Keens Steakhouse, the only survivor of the Herald Square Theatre District, thrives on fame that is almost paradoxical in nature. This has to be one of the rare steakhouses, which is well known for its non-steak dish, which is the mutton chop. Also, even though it is a non smoking restaurant, it has the largest collection of churchwarden pipes in the world, with more than 90,000 pipes hanging on the ceiling.
However, at one point of time, Keens was very much a smoking zone and they even had a Pipe Club whose roster boasted of names of celebrities, dignitaries and even people who were instrumental in shaping history. Not many people know that their favorite Keens Steakhouse was, at one point of time, frequented by Teddy Roosevelt, Babe Ruth, Grace Moore, Albert Einstein, J.P. Morgan, Will Rogers, Billy Rose, John Barrymore, Stanford White, Adlai Stevenson, David Belasco, General Douglas MacArthur and “Buffalo Bill” Cody. Phew!
In the late 19th century and early 20th century, Keens became the hot spot and rendezvous point of producers, playwrights, newspapermen, and publishers. It was quite common to see actors all decked up and in full make up hurrying through the rear door for a quick drink to steel their nerves before a performance at the Garrick Theatre.
A trip to Keens Steakhouse is restorative, to say the least. For all those true blue carnivores, the Mutton Chop and Prime Ribs are the staple. Appetizers are hurriedly skipped through and desserts are forgotten. But, when an impeccably cut, perfectly cooked, juicy slab of meat comes your way and is placed with reverence on your table, there is a awed hush and people get down to the very serious business of devouring each and every piece of the scrumptious dish laid out in front of them. The Beef is just as tempting and you can enjoy it with nothing more than a dash of salt and fries on the side, along with your favorite wine.
The portions at the Keens Steakhouse are not just generous; they are overwhelmingly huge. One mutton chop can be easily shared between 2 people. If you want to be greedy and have one all to yourself, go on. But be warned that you’ll have quite a task finishing it. The trick is to have a slow and steady pace.
For Prime Ribs and Mutton Chops that look like they’ve come to life out of some cook book or culinary magazine, head to Keens Steakhouse. Beg, borrow, or steal if you do not have the money, because it will be well worth all your effort.
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