The Chopped (salad)

by Celia Sin-Tien Cheng
May 1, 2007

QUALITY MEATS
57 W 58th St
(5th & 6th Aves)
New York, NY 10019
212-371-7777

Quality Meats opened last April as the latest addition to the Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group (SWRG). While the restaurant is located in Midtown and caters to those who work in the area with generous expense accounts, I was pleasantly surprised to find how much I enjoyed the atmosphere, food and service each time I visited. This statement may sound unfair, but I only mean that Quality Meats is a smart and nice contrast to the original old school Smith & Wollensky steakhouse (now steakhouse conglomerate). Not that there’s anything wrong with old school, but I tend to feel a little out of place despite my voracious appetite for meat! By comparison, Quality Meats is modern and has a varied menu that has been expertly and beautifully executed with a touch of levity.

In fact, Quality Meats is more of a contemporary New York restaurant than a steakhouse. And while there’s no doubt of its expertise in meats, I actually am a big fan of all the seafood served. Chef Craig Koketsu pays close attention to the orders coming in. When my friend and I ordered soft shell crab, crabcake, crab and avocado, and hamachi sashimi for appetizers, he altered the seasoning and ingredients of some to make sure there wasn’t too much overlap in flavors. All of it is extremely fresh and the presentation beautiful. The hamachi sashimi remains my favorite. The fresh hamachi (yellowfin tuna) pairing with the creaminess of avocado and refreshing, crunchy green papaya is a knockout.

The lunch menu at QM is really a delight with “The Chopped” salad as one its main highlights. Guests choose from a selection of mixes including classic (romaine, Boston bibb, beefsteak tomatoes, thick-cut onions, bacon lardons, and bleu cheese dressing), Mediterranean (arugula, olives, artichokes, chickpeas, cucumbers, roasted peppers and basil vinaigrette), roasted beet (red and gold beets, radicchio, endive frisée, arugula and toasted walnut vinaigrette), green goddess (romaine, cucumbers, olives, red onions, apples, sunflower seeds, and creamy fresh herb dressing), or eastern (napa cabbage, carrots, scallions, cilantro, hosui pears, green papaya, roasted peanuts and spicy lime vinaigrette). After choosing your mix, you pick “a finishing touch” from the choices of roasted vegetables, grilled chicken breast, marinated shrimp, thinly sliced diver scallops, seared yellowfin tuna, pepper seared filet mignon or lobster (when in season). I’ve tried the classic with filet mignon and the green goddess with lobster, both of which were fun and great lunch options, as they were filling but not heavy.

The QM burger is also a nice alternative as it comes with an avocado on top and is served with parmesan hot fries, a.k.a. Tabasco fries. With all the food we had ordered, I wasn’t quite sure what was so spicy at first, but then realized that the fries were seasoned with Tabasco and sprinkled with grated parmesan. The waiter also explained that in addition to ketchup, another condiment served with the fries is Tabasco mayonnaise, just in case the fries alone were not hot enough. I love these fries! Spicy foods always open up my appetite, so I couldn’t get enough of them.

For dessert, pastry chef Cory Colton makes a variety of his own ice creams, including “coffee and doughnuts” and raspberry chocolate truffle. But I actually fell in love with the warm apple tart with apricot and blueberry compote. The tart is thin and refined, but there’s something about warm apple pies, one bite and it just feels like home. Despite being uncomfortably full after an extremely copious meal, I wanted to finish this dessert — and those who know me know I am not a sweets girl!

After lunch on both visits, I was ready to go home for a nap. I felt completely satisfied and blissful. And walking out of the restaurant, I relished the thought of how good life is. And for that, I give Quality Meats a thumbs-up.

Also in American, Midtown West, Salad, Seafood, Steak