E&E Grill House
At E&E Grill House, little can be big
A reasonably priced steakhouse is cause for carnivorous jubilation.
Still, it was the boldness of many of the nonsteak dishes at Midtown's new E&E Grill House that blindsided us.
Sure, the hanger ($32) and tri-tip ($29) steaks were fine specimens, marinated for hours with olive oil, parsley, thyme and chives before taking a turn on the grill. Executive chef Eric Simeon's way with the meal's accessories, though, was startling.
At meal's start, raw sheaths of Tuscan kale ($9) were jumbled with shaved radishes, tossed with a spunky honey-and-whole-grain-mustard vinaigrette and sprayed with pecorino and bread crumbs. Even the Caesar ($10) did an about-face, its whole leaves of romaine charred and slippery with an anchovy-laden dressing.
Seeing a bacon appetizer ($9) listed, we rolled our eyes and imagined a spiritless concession. So wrong we were: Planks of North Country Smokehouse bacon were lain over a vivid slaw of Savoy cabbage rich with aioli and sherry vinegar.
The sides ($8 each; or one complimentary side with each steak order), too, were bantam. A twice-baked potato boasted a fried skin and a filling larded with bacon fat; grilled broccolini was tender and flavorful thanks to an expert salting before being blasted with heat.
Small can be so big.
E&E Grill House, 233 W. 49th St. (bet. Broadway and Eighth Ave.); 212-505-9909 or eegrillhouse.com