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AT THE SMOKE CHOPHOUSE
Rated by the
Bergen Record
Ah, the Nineties, when men are men and women smoke
cigars, where a neat 21-year old single malt scotch is
at home with a rare 42-ounce prime aged porterhouse
steak and the Yankee game on the television over the bar
is as much a tradition as the tune of “Route 66”
emanating from the baby grand in the jazz lounge
downstairs.
Enter the 60-seat world of Smoke Chophouse & Cigar
Emporium in Englewood. As the name implies, it’s a
restaurant that encourages smoking, and while the
state-of-the-art ventilation system changed the air six
times an hour, guests are still saturated with the
lingering odor of cigars.
With this understanding, Smoke can be enjoyed as a cozy
restaurant that embraces its guests with large, plush
upholstered eclectic antique chairs, gold-framed cigar
labels and tasteful artistic renditions of Louis Icart’s
sensual nudes. It’s a bastion of male waiters in black
butcher aprons, five to one table, attending to mostly
men in Armani suits and some women-a few dressed to kill
in Versace couture.
The atmosphere is like an exclusive men’s club where
dining is an event with serious business at hand.
Witness: the Bowie-like steak knife on the table, the
shrine to hand-rolled cigars adjacent to the solid
mahogany bar, the wine rack displaying a $24,000
collection of Erti cognacs, and the chilled martini
glasses.
Since June, diners have been drawn here to satisfy the
primitive carnivorous lust for thick steaks, enormous
chops, extremely fresh whole fish, earthy potatoes and
as few vegetables as possible (spinach is allowed
because it gave Popeye manly strength…but that’s about
it for the green stuff).
The simple, straightforward menu features just six
appetizers, ranging from jumbo shrimp ($2.90 per piece)
to Beluga Caviar with a 1-pound Maine lobster ($69); two
soups; four very basic salads, and 12 entrees; plus a
few specials.
Whole kernels of yellow corn, bountiful shreds of
succulent Maryland crab and tender red potatoes joined
forces to create one of the most moist and beautifully
golden crab cake appetizers in memory ($10.90).
Equally fine were the five large and yielding asparagus
spears ($6.95) that were presented as if potted in a
culinary mulch of juicy Jersey tomatoes and diced red
onions graced in the dew of a fine vinaigrette.
Veils of rich beef carpaccio ($11.95) tease the palate
like a mirage, for they seem to melt and disappear at a
bite. Large shavings of 15-year aged Reggiano-Parmigiano
are a snowcap that blankets a refreshing harvest of
arugula.
The main event is the entrees, beautifully presented in
their raw components prior to preparation. It’s here
that guests feast their eyes on such delights as New
Zealand lobster tails ranging in size from 14 ounces to
three pounds; 28-day dry-aged USDA grain-fed prime
Western beef with bones that should be in the Museum of
Natural History; the clear raised eyes of a whole red
snapper; cross sections of yellow-fin tuna and thick
center-cut pork chops. There is no wrong selection.
Only parsley garnished the plain white plate for my
16-ounce prime filet mignon ($28.95). Flawlessly charred
externally, the effortless passing of the razor-sharp
knife revealed a fibrous juicy red interior flecked with
marbled fat. Only afterwards did I notice I never
reached for the salt or pepper during our several
visits. We were, however, presented with Peter Lugar
Steak House Old-Fashioned Sauce ($5.95 per bottle) and
requested some Heinz ketchup for the incredibly hot and
crisp side order of steak fries ($3.95).
The aged porterhouse steak ($39.95) – the restaurant’s
most popular entrée – is equally as fine, especially
when accompanied by perhaps one of the best enhanced
lobsters I’ve ever tasted. The large, sweet, and firm
tail of a cold-water New Zealand lobster ($36) is split,
dredged in flour, sautéed in hot oil and garlic, and
then flambéed in cognac and cayenne pepper, and then
tossed in aged Parmesan cheese. De-shelled and served in
its tail, the rich blends of tastes and aromas
invigorate the senses and addict the taste buds.
Our grilled French pork chop ($16.95) weighed in at 16
ounces and stood nearly 3 inches high. Slowly cooked on
the bone, it was a pleasure to cut into the chop
revealing firm pink flesh that exuded a smoky taste. The
lightly breaded version is equally as delicious and
presented butter flied, cooked a little longer and
lacking any trace of oil.
Smoke tempts seafood enthusiasts with wonderfully fresh
fish. We had chosen wisely from the platter and our red
snapper ($24.95) was brought to the table split and
deboned, minus its head and tail. Encrusted in almonds,
the moist fillet swam in a savory black bean reduction
sauce.
Entrees are not garnished with vegetables or potatoes,
so side orders are a must. The hands-down favorite is
the mashed potatoes with garlic and mozzarella ($4.95).
Don’t plan to share this with anyone because it’s that
good. The traditional creamed spinach ($4.95) also hits
the spot.
Desserts seem trivial at a steakhouse, but Smoke does
offer some fine choices, especially the creamy and
buttery cheese strudel or the cheesecake ($5.95).
But there are desserts of a different sort here…such as
a Warre’s 1963 port ($28) with a Moore & Bode
hand-rolled cigar ($15). In addition to an impressive
list of ports, Madeira, and cognacs, the wine list
features a fine selection of American, Australian,
European, and South African wines ranging in price from
$18 to $1,065 per bottle.
(RESTAURANT RATINGS TABLE) Smoke Chophouse & Cigar
Emporium 4 stars 36 Engle Street, Englewood 541-8530
Fare: Steaks, chops, seafood. Prices: Appetizers, $2.95
to $69; entrees, $16.95 to $39.95; desserts, $5.95.
Credit Cards: AE, D, MC, V. Reservations: Required. Days
Closed: None. Liquor/wine available: Yes. Facilities for
the disabled: No. Area for non-smokers: No. Atmosphere:
Elegant, casual, jackets requested.
Rated by the Record: October 25, 1996.
Restaurants are rated on the quality of their food,
atmosphere, service and value. Halves are given when a
restaurant surpasses a level of food, service, or
ambience. Reviewers make at least two anonymous visits
to a restaurant, and The Record always pays the tab.
Day: Friday Section: LIFESTYLE/PREVIEWS
Column: FINE DINING Edition: All Editions = 5 Star, 4
Star, 3 Star
Date: 10/25/1996 2 Star, 1 Star
Byline: By RENE A. MACK, Restaurant Reviewer
Publication: The Record – Page 028 |
