The Walman Report®
Featuring Travel Restaurants
Entertainment & Wine 
By Nancy Walman
As Heard on WQXR,
The Radio
Station of the NY
Times, &
Seen In Trump World Magazine, CulinaryGourmetNY &
Syndicated to Newspapers, Magazines & Websites Worldwide
Copyright 2004 by Punch In International® News Syndicate
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George O’Neill’s
ADDRESS: 145 East 50th
Street, between 3rd Ave. and Lexington
PHONE: 212 881.1220
OWNER: George
O’Neill
EXECUTIVE CHEF: Robert
Hamburg
NUMBER OF SEATS: 140 with private
dining area for 25, additional 40 seats outside
CUISINE: Using the
finest quality U.S.D.A. prime aged beef, George
O’Neill’s serves classic steakhouse dishes such as Porterhouse, Filet Mignon, Prime Rib, Sirloin and Bone In Rib
Steak. The menu also offers such
seafood and chophouse favorites as lobster,
scallops, crab cakes, veal chops, and
lamb chops as well as a full raw bar.
HOURS: Breakfast,
lunch, dinner and late night supper are served
every
day from 6:00 AM – 4:00 AM
SIGNATURE Porterhouse
(for two, three or four)
DISHES: Crab
Cakes Remoulade
Sautéed Calves Liver
Lamb
Chops
Mashed
Potatoes with Lobster
PRICE RANGE: Appetizers and salads: $7 - $19
Steak:
$36-$38
Seafood:
$25 - $32
Entrees:
$24 - $37 Desserts: $7
CREDIT CARDS: American Express Visa
MasterCard Diner’s Club
RESERVATIONS: Recommended
`
O’Neill’s,
Queens Dining Institution Since 1933, Expands to Manhattan
|
H |
oused
in an open 3,500 square foot space, George O’Neill’s dining room conveys a
sophisticated yet cozy aesthetic that is equally inviting for breakfast, lunch
and dinner. Entering the first of two subdued rooms, one passes a long,
gentlemanly bar, the twin focal points
of the front room are a massive, rear projection TV screen above the windows
and a vintage mural of the 59th St. bridge, above the bar. The main
dining room is surprisingly civilized for a steak house with its soft beige
walls, hung with modern paintings in soothing colors. Comfortable banquettes
line the parameter, while large square tables are set with crisp, white double
cloths. Large palms are strategically placed throughout the room. The space includes a private dining area
that seats 25 as well as a lounge that serves a late night supper menu until
4:00 AM.
Since
its’ opening in 1933, O’Neill’s has emerged as an institution in Maspeth,
Queens, not only for its exceptional food and classic steakhouse appeal, but
also for owner George O’Neill’s hands-on, winning manor. If you ever doubted
that the Irish excel in the hospitality industry, Mr. O’Neill is living proof.
It should come as no surprise that George O’Neill’s gets my award as the best-run steak house in the city.
Considering it is just two months old, it flows with precision, from
professional mangers and warm, helpful waiters, to an efficient bus-staff. And
hey: There’s a real mixoligist at the bar and an intelligent wine list, by Ken
Durandetto, with nearly 30 bottle selections for $40 and under. If you’re in
the mood to splurge a bit, go for the Cannubi Barolo, (Marchesi di Barolo) 1998. It’s a $100 value that rivals fine, red wines
that many restaurants that sell for two or three times the price. Somewhat
closed at the beginning, decanting and
½ hour of aeration brought out muted fruit, an elegant body, wonderful legs and
long, lingering finish — a perfect steak wine. It is served in lovely stemware,
as are the bar drinks. There is also a well-priced and selected list of wines
by the glass.
To
deliver on the cuisine, O’Neill enlisted Executive Chef Robert Hamburg,
the former traveling executive chef at Smith & Wollensky, and the gentleman
who assisted David Burke in the opening of davidburke and donatella. Working with the highest quality U.S.D.A. prime beef (from Masters, the
same purveyor used by Peter Lugar’s) Chef Hamburg is producing steak dishes at George O’Neill’s that promise to
inspire loyalty among New York diners.
Steak offerings include Porterhouse,
Filet Mignon and Sirloin. For flavor,
the Bone In Rib Steak stands tall. It is also huge, as are all portions. Prime
Rib of Beef is a massive cut of
melt-in-your-mouth perfection.
George
O’Neill’s menu also includes contemporary seafood, showing off the chef’s skill
and chophouse cuisine. Diners can
indulge in fresh seafood from the restaurants raw bar as well as such dishes as Crab Cakes Remoulade, Ricky’s B.V. Salad (lobster, asparagus, red peppers, and fried
shallots), Sautéed Calves Liver, and Mashed Potatoes with Horseradish or Lobster. Sides are wonderful. You won’t find better
creamed spinach, hash browns and fried onion rings anywhere.
The kitchen
has fun with desserts. “George’s Giant Chocolate Layer Cake” is enough for four
and made the diners at the next table ooh and ah so much, they considered
ordering it before entrees: A colossal slice (well really almost ¼ of a cake)
surrounded by scoops of ice cream, it was like
the birthday every kid in us craves for.
Outdoor
dining will be available during spring and summer months at George O’Neill’s.
I’m not sure I’ll be able to wait that long for a second visit.
Restaurant Associates, a name synonymous with fine dining, has
consistently garnered our highest ratings. They offer a free newsletter (Dine
Out New York). It is filled with interesting information and attractive
promotions. You can subscribe by clicking on the links below.
Side Dish
Georges
Briquet, the amiable owner of Manhattan’s distinguished Le Perigord, intends to
have a year-long celebration, starting April 1, with the institution of a
special $52 three-course dinner menu. For 40 years, this 52nd Street
institution has been catered to its loyal and moneyed clientele. To show its
appreciation, the menu will be available the entire month of April, in addition
to Le Perigord’s regular $62 pris fixe.
There
will be four appetizer and four entrée choices complemented by Le Perigord's
signature and oh-so-tempting dessert cart. Coffee too is included. Appetizer choices will include sea
scallops ceviche and sweetbreads a la harissa. Among entrees, veal tenderloins with morel sauce and bass au porto.
As
it will be a year long celebration, the menu will change monthly… and it is
likely Le Perigord will role out other 40????????? connected treats
throughout the year.
M
Briquet delights in telling people that his April 1 opening in 1964 was an
April Fool’s joke on him, but., Le Perigord keeps perking along and he keeps
charming the pants of people!
405
E. 52nd St.
To
Reserve, Call : 212-755-6244
Shopping Cart
Future Issue
Wine On Line®
http://www.wineonline.net/
E-Mail: mailto:wine@punchin.com
Grapes:
100% Sauvignon Blanc Appellation; Awatere
Valley, Marlborough, NZ Vineyard: Medway
River Vineyard Residual
Sugar: 3.0 g/L Alcohol:
13.5% Acidity: 7.5
g/L pH: 3.30 Suggested Retail Price: $24.99
‘CATHERINE’S RUN’ RESERVE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2002
About Catherine’s Run
The Crossings Reserve Sauvignon Blanc has been named Catherine's Run in
dedication to the pioneering women of New Zealand and the significant role they
played in its settlement.
The series recalls the vast sheep runs that characterized the Awatere Valley.
Catherine is a beautiful woman's name that epitomizes the era, but it was also
that a Catherine Mowat, one of nine children, lived in the mid-nineteenth
century on "Altimarloch Station" part of which was sold to create
Medway River Vineyard.
Vintage and Vineyard
Notes
This is a single vineyard wine from the Medway River Vineyard in the
Awatere Valley. Selected terraces showing exceptional fruit were identified
early and subject to more intense shoot and crop thinning (reducing the yield)
and canopy management to highlight the fruit intensity.
The 2002 vintage saw more rain in the early
spring than average. The alluvial gravel soils of the Medway Vineyard ensured
that the vines did not grow excessively through this period, although early
canopy work was required to balance the vines. December to March returned to
dry, warm conditions creating an ideal environment for fruit development. The
dry, warm and windy conditions toward the end of the season kept grapes free of
disease. The slightly lowered peak daytime temperatures produced a nice steady
ripening period where fruit flavors developed in unison with sugar ripeness. Fruit for Catherine’s Run was hand harvested in perfect
condition on April 2nd and 3rd in the cool of the early
morning to retain maximum aromatic intensity and reduce phenolic extraction in
the juice.
Winemaking Report
After an early morning harvest, the
grapes were gently pressed as whole bunches with only the free run juice
retained. The juice was fermented in three different portions, a cool stainless
steel ferment, indigenous yeast ferment and a batch fermented in new and one
year old oak. Wine in barrel matured over a nine-month period. These three lots
were blended together in different proportions to add an underlying complexity
to the wine that complements its fruit characters.
Tasting Notes
The combination of intense, ripe Sauvignon Blanc grapes combined with a variety of winemaking techniques have lead to a richly textured, elegant wine that shows an array of complex flavors overlaid with the classic characters of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. This wine will show interesting bottle development over the next two or more years.
Food Pairing
Enjoy with seafood, fresh vegetables and creamy pastas, or anywhere there is sun and fun.
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