MEAT — Restaurant in New York

Last night I had the pleasure of dining at MEAT, NY in Crown Heights. There has been a lot of buzz about this restaurant and we wanted to check it out. They opened their door in the Summer of 2009 and had to close during Covid. Thank G-d they were able to re-open afterwards and I must tell you, you need to check this place out. We were greeted warmly by Meat's maitre d Soso, who showed us to our table and introduced us to Brian the general manager. Soso was full of great ideas and highlighting the perfect dishes for us. For our appetizers we had a hard time choosing as there were so many delicious options. We ended up getting on Soso's recommendations both the Tuna Tartar and the Beef Tartar, as well as the famous Tomato Salad (Fresh Oregano, Soft Boiled Egg, Spring Onions, Roasted Tomato & More) the Lamb Tongue (with Black Garlic, Parisian Carrots, Glace de Veal) and the Short Rib Tortellini. Each dish was perfection. The explosion of flavors in our mouths were amazing. Needless to say it took us some time to finish all these dishes. The Lamb Tongue was amazing, the black garlic imparted so much flavor and the dish featured some amazing thumb carrots as well as slice and curled potato "chips." To help we ordered a drink called Good Karam which featured both Passion Fruit and Jalapeno which gave it a good kick. While neither of us are drinkers, the drink was unique and bold and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Brian then presented us with a new drink he made on the spot. The unnamed drink featured Coconut Cream, Preseco and some Peach flavor. It was milder then the Good Karma which made it a pleasant surprise. Bu the time we were done with our apps, we needed a breather. Brian said we should check out the aging room as well as the wine cellar and kitchen on the lower level. The wine cellar can hold up to 800 bottles and was custom made for Meat as well as the aging room. The open kitchen also features an amazing chefs table were you can see all the action happen. After our brief tour, we went back to our table to await our 22 oz wet aged steak. The wet aged steak does not feature a bone which means the poundage is all beef, no extra weight of the bone added, so you are getting all the meat. Also, wet aged means your steak wrapped in rendered down beef fat that has been strained from its yellow color to white. It make the steak softer and more buttery. It came with fingerling potatoes and some special house made "ketchup" and some amazing pearl onions and baby tomatoes. The steak was so soft and delicious, we just kept eating and didn't leave over a single vegetable. After all that one would think "can we really eat more?" Well I guess we could. We had a hard time deciding on a dessert, so Soso said we should have three. Before dessert however, Soso had us try some organic honey based whiskey. Like I said before we aren't really drinkers, but it was so tasty and smooth, the perfect palate cleanser. For desert we had the Lemon Jello with fresh mixed berries and sorbet , there was also the poached apple with cinnamon a fresh green apple sorbet and finally the chocolate cake, chocolate souffle and chocolate mousse. This last dessert was accompanied by two "olive oil" candies which are a must have at Meat. They are like a hard candy outside and a liquid core that just melts in your mouth. All were scrumptious. Brian then came to our table with a Polaroid camera to capture our special night on a photo with a special Meat sticker "frame" where you can write the date and notes/memories on the back. It was the perfect ending to an amazing...

I recently revisited MEAT, I’ve enjoyed in the past its wonderful ambiance and friendly service. This time, my wife and I decided to try both the Traditional and Pasta tasting menus, sharing our dishes to get a comprehensive taste of what MEAT has to offer. Here’s a detailed review of our experience:

I should note that I’m a super strict critic and don’t give high numbers easily because the truly special dishes shine more with their high scores. Therefore, ratings between 4 and 6 shouldn’t be seen as bad food but rather as dishes that didn’t fully meet my high expectations or that I’ve had better versions of elsewhere. Appetizers:

Carpacio: This dish was a highlight with a rating of 4.8. The presentation was impressive, scoring a 6. Pasta Asparagus: My favorite pasta of the night! And maybe my favorite dish! Another strong start with a rating of 8.7, though its presentation was less appealing at a 3. Beet Ravioli: This was disappointing in taste with a 3.2, but it looked better, scoring a 6.5 for presentation. Meat Platter: Taste-wise, it scored a 4.3, but the presentation was quite lacking at a 1.

Mid-Course:

Truffle Lamb Tongue: I came in hesitant but was pleasantly surprised and rated it a solid 5 for flavor, with an appealing presentation scoring a 6. Truffle Pasta: Unfortunately, this was the biggest letdown of the night, scoring only 1.5 in taste and 2 in presentation. Gnocchi: A really good dish with a rating of 5.7 and decent presentation at 5.5. Meatball: This was another disappointment, scoring just 1 in taste and 2 in presentation. Meatballs were cold, and just felt like they were tossed in a sauce that kept being brought out on the other dishes.

Main Courses:

Pasta: Meat Tortellini: Not very enjoyable, with a score of 1.5 and a presentation of 3. Pasta Pappardelle: Rated 3.2 for taste, with an equally mediocre presentation at 3.

Meat: Dry Aged Meat: This could have been exceptional if they served it hot, earning a taste rating of 5.9. Bouca-something: Again, a repetitive sauce marred this dish, leading to a score of 4.3. It really felt like the chef didn't have all the ingredients and just tossed this tomatoe sauce in everything. It hardly even tasted marinated, just a cover.

Desserts: Donuts: The dough was a standout at 9, and the chocolate was a delicious impressive dark chocolate that got it a 5.6. Presentation scored a 7. Gelato: A solid dessert option with a rating of 4.8 and a nice presentation at 7. Sorbet: This was not a hit, scoring only 2 for taste and 3 for presentation. Strawberry Chocolate Cake: Mediocre at best, with a taste score of 3 and a presentation of 5.

Drinks: Pomegranate Cocktail: Previously a favorite of mine, it unfortunately fell short this time with a rating of 4.8 compared to a previous 8.3.

Overall, while MEAT has a fantastic atmosphere and great service, this visit had its highs and lows in terms of the food, but overall a GREAT outing with the Mrs! MEAT remains a place worth visiting, especially for the ambiance and...

Amazing service, but overpriced food.

Loved Bryan C. From the moment I got there, he welcomed me with a smile, a HANDSHAKE, and sat me down. He was super attentive, gave me recommendations, and just amazingly courteous and friendly.

Atmosphere is a bit dim but warm. The rest of the staff was also pretty darn awesome. Zero qualms with anyone there.

Food was a bit of another story. I wish I was able to try their steaks, but at $5/oz and the smallest ribeye being about 25 oz., it was a bit steep to splurge on just myself. I ended up asking Bryan between the skirt steak ($62) or the lamb shoulder ($62); he recommended the lamb, so I went with that. Most of the menu items are more than $60... chicken was about $42, and the cheapest fare you'll get is with the fish ($30s). A pretty pricey menu.

Started off with a complimentary bowl of sliced bread and a tomato, balsamic, and chili spread that also had olives. It was crazy that this was one of the best things I had tonight; the flavors just all contrasted and also complemented each other so well. I had ordered a NY whiskey sour as well... which was pretty good too. The red wine float was quite thick, but I didn't mind.

The lamb took a while to come out, but it was fork-tender and I never needed to use my knife. That's about as good as it got... it was glazed with some sort of au jus, which really helped the flavor of the lamb meat itself.... but that was about it. I thought that the lamb was boiled... the meat was just so unfortunately bland, and at $62 for the plate, there's just no way. I told Bryan about this and little did I know that he would set things right.

I asked for the check but Bryan later told me to hang tight, as he was going to get me some dessert, on the house... it was very thoughtful of him. Another waiter brought out a bowl with three churros on top of vanilla ice cream, a chocolate design, and what looked like edible gold flakes/sprinkles. Normally it would have been $18 but it was truly on the house. This was also another amazing surprise, food-wise. With the caramel, vanilla, and spices, this easily beat everything else. Delicious.

I'm hoping to give these guys another shot, but at the prices they have now, it's a tough pill to swallow for another food experience. However, the staff...