Redeye Grill

Redeye Grill, 890 Seventh Ave (btwn 56th/57th Sts), 212-541-9000, RedeyeGrill.com

SHORT ORDER: This “mega restaurant” still manages to be personable, serving up fantastic food with great style.
PETER’S PICKS: Caesar salad; spicy tuna roll; lobster thermidor; bone-in New York strip steak
PETER’S PANS: The mystery of the disappearing Dancing Shrimp!

As my fella and I perused the menu at Redeye Grill, we wondered what on earth happened to the famous Dancing Shrimp for which the longstanding restaurant was so well known. We never did figure it out since we were too busy with other food that we heartily enjoyed. From our comfortable window-side seats across from Carnegie Hall, we marveled at the cavernous space (what you might call a “mega restaurant”) festively dressed with lights strung around an icy raw bar full of fish, and scored by a live tinkling piano player tickling his ivories. Perhaps he was trying to get to Carnegie’s stage!

Pricey cocktails clocked in at $17 for the Ultimate Sidecar, which was suitably seasonal and highly drinkable with a generous dose of Cognac, Cointreau, a hint of citrus and nutmeg. A Tito’s vodka martini was also marvelous, very dry (okay, I ordered it with no vermouth) with a sprightly lemon twist.

The Caesar salad served as our starter, in a delightful dressing with just a touch of slightly salty anchovies to enhance the pure flavor—we asked for white anchovies, which were available as a side upon request—a remarkable, fresh idea! Meaty Huge Shrimp on a tray of crushed ice certainly earned their name with a sweet cocktail sauce that had an underlying heated spice and perhaps a bit of nutmeg. Then, off to oysters we went! Naked Cowboys from Long Island were chewy and fairly cherishable, but the diminutive Kumamotos rallied as always, so buttery with a finish of fresh cucumber. Although the spicy tuna roll with shredded, frizzled onions seemed a little out of line with the rest of the menu, we sunk into the delicious shift in tone. And fresh snow crab lightly fried in tempura batter found its way into a huge roll with a smart crunch.

We would have liked to try the lobster macaroni—and cheese because it certainly sounded enticing—but we set our sights elsewhere when considering crustaceans. We disregarded decency and dug into a rapturous platter of roasted lobster thermidor that tasted of a buttery sea, topped with a toasted Parmesan cheese crust and with a gorgeous, creamy, herbal béchamel sauce lying underneath with hen-of-the-woods mushrooms and a wreath of haricots verts. As fortune’s fates would have it, we went further into a juicy pink bone-in New York strip steak garnished with mint, parsley and fronds of celery leaves. It was perfectly cooked at medium rare and was just what a hearty, satisfying steak should be. Nutty Brussels sprouts were the right accompaniment, enhanced by cashews; a dish at once sweet and crispy and crunchy.

Banana cream pie sounded most alluring as did the coconut cake, but we whisked ourselves away from the wonderful Redeye Grill and waltzed our way downtown as we discussed the absent Dancing Shrimp, having spent several delicious hours at our fine table.

Prices: Appetizers: $13–$29; Entrées: $27–$55; Alcohol: wine, beer, full bar, specialty cocktails