New York’s Most Unique Ceiling!
How often do you go to a restaurant where 50,000 clay pipes hang above you?
For this edition of “the oldest food in New York”, we are dining in the year 1885, when Keen’s restaurant opened – and 140 years later they are still going strong!
Keens Chophouse is located on 36th and 6th avenue in New York’s midtown. The first thing you notice when you enter are the pipes. Lots and lots of pipes.
The World’s Most Famous Collection Of Pipes!
Talk about history under glass!
Yes, those are clay smoking pipes used by Babe Ruth, President Teddy Roosevelt and so many more famous names!
The restaurant houses more than 50,000 clay smoking pipes, making it one of the largest collections in the world.
More in a moment, but the restaurant isn’t one of New York’s oldest because they have pipes….they have this too:
Mutton Anyone?
Yes, Keens serves Mutton, one of the only restaurants in New York that does, and it’s a classic dish!
Here’s some history of one of New York’s oldest restaurants!
The restaurant was founded in 1885 by Albert Keen in Herald Square. During his tenure, it served as an early eating spot for a cultural group called “The Lambs.”
Keens is the second-oldest steakhouse in New York City, and what about this great piece of history?
Only men were allowed entry up until 1905, when Actress Lillie Langtry, after being declined entry, sued them in court – and won!
One of the upstairs dining rooms is named in her honor.
Once we were seated, I looked up and saw thousands of those pipes above us – it’s so cool:
I managed to take my eyes off the pipes when my drink arrived – yes, this is a classic chophouse so I needed a classic Martini!
The Martinis are served ice cold, this one dirty with olives – but know that Keens is also the home to this New York classic:
Behold The “New York Sour!”
Yes, Keens serves a classic drink called the “New York Sour!” That’s Boubon and Lemon juice on the lower part of the drink, and a red wine “float” added to the top!
Here are more of their specialty drinks:
With a drink in front of us, it was time to look at the menu: but first, look what is delivered to your table to give you something to nibble on as you peruse:
Your server sets down an icy plate filled with carrots, pickles and celery, along with Kalamata olives and bleu cheese dip – and a basket of rolls and butter as well – all free!
Let’s focus first on the appetizers: we ordered a dozen fresh oysters on this trip, and note that an order of “Lincoln’s Oysters” will deliver you either THIRTY or FIFTY shucked Oysters!
We split a dozen Oysters and also the classic Iceberg Lettuce Wedge salad with bacon, chopped tomatoes and bleu cheese:
The Oysters were cold and fresh, served with lemon, cocktail sauce and vinaigrette – and the wedge is a favorite of mine: icy cold lettuce with thick smokey bacon!
By the way, it’s easy to be distracted at Keen’s: for example, their “coat of arms is on the wall along with a lot of classic posters of a bygone era of New York:
That’s really all you need to begin, because Keens’ classic dry-aged steaks and meats are the star of the show here:
OK, you can get fish, you can get Lobster, but you come here for the steaks and the mutton, so let’s show you why!
This is a gorgeous dish! The Mutton is delivered in large chunks and it’s moist and delicious, with a nice pop of salt!
As you can see, the Mutton arrives beautifully medium rare, topped with wilted lettuce – this is the “Taste Of Mutton” sampler and for $35 it’s a bargain! We ordered a New York Sirloin to go with it:
Note the salt flakes on the steak – they really add a great touch! Here’s a look at our table:
One night we had our Mutton dish with a classic T-bone steak as well:
It’s beautifully grilled, with the meat on both sides cut away from the T-Bone, which rests majestically in the middle!
Of course, any good steakhouse has great side dishes, so we dug into many of them over our three visits as well!
The Brown Butter Carrots are nicely sized chunks with a light glaze, and the creamed spinach is delicious – the flavor of the spinach really stands out, not masked by cream, which is subtle…and of course, any good steakhouse has potato diesels, and we really love this “has brown”: a crispy exterior and creamy interior!
Our Keens Feast Reviewed!
We’ve eaten at Keens four times already, and there is a reason we keep going back: the verdict?
Keens is a longtime classic in New York for a reason: an incredibly professional staff, delicious and inventive drinks, and food that looks beautiful when it arrives from the kitchen, and tastes great!
And finally, how can you not love a place that has these staring down at you?
Bravo Keens!
I have been to a number of New York’s oldest restaurants, including one that delivers you a flaming dessert like this:
Delmonico’s created the “Baked Alaska”, just one of their signature dishes…see my entire review here:
And not all of New York’s oldest food is served in a restaurant:
Here’s one of New York’s oldest “hero” sandwiches – check out this legendary Italian deli here:
These are great New York restaurants and shops and the best news is you can actually get into them.
Here’s one of the best that you can’t!
Rao’s Meatballs!
I love meatballs. I have shared many recipes for them, but this is the greatest, thanks to the iconic Rao’s Restaurant in East Harlem…it originally opened in 1896, starting as a saloon and evolving into the legendary, exclusive Italian-American restaurant it is today, known for its tiny size and “table rights” system for regulars.
I will never eat there…why? Because it only has ten tables which are “owned” by regulars – yes, they have lifetime “table rights”, so no one else can ever get in unless you have a drink at the bar (no food served!) and hope someone doesn’t show up, which rarely happens!
So, I made their famous meatballs at home and the recipe is here:
I am sharing and storing all of these recipes and reviews on my food website “Bite! Eat! Repeat!” – it’s your site for all things food – if you like what you see, please click on my link and follow this blog as well!
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Categories: Alcohol And Bars, Bite Eat Swallow, Bite! Eat! Repeat!, Eat This!, Fine Dining, Food, Food Travel, Restaurants, Travel, Wacky Food, World's Wildest Food
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