Steakhouse
Dining Hits Its Prime At Mac’s
By Pete & Mike/ foodie@longislandernews.com
When we began our foodie adventure, we knew
there would be those exceptional dining experiences –
ones memorable not only because of the exceptional food, but
because everything was superb – ambiance, style, service,
presentation, the buzz and the food.
Mac’s Steakhouse is just such a place.
Its impressive exterior and beautifully styled contemporary
interior with soaring ceilings set the tone for an evening
of complete enjoyment. A beautifully styled leather paneled
bar area with mahogany- and wine-colored walls, offering a
wonderfully large and varied selection of wines by the glass
– most well under $10 – and a nightly happy hour
(5-7 p.m.) with complimentary food is a wonderful introduction
to Mac’s. The wine cellar and private dining for parties
up to 12 in salon with French doors to the outside are exquisite!
The upstairs dining area, which accommodates 100, is reached
by a grand winding staircase and is perfect for private parties.
The room is equipped with audio and projection facilities
for the first class corporate power-point lunch or dinner
presentation. The front door and the wooden planks in the
entrance and bar areas are from an old church in Brazil –
the homeland of Fabio Machado, the force behind the restaurant.
Machado, a longtime Huntington fixture, is
the head of Reststar Hospitality Group, perhaps the fastest
growing restaurant group on Long Island. In addition to Mac’s
Steakhouse, they own the Bistro Cassis, Bistro Citron, Pomodoro
and Pomodorino restaurants.
Machado came here from Brazil in 1975 speaking
no English. He worked several jobs until opening his own clothing
stores – one you may remember on Wall Street in Huntington
Village. After marrying his wife Linda, whose family was in
the restaurant business, Machado and partner Piero Casalicchio
– who designed the beautiful interior of Mac’s
-- opened Fabio’s, a Brazilian-Italian spot on Stewart
Avenue in Huntington that later became Pomodoro, the foundation
of their present-day restaurant dynasty.
The staff at Mac’s is well trained
and unobtrusively orchestrate each movement of the culinary
symphony. Giuseppie was the delightful server who conducted
us flawlessly through the evening. From the delivery of the
breadbasket with three different varieties of perfectly crusty
rolls to the never empty water glasses, service is first rate.
The food is everything you’d expect
from an upscale steakhouse. We’ve sampled them all on
the north shore of Long Island and there are none better.
Unlike other fine steakhouses, Mac’s also offers a variety
of enticing non-steak entrees including: Chilean sea bass
with mango salsa ($29), ahi tuna with a lemon grass soy glaze
($32), bouillabaisse ($32), stuffed French chicken breast
($19), double cut lamb chops with a bread crumb herb crust
in a garlic and rosemary jus ($38), ribs ($27) and of course,
Maine Lobster.
The appetizers, which are varied and all
well presented, include oysters Rockefeller ($12), Maryland
jumbo lump crab cakes ($16), Vietnamese spring roll ($10),
clams casino ($9), and spiced ribs ($10). However, to us,
for sushi eaters, the tuna tartar ($14) served on crispy wonton
with a wasabi cream and soy ginger glaze, was perfection.
A creative variety of salads included: chopped
($9), classic Caesar ($9), Vietnamese ($10), chicory and beet
($10) and spiced calamari ($11). We were delighted with our
choice of the Mac’s Salad ($11) with arugula, onion,
tomato, green beans, goat cheese and the most intriguing hickory
smoked bacon we’ve ever had.
To accompany the main course Mac’s
offers a variety of skillfully prepared sides. Mac’s
Pan Potatoes ($8), large very crisp pancakes (think potato
latkes) made from julienned strips is outrageous. Their spinach
($6) sautéed in olive oil and garlic and sprinkled
with sesame seeds was right on the money.
But Mac’s is about steak. They feature
exquisite prime dry-aged meats. And one cut seems better than
the next. The biggest challenge is deciding which to order
– each cut is cooked precisely to order and every diner
in the room seemed overjoyed with their choice. The porterhouse
for 2, 3 or 4 ($37 per person) is usually the most talked
about choice of steak lovers. At Mac’s we’re told
the flavorful and tender selection is good as it gets. The
selection of most of the diners around us on a recent visit
was the Steak Delmonico ($32), a boneless rib eye covered
with thinly sliced curly fried onion. We’ll be back
to try it. We also will return to try their Kobe beef chopped
steak ($21). They also offer a New York strip ($38).
We had the filet mignon – a perfect,
tender, tasty prime piece of ecstasy, and at Giuseppie’s
suggestion, the cowboy cut rib eye ($44) the largest piece
of heavenly beef one has ever encountered. At Mac’s
when you pay the price for fine meat you get the very best
prepared to perfection.
The desserts are as exciting as the meal.
We destroyed our diet with the warm chocolate pudding cake
($8) and the caramel upside down cheesecake ($8). Each was
perfect in presentation, texture and taste.
The entire evening was memorable and one
should have no beef with the steakhouse prices charged here
for the perfect cut.
For steak-lovers, Mac’s is a must!
For special occasions, it’s perfect, and for foodies
it’s unmisteakably the meat Mecca of Long Island.
We’ll be back!
Mac’s Steakhouse
12 Gerard Street, Huntington
631-549-5300
Cuisine: Steakhouse
Price range: Expensive
Hours: Lunch, Mon –
Fri, 12-3
Dinner, Mon – Thurs 5-10; Fri & Sat 5-11 Sun Brunch,
10-3
Main
Menu
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