Porterhouse Steak: Prior to being sliced. The delicious goodness is pictured here is similar to that served at Michael Jordan's Steakhouse. For meat lovers, this cut is second to none for flavor. (Dave Kliman)
Why Grand Central for dinner? Because super-athlete Michael Jordan opened his signature steak house on the balcony level of the Vanderbilt Avenue side of the terminal. The restaurant is built on a balcony and is open. Thick marble balustrades, part of the original architecture, separate diners from the floor below. Tables along that side offer views of the main terminal. There is always the hubbub of commuters rushing to catch their trains to the suburbs of New York passing through the 42nd Street landmark.
Since it can be a little uncomfortable on the hottest days, coolers that blow cold air have been installed. They make the entire open restaurant comfortable. The atmosphere is unavailable any place else. Enlarged photographs from the golden age of rail travel grace the walls and servers in jackets, white aprons, and ties are attentive and skilled. The bar is usually packed by a young crowd toward the end of the week. The restaurant attracts steak lovers from all over. I recently dined next to members of a Japanese trade delegation, and they knew their beef.
Dining out is entertainment. Good, savory food in convivial atmosphere with good service makes it worth the price. At Michael Jordan’s everything comes together to make the meal an experience. Wine by the glass runs from $18 for Heidsieck Monopole Blue Top from Epernay, France, to $9 for Cotes du Rhone, $9.50 for a good Riesling and $10 for Forest Glen Merlot. Wines by the bottle generally run from $92 Chateauneuf du Pape to Red Castle Rock from California for $36. However, if you are totally wine crazy, Michael Jordan’s can serve Chateau Lafite Rothchild premier cru Pauillac 1989 for $900 a bottle.
Appetizers are extraordinary. There’s crawfish chowder at $11, thick and tasty; jumbo crab cakes or jumbo shrimp cocktail for $17. The shrimp are gigantic and are farm raised in Vietnam. At Michael Jordan’s, I prefer the bone-in rib eye steak. It is 22 ounces of tender, delectable beef that meets the palate with flavorful juices seared into the meat by the chef for $45. If you are lucky enough to be served by Ilana you will find her experienced and attentive without being overbearing.
A 16-ounce New York strip for $41, 10 or 14-ounce filet for $34 to $42, and a gigantic porterhouse that comes in 20 and 40-ounce portions is $41 to $78. The porterhouse is sliced in the kitchen for two persons. If you like to slice into the meat yourself, remind your server not to have it sliced.
There is nothing like cutting into a thick porterhouse and extracting the seared end meat where fat has been seared by high temperature ovens. The taste is powerful and the flame will have burned away the fat leaving a grand meat aroma on the tongue. Never mind fancy descriptions wine writers proclaim about vintages. The beef is plainly good. It needs neither sauces nor embellishments to make it tasty. There is buffalo rib eye for $38 and various fish meals. However, my suggestion is the rib eye. Sides like asparagus, potatoes, and mushrooms are extra at about $9.
Michael Jordan’s is the place to leave room for desserts. In my opinion there is only one dessert to choose from the array on the menu. If you are dining in New York this is the place to order chocolate cake. The Michael Jordan 23 layer chocolate cake is amazing. His jersey number is 23. I counted 24 layers but didn’t quibble. Thin layer upon layer of rich chocolate and cake make it the treat of the town for $14. Buy a piece to take home if the tummy is full. Of course, there are other desserts like key lime pie, berry cobbler, and cheesecake $9 to $14. Stick with the chocolate cake.
Reservations can be made by calling 212-655-2300.
