Wolfgang's Manhattan

212.889.3360

I'll admit I had to look this one up.   There are several Wolfgang's around the world, Beverly Hills, Wakiki, etc.. but there's also Wolfgang Puck, who owns a zillion restaurants and world wide acclaim.  I know I may come off as stupid, but for the longest time I though Wolfgang's and Wolfgang Puck was the same restaurant.  After about thirty seconds on the internet and I realized once again I was an idiot.

I went to Wolfgang's, the Guastavino tiled original.  As the website will tell you this guy is old Peter Luger, so you have that stiff efficient union-esque waiter mentality.  Unlike Peter Luger's, you're not getting Peter Lugered, and though they definitely move you right through dinner, they don't expect you to be grateful for doing so. I was there with a number of dudes, nay, golf dudes, (the dorkiest of jocks) so I couldn't go for the jugular and really dig in because I had to play nice and help my boss not spend too much money but appear like he spent some money.  And I have to say...

Not too bad.  I mean it's expensive, there's no doubt about that.  It's a steak house.  It's not as fancy as Keanes, not as Lugery as Lugers, but there's still that air of oil barons and fat men smoking cigars.  The food is good, filling, fattening, with all of the fixings that puts you in a food coma and makes you drowsily look at your pocket watch.  The owner walks around and smiles, the homogenous male waiters all scurry to and fro with professional curtness, and there's a requisite cute hostess at the entrance.  Wolfgang's crosses all of the t's and dots the i's with little to no fanfare.