I have eaten at some of the most famous steakhouses in New York City. I thought I had seen every massive, bone-in cut of meat this city could throw at me. But then I walked into Rocco Steakhouse in Midtown Manhattan.
This place is not playing games. They are serving up classic, old-school Italian-American steakhouse dishes on a scale that is absolutely mind-boggling.
The Crispy, Sizzling Starters
My feast started with their legendary thick-cut Canadian bacon. They throw these massive slabs of pork belly right onto a roaring grill. The fat renders down. The edges get beautifully charred and caramelized. It is sliced up and served sizzling.
It is sweet. It is smoky. The bite has a perfect snap that releases a rush of savory juices. I picked a whole slab up with my bare hands. No regrets. It is that good.
Next up, the French onion soup. They ladle a rich, dark onion broth into a ceramic crock. They float toasted bread rounds on top. Then, they cover the entire opening with a heavy blanket of Swiss and Gruyère cheese.
They slide it under the broiler until it is bubbling and browned. Look at that pull! The cheese stretches all the way to the ceiling. It is gooey. It is salty. The perfect winter comfort food.
Shellfish And Fire
They also do baked clams Oreganata that are incredibly crispy. They ladle a hot, garlicky butter sauce right over the seasoned breadcrumb topping. A heavy squeeze of fresh lemon juice cuts through the richness. It is a flawless, briny bite.
If you love cold seafood, their raw bar platter is a must-order. It comes on a towering mountain of shaved ice.
They pack it with giant, sweet shrimp, freshly shucked oysters, and massive chunks of cold lobster. I grabbed a lobster claw the size of my fist. It was sweet, cold, and incredibly fresh.
The Main Events
But the real showstoppers come from the kitchen’s roaring broilers.
We started with a classic shrimp scampi pasta. They sauté giant tiger prawns in a pan with sliced garlic, white wine, lemon juice, and plenty of butter. Then, they toss in freshly cooked, steaming linguine.
The pasta absorbs all that garlicky, buttery goodness. It is rich. It is decadent.
Then came the lobster mac and cheese. They toss tender cavatappi pasta in a rich, creamy cheese sauce packed with giant chunks of sweet lobster meat. They top it with more cheese and slide it under the broiler.
Look at that pull! It is an absolute cheese pull masterpiece. The sweet lobster and the sharp cheese sauce are a match made in heaven.
For the meat lovers, their grilled lamb chops are perfectly charred on the bone. They are tender. They are juicy.
They also serve a massive, dry-aged Porterhouse steak. They cook it to a perfect medium-rare, slice it up, and douse it in hot, sizzling butter. It is rich. It is tender. It melts in your mouth.
The King Of Veal Parm
But the absolute star of the show is the bone-in Veal Parmigiana.
They take a massive, bone-in veal chop and pound it out until it is virtually the size of a hubcap. They coat it in seasoned breadcrumbs and drop it into the deep fryer. It emerges a beautiful golden brown.
They transfer it to a metal platter, drench it in a bright marinara sauce, and cover it with slices of fresh mozzarella. They slide it under the broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
The presentation is insane. I lifted the entire chop by the bone, and it was so heavy my wrist actually strained.
The crunch of the breading remains perfectly intact under the sweet marinara sauce and gooey cheese. The meat is incredibly tender.
The result? Elite.
Rocco Steakhouse needs to go straight to the top of your devour list. Go hungry, and bring friends. You are going to need the help.