We all have theories. I have two concerning Steaks:
1 - Do not order steaks if not at a Steakhouse.
2 - Avoid Steakhouses during Restaurant Week.
Let me elaborate on the second theory: I will not deny that Restaurant Week is a perfect way for Restaurant owners to promote their establishment. But I think there are two kinds of owners: those who hope to have people discover their restaurant (and therefore will come back) by serving an outstanding meal at a discount price, and those who just take this opportunity to make money considering only the number of people who will come rather than the number of people who will come back. In the first category, I remember Fig & Olive. In the second category, I was mainly disappointed by Steakhouses: Steak Frites or The Palm are good examples of first time / last time.
So we decided to do a test with Dino and Harry's in Hoboken. Dino and Harry's is one of my favorite Steakhouses and each time we went there, we had a delicious meal. So we put it to the test tonight. The restaurant proposed a 3 courses prix-fixe dinner for $35. For appetizers, we picked Pea soup and calamari salad. For entree, petite filet mignon with sauteed mushrooms and for dessert, a sticky toffee pudding and an almond flan.
First of all, the quantities were same as usual. The appetizers were very good: the pea soup was creamy and they used pancetta or lardons to add some smokiness that was a nice touch. The calamari salad was very good too, well dressed, with a decent quantity of calamari. The dessert were delicious, although the flan was a little too dense. Now let's talk about the petite filet: the quality of the meat was different than usual. Let's face it, lower. This was a big disappointment and confirmed my theory about Steakhouses and Restaurant week. So, if you have to try Dino and Harry's, I suggest you avoid Restaurant Week, because this Steakhouse is worth it!
Enjoy (I did not...this time)!
