starr restaurant. The atmosphere is very boys-club-ish, but swanky and buzzing with conversation. We've done the Morton's, the Ruth's Chris, the Sullivans, etc and those types of traditional steakhouses, and expected more of the same. But, this place was absolutely delicious. The steaks were the best we've ever had. I ordered a small filet, and my boyfriend had the porterhouse - both unbelieveably tender, melt-in-your-mouth perfectly cooked, and had tons of flavor. The service was wonderful, as well - excellent waitress and friendly hostess who even remembered to wish us a happy anniversary when we arrived. Great drink/wine list. Although they pride themselves on the "classic" cocktails (gimlets, martinis, etc), I didn't find my dirty martini to be made perfectly. The only other gripe - our entrees were brought out almost before we could finish our appetizers - much too quickly. Other than that, we couldn't complain. We finished the meal with a superb piece of cheesecake. Overall, an absolutely fabulous meal. We will certainly be back!

• Pros: Excellent steaks, great service
• Cons: Felt a bit 'rushed'

Stephen Starr reaches into the past with a regal 1940's steak and chop house.

by Tara Nurin

In Short
One great turn deserves another, and so Butcher and Singer has replaced Striped Bass as the latest decadent destination to find a home in the former Butcher & Singer brokerage house. This time around, think old-time cocktails, thick slabs of meat, chilled seafood and succulent desserts prepared in retro styles not seen on Philadelphia plates in decades. The exquisitely elegant dining room feels oh-so Casablanca, or maybe grand hotel lobby, with a 28-foot ceiling, imposing marble columns, lush leather booths and crystal chandeliers resurrected from the Fontainebleau in Miami.