In the mood for a great steak? Head to Benjamin Steakhouse in White Plains. Jay dines at the restaurant often, and I finally had a chance to see, and taste, what he described as the place for the best steak in Westchester. Mind you, Jay has pretty high standards for steakhouses. So when we were invited to dine here along with other local bloggers at the Benjamin Steakhouse Media Dinner, I gladly accepted. Here’s a recap of what we had.
For starters we had the Lobster Bisque, Mini Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes, and Extra Thick Canadian Bacon paired with a glass of Taittinger Domaine Carneros (made by one of my favorite Champagne producers). The bisque was delicious, and had the right lobster : cream ratio – a perfect balance to kick off a great dinner, and, of course, whet our appetite. The bacon was the star of the first course – thick cuts of Canadian bacon grilled to perfection with the right amount of char. I warn you, one slice can fill you up easily, but you must order it when you’re here. Dip it in some of Benjamin’s homemade steak sauce, and your taste buds will sing.
Extra Thick Canadian Bacon
The next highlight of the dinner (seems like it just kept getting better and better as the night progressed) was the Seafood Platter. I’ve had seafood platters plenty of times at many steakhouses across the nation, but this one was a gorgeous display of half lobsters, jumbo shrimp, jumbo lump crab meat, clams and Blue Point oysters served chilled. Seafood lovers, you must order this, especially if you’re here with a large group! Everything was delicious, and fresh – and the cocktail sauce was unnecessary.
Seafood Platter
It was hard not to let any of the seafood go to waste, but we survived this course, and alas, the big spread of proteins were served: Lamb Chops, Dry Aged Porterhouse Steak, Chilean Sea Bass, and wild-caught salmon. All were delicious. Though, I’m a bit biased and favored the red meats more. The lamb was perfectly seasoned and cooked. I forgot to try the mint sauce that it was paired with because the juicy meat was great alone. The Porterhouse steak was excellent – cooked medium, the right amount of char, and delicious.
Lamb Chops
The seafood was also superb, so non-meat eaters can still dine here and walk out satisfied. We were told the fish was only seasoned with 2 ingredients: olive oil and salt. There was so much flavor in it, it was hard to believe it, but if your seafood is fresh, you don’t need anything to enhance its flavor.
Bearnaise sauce, available upon request
For sides, Benjamin prepares excellent creamed spinach, broccoli, and home fries. The creamed spinach here is not like what you get at other steakhouses – it was on the lighter side, prepared without the cream (and guilt). You can view the recipe on their Facebook page.
No steak dinner is complete without dessert. We had a sampler platter with a variety of savory treats to indulge in. Our favorite: Apple Strudel with a side of homemade schlag (whipped cream).
Overall, an excellent dining experience. Now I know why Jay always comes home happy after dining here. Benjamin Steakhouse is great for dates, or dinner with friends, colleagues, or clients. The dining room is large, and there is enough spacing between tables. If you plan to dine here, be sure to make reservations and ask for Eli as your server.
Benjamin Steakhouse also has Christmas Day Dinner Service at their Westchester location. Check out the menu.
Benjamin Steakhouse
610 Hartsdale Road
White Plains, NY
Tel: (914) 428-6868
www.benjaminsteakhouse.com
Facebook: BenjaminSteakhouseWestchester
