Few things in the restaurant world are more iconic than the classic New York City steakhouse. Delmonico’s, The Old Homestead, Peter Luger, and Gallagher’s are several of these steakhouses that come to mind. But, for Anthony Bourdain, one particular New York City steakhouse was in a class of its own.
Located on West 36th Street in Manhattan, Keens Steakhouse opened in 1885 and stands as the second oldest steakhouse in the United States. Not long after opening, Keens established a Pipe Club with a membership roster that included names like Teddy Roosevelt (who has a room named after him), Babe Ruth, Will Rogers, Albert Einstein, J.P. Morgan, Douglas MacArthur, and “Buffalo Bill” Cody. It was a place to see and be seen for regulars like producers, playwrights, publishers, and newspaper men, according to the steakhouse’s website.
“The main reason people have been coming back here since 1885? Meat and liquor, plain and simple,” Anthony Bourdain said on a season 5 episode of his show “No Reservations”. He loved the classic steakhouse feel with animal heads lining the walls made of old wood. “You can’t do any better or more authentic than Keens,” he continued. In that same episode, Bourdain dined with his friend Josh Ozersky, the late American food journalist, and they both enjoyed the appetizer of jumbo shrimp cocktail with horseradish cocktail sauce. Bourdain ordered the massive Keens cut of prime rib and Ozersky ordered the mutton chops – basically a double porterhouse cut of a more mature lamb – that Keens is probably most famous for. When it came to sides, Bourdain advised to keep it simple: creamed spinach and maybe a side of hash browns.
From legendary mutton chops to giant cuts of prime rib
Like most steakhouses in New York, the big cuts of meat at Keens come with big price tags. The legendary mutton chop costs $73, while Bourdain’s king’s cut of prime rib will set you back $89. The steakhouse also offers other prime cuts of beef, like filet mignon, sirloin, T-bone, porterhouse, and chateaubriand, with prices ranging from $61 to $177. Outside of steak, Keens also offers lamb chops, roasted buttermilk chicken, and seafood entrees with lobster, dover sole, arctic char, and sauteed jumbo shrimp — in addition to appetizers like crab cakes, fresh oysters, and clams…