OTB In Depth: Porter House New York and Chef Michael Lomonaco (UPDATED)

Porter House New York
Time Warner Center, 4th Floor
10 Columbus Cir, New York, NY
(212) 823-9500

Web Site: http://www.porterhousenewyork.com

Michael Lomonaco is the kind of guy who is just eminently huggable and who is one to make you feel at home no matter which and what kind of restaurant he runs. A true proponent and practitioner of restaurant hospitality, he’s cheffed at some of the city’s most iconic restaurants, including The 21 Club and the late Windows On The World, which was destroyed on September 11, 2001. Following his career as the last chef at Windows on The World, he briefly acted as consulting chef at both Guastavino’s and Noche.

Not to be beaten down by personal tragedy, in 2006 Michael opened what may become yet another iconic restaurant, in the country’s most haute food court in the Time Warner Center on Columbus Circle, putting it in the company with such notable restaurants as Pe Se, Bouchon, Cafe Gray, Masa and Landmarc. Focusing on prime aged steaks, seafood and updated versions of classic steakhouse side dishes, Lomonaco has re-invented the New York steakhouse and revived the classic Porter House atmosphere that the city was known for in the late nineteenth centry.

We visited Porter House twice in 2007 — once during the late summer and most recently in October to celebrate our 12th wedding anniversary. On our second visit, we decided to focus on the restaurant’s fish dishes, which many diners might choose to overlook because of the restaurant’s steakhouse premise. I urge you to reconsider that notion right off the bat — Porter House is as much a fish and seafood restaurant as it is a steak restaurant. While other restaurateurs tend to segregate their restaurants by theme — such as Laurent Tourondel with his “BLT” group of restaurants (such as he is doing with BLT Fish and BLT Steak)  Lomonaco is doing everything under one (albeit a very large) roof, and he’s doing it quite successfully.

Click on the photo collage above for a Hi-Resolution tour of Porter House New York (First Visit)

Click on the photo collage above for a Hi-Resolution tour of Porter House New York (Second Visit, Seafood Dishes)

Click to listen to my chat with Chef Michael Lomonaco (52 mins)

Click here to watch a video of Prime steaks being trimmed in Porter House’s butcher shop.

Click on the “Read the rest of this entry” link below for more information about Porter House New York’s dishes.

Porter House New York Chef/Owner Michael Lomonaco

28-day Dry Age Short Loins, the primal cut for Porter House and NY Strip Steaks.

The short loins are cut to steaks 1.5″ thickness using a band saw for optimal enjoyment and to ensure medium rare doneness when cooking.

The steaks are then seasoned and thrown under the 1700 degree salamander.

Steaks getting the broiler treatment.

The Chopped Salad with Shaved Parmigianno-Reggiano is a great healthy alternative salad for a starter.

This majestic fresh seafood platter of raw local oysters, clams, steamed shrimp, king crab and lobster could easily feed four people. It’s accompanied by four different dipping sauces so you can try different taste combinations. Personally, I think they are just perfect as-is with just a little bit of lemon juice. I can assure you that platter did not go to waste — raw seafood is pretty much all protein and is low in calories.

Pork Chops fresh out of the broiler.

The Oyster Pan Roast appetizer, flavored with smoked Spanish Paprika, is sure to be a real crowd pleaser.

Porter House Sliders

Vidalia Onion Rings

Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce.

Nightmare Yorkshire Porter, one of the four Porter ales carried by the restaurant.

Duck Steak, Plated.

Broiled Salmon cooked on Cedar Plank with Shrimp and Grits, with a Honey Chili Glaze.

Broiled Swordfish Steak with Basil Oil. While I was reluctant to eat swordfish due to years of being conditioned not to eat them due to overfishing and parasite issues common to the industry in the previous decade, this tasted perfectly clean and fresh. It was nice and moist and delicious — Lomonaco is sourcing excellent fish and this is definitely a dish not to be ignored.

Grilled Stripe Bass, given a similar Italian treatment to the swordfish. Another excellent fish choice if you’re not meat inclined.

Pan Seared Scallops over Mashed Potatoes — a simple dish that is highly dependent of the sum of its parts and has to be executed perfectly, which it definitely is at Porter House.

Likewise, this Butter-Poached Lobster with Fava Beans was exquisite.

You certainly wouldn’t expect to get a perfectly executed saffron lobster risotto at a restaurant that bills itself as a steak house, but this is what separates Porter House from every other steakhouse in New York City.

A side of Nueske bacon.

These sides of Baby Carrots and Sauteed Broccoli are great for those of us trying to cut down on the calories.

Tomato and Onion Salad in vinaigrette with Maytag Blue Cheese

Hash Browns

Creamed Spinach with Bacon

Porterhouse Steak

Porterhouse Steak Closeup

Cowboy Steak, a bone-in Ribeye.

Cowboy Steak Closeup

lueberry Pie with Raspberry Creamsicle Ice Cream

Traditional Ice Cream Sundae

This classic Tarte Tatin, warm from the oven was the hardest dessert to put down. We literally had to beg the servers to take it away from us. Buttery, caramely, with a heavy dose of cinnamon — it’s as sinful as this dessert gets.