Calling all carnivores and the people who love them. If you’re a connoisseur of a killer steak, mark your calendar for Thursday, September 10 at 6 p.m. and point your GPS to Industry City, the dynamic dining and arts complex in Brooklyn. It’s New York City’s first-annual RARE Steak Championship, an evening-long celebration of all things steak.
Whether you get a first taste, VIP, or general admission ticket, hungry attendees have the option for all-you-can-eat steak, plus premium spirits, high-quality wine, and signature cocktails. There is no limit.
What is RARE Steak Championship
RARE began in Denver in 2019 and has become such a hit that it expanded to cities across the United States, including Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, and Phoenix. Now it’s time for the Big Apple to take a bite.
In addition to the feast that will be taking place, RARE is also a competition. Over 20 of the city’s best steakhouses and restaurants will be pitted against each other to see who comes out on top in two separate categories: best traditional bite and best creative bite (think: the boldest, most innovative use of high-quality steak).
For those looking to graze on turf and surf, cast your gaze upon the VIP ticket, reeling in a bounty of seafood options. The VIP option also gets you in the door an hour early and access to chef demos, as well as the VIP Surf Seafood competition.
And to whet your whistle, there will also be a cocktail competition featuring select spirits, as well as plenty of tastes, pours, and zero-proof drinks.
Are you ready for it? Here’s a preview of some all-star steak sluggers to get your taste buds tantalized for September 10.
Amasa Steakhouse
Injecting some Latin flair into the steakhouse concept, Midtown’s Amasa dazzles steak lovers with Latin cuts marinated in aji de ajo or huacatay, a minty herb from the Andes mountain, as well as classic cuts of steak, such as New York strip and a gargantuan bone-in ribeye.
You can also choose your own adventure by mixing and matching with various sauces, including Chimichurri, the smoky Salsa Morita, the tarragon-spiked Aji Amarillo Béarnaise, the classic peppery Au Poivre, and the house sauce with a tangy, smoked chili accent. 32 W. 48th St., Midtown West, amasany.com
Pearl Box
The SoHo hotspot Pearl Box gets a lot of attention for the lavish caviar service, the filthy and briney martinis, and the fun and colorful Candy Bowl appetizer filled with nostalgic crunchy and gummy candies that help us conjure up more innocent days. But Pearl Box excels at one other thing, too, especially when it comes to the kitchen’s prowess with a cut of steak.
The flatiron at Pearl Box is a standout menu item. This thick, juicy, tender, and oh-so-edible specimen arrives at the table wading in a shallow pool of soy-bone-marrow Bordelaise and a large handful of ultra-crispy fries—the kind so golden and crisp you don’t want to share them. While the fries won’t be on display at RARE, you can bet Pearl Box will bring the meat. 357 W. Broadway, SoHo, pearlboxnyc.com
Mission Ceviche
With locations at Union Square and the Upper East Side, Mission Ceviche has established itself as New York’s go-to spot for Peruvian and South American fare. While “ceviche” may be in the name of this popular restaurant, that doesn’t mean you should count out its turf-rendering credentials.
After all, some may gravitate here for its citrus-spiked Peruvian seafood, but those in the know, come here for the Lomo Saltado, a wok stir-fried Filet Mignon accented with tomatoes, red onion, and soy sauce—a traditional dish in Peru that has been influenced by the country’s historic Chinese immigrant population. Still, Mission Ceviche will bring an A-game to the VIP section with octopus and more. 1400 Second Ave., Upper East Side; and 7 E. 17th St., Union Square, missionceviche.com
Porterhouse Party
We love a party. Even more, we love a Porterhouse Party. After all, co-founders Joe Fraschilla and Pete Annarumma not only know their way around a prime-cut porterhouse steak, they also know how to bring the Porterhouse Party right to you.
That’s right, this isn’t a restaurant as much as it’s a premier party on wheels. The team shows up at events, gatherings, and, in this case, festivals, to bring the meat. Think 45-day dry-aged steak, sumptuous smoked bone marrow, and lavish truffle butter, among other tasty things.
One Rare Italian Steakhouse
This Scarsdale-based mecca of meat does not just live up to its name, it is truly the rare steakhouse in Westchester County, New York. The restaurant is known to sizzles up enormous cuts of high-quality steak to ultra-high levels of satisfaction, all with an Italian spin. That’s right, you can get your steak with a side of pasta, and the tagliatelle with dry-aged beef ragout is good enough to make your nonna cry.
And when it comes to steak, the family-run spot dry-ages the beef in-house ,resulting in a bounty of bovine that is juicy, tender, and full of flavor. From the bone-in ribeye to the titanic Tomahawk for Two, One Rare Italian Steakhouse certainly brings the meat. 16 E. Pkwy., Scarsdale, NY, oneraresteakhouse.com
Raval Steakhouse
Meet Naz Ardolli and Ghent Zylfijan, two lifelong pals who worked their way through Manhattan’s most esteemed kitchens. Then, they decided to team up and open Raval Steakhouse on the north shore of Staten Island and the borough dining scene has never been the same. Best part, RARE is a great excuse to try the magic without the ferry ride.
But when you do cross the river, start with the homemade Wagyu Agnolotti wading in a rich parsley-dotted butter sauce or the Bison Short-Rib Cavatelli. Then comes the main event. Raval offers several cuts, including a wet-aged filet mignon and a Black Angus prime picanha, both not particularly common among New York steakhouses. And then there is the dinosaur-sized dry-aged porterhouse and the Raval Cajun Double-Cut Ribeye, served in a hot skillet after resting and marinating for 24 hours. 12 Minthorne St., Staten Island, ravalsteakhouse.com
Ventanas
This popular Fort Lee, New Jersey restaurant brings some Latin flavor to RARE. Owner, Alexander Duran is the son of Colombian immigrants and he brings his family heritage to the restaurant. Named one of “10 Most Influential Businessmen” by Industry Magazine, Mr. Duran also knows how to run a restaurant.
At Ventanas, though, it’s the kitchen that does the talking. Get a taste of what’s to come with some tapas, like the surf-and-turf classic, Grilled Octopus & Chorizo or the gloriously garlicky Black Linguine Gambas al Ajillo, combining the culinary traditions of Italy and Spain on one plate. The Prime Filet Mignon arrives at the table sizzling in its own juices—and so good you may end up skipping the Dubai Chocolate Torte and ordering more steak for dessert, such as the Churrasco Frites, a prime-cut skirt steak. 200 Park Ave., Fort Lee, NJ, ventanasatthemodern.com
