South City Prime: Little Falls, NJ and South City Grill: Rochelle Park, NJ

A tale of two South Cities?

Oh that was hacky.  Please accept my apology.

We rolled into South City Prime, on its first night (stupid, I know, but what the hell), with reasonably low expectations.  After all, we had no love for its sister restaurant, South City Grill, a restaurant at which we had a forgettable (regrettable?) meal 10 years ago.  More on that place later.  That, coupled with how unimpressed I was with the other new Little Falls steakhouse, Rare, and hell, I was figuring this was another gaudy big-money more-flash-than-flesh pick-up joint, posing as a steakhouse.

And I was wrong.  At least about the steak.

We sat at the bar, because bar dining is almost always preferable.  A friendly bartender took our drink orders (a bourbon concoction for me, what with this new bourbon kick that I'm on) and fetched us some menus. 

South City Prime was reported to serve USDA Prime dry-aged beef, which was the draw for me.  However, in reviewing the meat choices, you'll notice some Certified Angus Beef mixed in with USDA Prime, and you'll notice that only the ribeye and porterhouse are USDA Prime and dry-aged.  At least that's what the menu will have you believe.  I'm not too concerned with the other cuts, however, as porterhouse is my cut, and USDA Prime and dry-aged are my adjectives. 

More on the steak later.

The oyster selection included Beausoieil, which I've never had, and frankly have never heard of.  "From where are these sourced?" I asked where they were from and what flavor profile we might expect (briny vs. sweet, etc), and was pleased to hear that these were briny little oysters from some very cold water up New England way.  A dozen oysters was certainly in order. 

Unfortunately the wine choices for these oysters were quite limited.  On a list of about 6 whites by the glass, 3 were different brands of chardonnay.  If I've said it once I've said it a thousand times:  offer just one chardonnay.  People who drink chardonnay by the glass are most likely not going to care which producer it's from.  They're really not.  Fill up the other 5 slots with some interesting wines, and hey, maybe some wines that compliment your food?  Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Gruner, Sauvignon blanc.  There's a good start.  In fairness, they had a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc on the list, so my oysters didn't have to slide down a dry throat. 

These oysters, these oysters were so tasty, served so perfectly, liquor intact, just the right chill, that we joked that we try South City Grill on the following night, just to see if they had them.  More on that later.

Crappy low-light pic for reference purposes only

Now the really good part.

Our steak arrived m/r as ordered, with a nice crust, and nicely seasoned.  things were looking good.  Although I could do without the little pad of herbed butter on the top.  Flick it off. 

The meat exhibited very clear tell-tale signs of dry-aging.  It had a wonderfully minerally flavor in parts.  Some of the fat was on the funky side.  And it was as tender as filet mignon.  Although, since one side of the porterhouse is filet mignon that might not be saying much, but it really was tender.

One of the owners came by and asked how things were, and I couldn't help myself:   I gushed over the steak.  "Do you guys dry age this stuff here"?  I ask the nice man.  "We have a butcher that we contract out that does the aging," he replies.  I says to the man I says "well it's really super."  He said "well it had better be!", suggesting that this service and beef does not come cheaply for the restaurant.  The steak doesn't come cheaply to you, either:  89 bucks for that slab of beef.  But like I've said before, if I'm getting USDA Prime, dry-aged beef, I don't mind paying USDA Prime dry-aged prices.  South City Prime is delivering the goods.

The owner and we had a nice, if not perhaps a bit too candid, discussion on various topics:

On truffle oil, that chemically non-truffle tasting stuff that you'll find at most restaurants that are trying too hard:
Me:  "What's with the truffle oil all over the menu.  That stuff is horrible."
Owner:  "Eh, people seem to like it.  Just tell the server you don't want it and we'll make the dish without it."
Me:  "Cool."

On the decor:
The missus:  "I love that light.  Where's it from?"
Owner:  "c.i.t.e., in SoHo"
Us:  "Ooooh"

On restaurants:
Me:  "I gotta tell ya, we didn't think much of South City Grill."
Owner:  "When did you go?"
Me:  "About 10 years ago."
Owner:  "Ah, well, we were just getting on our feet.  Try us again."
Me:  "OK then."

As we were leaving, we were put on some sort of VIP list for all of their restaurants.  I don't know what that really means, but presumably we can get into the places if they're otherwise booked.  Maybe not.  Who knows.  But it was a nice gesture, as was the 15% discount (or was it 20%?) during the opening week.  And believe me, at those prices, 15% adds up to a nice chunk of change.

We were absolutely impressed with South City Prime.  The bartender was very nice and accommodating.  The owner was gracious and engaging.  The  coat check person was nice.  So impressed we were (and wanting those oysters again) that we went to South City Grill the following night.

Here's where things go a bit wrong, and where my expectations were fully met.  Let's start with boobies.  That's usually a good place to start.

South City Grill's bartenders dress somewhat provocatively.  In my experience, this type of outfit and look attracts, how shall I say, a special kind of North Jersey jackass to the bar.  And they were a-representin' that night.   I'd go on to explain them, but you probably get the idea.  Add the jackasses to those boobies and South City Grill's bar area is certainly not family friendly.  It's not even t:e-friendly.  But I'm a trouper and can manage boobies and jackasses when necessary.

Anyway, our bartender was none other then the one from South City Prime the night prior.  She recognized us and we received very good service.  Must be that VIP thing kicking in, we thought, and so soon too. 

We got right into the oysters. 

South City grill serves their oysters with some sort of shaved ice mignonette, which is really not very good.  Gimmicky, impressive to some no doubt, but not good.  They don't even serve regular mignonette (that wonderful condiment of vinegar, shallots, and black pepper).  But with us being all VIP-like someone ran into the kitchen and made a special ramekin just for us.  The oysters fell short of the prior night's.  Maybe that was a by-product of heightened expectations.

I figured they might be producing a great burger, so I gave it a whirl.  In reality they're producing a pretty good burger, but one that's too flat for the bun and for my taste.  Too much bun. 

A tuna tartar dish was inedible and tasted as though it was seared in the morning and left out in a hot kitchen.  Like tuna jerky.  We don't normally send food back, but when asked if everything was alright, we expressed dissatisfaction, and the dish was taken away and stricken from the check.  Fair enough.  It really wasn't good . At all.  Something tells me we got a bad plate of it, but that's no excuse.  Anyone in the kitchen should have known that this tuna was not in any shape to be served, especially to VIPs such as ourselves.

On the way out, the manager apologized for the tuna, and seemed genuinely pleased that we had said something.  "We like to know these things" he said.  Good for them.  The friggin guy actually walked us out to the valet and showed us a warm place to stand while waiting for the car, apologizing and coddling us all the way, until we were in the car.  Hell I think he even shut the car door for muh'lady.  I'm kinda digging this VIP business.  Who knew?

For additional reading on South City Prime's excellent burger, click here.

South City Prime : One Route 23 South : Little Falls, NJ (and soon in Jersey City and Montvale) : 973.785.4225

South City Grill : 55 Route 17 South :  Rochelle Park, NJ (and other locations): 201.845.3737

Comments

[Daniel]

Can I get your autograph?

[Double0]

We went on Sat. Had the same steak as you did, we ordered it rare and it came that way, done perfectly and delious . We had the seafood palace;6east, 6west coast oysters, 12 little necks,jumbo shrimp and giant lump crab. They were all great quality, but I didn't like the sauces that went with them. I'm into mignonet. The sides were just ok, potato combo(all mashed) and sauted mushrooms that seemed a little old. The baked Alaska desert was real nice and the coffee above average We brought our own wine ($25 corkage) so we had no problem with the seafood. Tax and tip $300 about what you would pay in NYC. The room was quite nice,but on Sat. it was cold. One of the owners told me that they have to keep the AC on because of the gas fireplaces.When they open their other locations this will be a nice addition the wasteland that is NE Bergen Co.

[tommy:eats]

I'm glad your steak was enjoyable. I'm always worried that a place I like, and post about, own't be consistent.

I wanted to mention those "fireplaces." In an article on the opening of SCPrime, The Bergen Record said "Dorras said the restaurant took the extra step toward going green, with eco-friendly food purveyors, sustainable seafood and organic or local ingredients when possible. The restaurant is even bottling its own sparkling water, which will be offered free to every table."

How can they justify nonstop fuel consumption that is wholly for show? Perhaps they're capturing and using the heat for something, but that's unlikely.

[Rosie]

Happy to hear you had such a good experience as we are going to SC Prime this week. Have dined at South City Grill in Mountain Lakes and can recommend that restaurant also.

We recently dined at Baccus, Fairfield and were disappointed in the steak that was advertised as 28 day dry aged prime. It tasted like cardboard. My dad was a butcher and I've eaten alot of steak.

[Daniel]

What is most impressive about SC Prime is that it just opened. I expected some growing pains. Let's see -- good bar, good oysters, good steak. Sounds perfect!

On a related note, my wif and I went to SC Grill a few times about 7 or 8 years ago. The oysters and martinis were good, but the crowd was a bit over the top. The last time we went there was a bachelor party at the bar. After a few minutes, one of the obviously blotto members of the party, and a very large man to boot, stood up and began to shout at one of his fellow party-goers: "just shut the f@#k up!" Over and over and over. The management did nothing, and we left, never to return.

[tommy:eats]

don't get me wrong: this was not a finely tuned machine. we sat at the bar, and, as you know, you have much more control over your experience when you sit at the bar than when you sit at a table. who knows what would have went down at a table.

regardless, the thing that surprised me most was the steak and the oysters. they were at a level i didn't expect. i can't say if they'll stay at that level (they probably won't) and the rest of the food certainly wasn't at that level, but yeah, we were impressed with that visit.

[Ann]

On February 4th my boyfriend and I and another couple visited the new South City Prime in Little Falls. I had heard a lot of good things about the restaurant and we were excited about our first visit there. Upon entering the restaurant we were amazed at the décor and how beautiful each room looked. We sat at the bar and each had a specialty drink. We were then seated by our friendly hostess. We each tried a different appetizer; one had the tuna tartar, one had the deviled eggs and the other two had Sashimi and Sushi rolls. Each appetizer was delicious and we shared them between ourselves enthuseatically.

Again, to experience each dish, we each ordered a variety of steaks and again, nothing but compliments to the preparation, presentation and the amazing taste which according to our server, is locked in by marking the steak and then grilling it according to each person’s desired temperature.

Each one of us had a great time; for a restaurant that has been open just a few weeks, the staff are very knowledgeable and enthuseastic. We finished off our meals with delicious desserts and cognacs. We can’t wait to go back!!!

[tommy:eats]

someone needs to tell the restaurant that grill marks and/or searing does nothing to lock in flavor or juices. poppycock as far as i'm concerned.

[adegiulio]

6 of us went to Prime a couple of weeks ago to celebrate a birthday with lunch. The first thing that struck me was how ugly the exterior was. I mean, really fugly. Anyway, we entered the empty room (it was their first day open for lunch) and sat down. A round of sweet delicious gin martinis got us started. What happened after is a blur...like looking through frozen liquor binoculars totally out of focus...

General impressions: Great meat, tasty sides (though they were out of a number of them, including MASHED POTATOES (?!?!?)) Fresh and delicious kumomoto ersters. Warm, if not sexy, service. Overall, a terrific time, really exceptional food, and an attractive interior space. They earned their $1000 (yikes)

[tommy:eats]

glad it worked out adeguilio. When I started reading your comment I thought for sure you were going to bash the place. I keep waiting to hear how the quality has dropped, but haven't. I need to get back there.

Had a steak at The Park Steakhouse the other night. I much preferred South City Prime.

[Ev]

Now hang on a second...adeguilio said "it was their first day open for lunch..." and then "...tasty sides (though they were out of a number of them, including MASHED POTATOES)" and you gave that a full pass? That's so unlike you, Tommy! :-) A steakhouse that's OUT OF mashed potatoes on their first day of lunch when the room is empty sounds like they have some ISSUES, even if other things went well! Just sayin'.

[adegiulio]

There is no comparing The Park Steakhouse to Prime. In my opinion, everything is better at Prime (except that exterior).

[joeb]

The Park seems to be getting a bum wrap. Is it any good at all? I live 5 minutes from it but have never been. Is it worth going to? For a local steakhouse I go to Quinta in Pearl River. A nice casual place with not bad steak and friendly service.

[tommy:eats]

The Park is always placing in those silly Readers' polls and Critic's Picks in NJ Monthly, the Bergen Record and other publications catering to people who don't really put much thought into steak.

The Park does serve dry-aged steak, which is pretty much a requirement for me at that price-point. I preferred my recent steak at South City over my recent steak at the Park, but steak is prone to variabilities by nature of the product.

The park drizzles some sort of sweet sauce on their steaks, which goes against my purist sensibilities. I prefer a bit of clarified butter or nothing. It was also not salted to my liking.

Obviously this is all about preference, and someone may get loads more enjoyment from grilled skirt steak then they do a dry-aged USDA Prime porterhouse. Hell sometimes that grilled skirt steak is exactly what you want.

The Park does have excellent burgers. They made my best of 2007 list, which I've yet to post.

[tommy:eats]

Ev, I just don't agree with your assessment.

Not having mashed potatoes on the first day of lunch doesn't seem indicative of a problem. Maybe the potatoes didn't come in. What's the big deal? They weren't able to pull together some of some other sides. It was the first day of lunch service. I just can't get too worried about that.

[joeb]

If The Park is putting something sweet on a dry-aged porterhouse I'm happy I've never gone.

Funny you should mention porterhouse and skirt steak. Those are my two favorite cuts of steak. If I'm in a pricey place I always order the porterhouse. If at a more casual place like Quinta I go for the skirt.

Tommy, if you're in the area you may want to check out Quinta. Only a couple minutes north of The Park. Not a bad place if you're in the mood for a more casual steak dinner.

[tommy:eats]

Joeb, it's just a drizzle. I swear. :) It's a case of them catering to what people like I think. Or maybe they don't like it, who knows.

I'm with you on steak. I only only only eat dry-aged and at least CAB beef. I don't see any reason to have steak that's not at that level when it's in porterhouse or strip form. But there's plenty of great beef in other cuts, and when it's not porterhouse, it's skirt for me. With some sort of Latino flair. Love it love it love it.

I already checked out the Quinta menu and it seems right up my alley. They got themselves a bar up there???

[joeb]

They do have a bar. On the small side with only 5 or 6 stools if I recall correctly. Not 100% positive but I'm pretty sure they have bar dining.

[adegiulio]

I stopped in to Prime on Friday for a couple of drinks. I'm in trouble. This place is right around the corner from my office, and though I only come down to NJ twice a week, the temptation of this place is overpowering to me. Even though we only had martinis, as soon as I left I wanted to go back. Heck, anytime anybody wants to meet there on a Tuesday or Friday, just let me know...

[tommy:eats]

have you been, you know, *eating* at all when you go? i'm curious as to whether or not they'll be consistent. been to Crave yet? are you drinking gin in those martinis?

[adegiulio]

I've only been there twice, once to eat and once to drink. I'll be back again soon to eat.

As for the martinis, I'm reminded of a line from the classic movie, "My Cousin Vinnie". When Vinnie is cross examining one of the local yokels, he ask if the witness uses instant grits. The fine southern gentleman says "No self respecting southerner uses instant grits..I take pride in my grits". So yeah, it's gin in them thar drinks. (Vodka drinkers feel free to dispute)

I have not been to Crave. I'm waiting for someone to invite me...

[suzilightning]

bourbon? let us hear more about your newest craving...
straight or in a cocktail? blantons? bulleit? maker's mark?

[tommy:eats]

suzi, I wish I had enough knowledge of it all to share even a little. i like it straight, and i like it in drinks.

if you know me it won't come as any surprise that i've picked up every producer i could find. makers, knob creek, oh hell i don't even remember. had various taste tests, even blind taste tests. looking forward to ryes and whiskey as well.

i've got a long way to go, but i'm amazed at how much i enjoy bourbon. any recs?

and the world of cocktails, well hell, i've barely scratched the surface. it's tough to do more than that in NJ, as there are very very few restaurants with anything approaching a serious cocktail program. I did like what I saw (and drank) at David Drake's. We need more of that.

[suzilightning]

tommy,

you obviously haven't lurked in eG's PMS thread. bourbon is a girl's best friend - along with chocolate and rare meat.

i like it straight with a splash - and not too big a splash. currently Blanton's is my special and Early Times is my mixing bourbon.

maybe you need a field trip up this way to try out the new steak place, doc's, here in Sparta with cocktail hour at my place first.

[tommy:eats]

I find less and less reason to look at eG. The diminishing content coupled with the condescending and nasty management is somewhat of a turnoff. They do have some good cocktail discussions, though.

What's up with Doc's website. No work? www.docsofsparta.com

[adegiulio]

Was back at South City Prime last night for some drinks and snacks. The word must be getting around since the bar was much more lively than in the past. I had some more kumomotos, along with a rainbow roll. Oysters were super, the roll was average. The others in my group all enjoyed their sushi, one guy had the meatballs and loved them. Another fun experience...

[Daniel]

Suzi nailed it. Bulleit is little-known but great. And the bottle looks like it was just pulled from behind the bar in a saloon in Dodge City in 1890!

[tommy:eats]

So where does a guy like me find Bulleit bourbon 'round these parts?

Tonight is burger night. We usually have burger night on Friday, but if I want that ground beef from the Swiss Pork Store in Fairlawn, then it has to be Saturday so we have time to get over there.

Anyway, usually it's burger and red wine. Tonight, perhaps, burger and bourbon night.

I should go over to Super Cellars right now to see if they have it. Even if they don't, it's wine tasting day, and I could spend a few minutes sampling 3 or 4 wines. Not a bad way to kill 30 minutes.

[tommy:eats]

great. now i find myself sitting here on this beautiful day sipping a glass of Woodford Reserve. the power of suggestion.

bourbon is so darned complex. more so to my mind than wine. there's a lot going on in this glass. and there won't be a lot going on around this house for the rest of the day. of this, you are assured.

[adegiulio]

If it's hamburgers you crave, you need to make your patties out of beef from Fleisher's, a local meat market (local to Red Hook, NY of course). What makes their beef so special is that it comes from organically raised, grass fed cows. While grass fed steaks can be a bit chewier than their corny cousins, the ground beef obviously doesnt suffer from this lack of tenderness. With great minerality and that grass fed tang, it makes an outrageous burger. Next time you find yourself in the Wayne area on a Friday, I'd be happy to bring you a couple pounds to try for yourself...

Mmmm....grassy

[tommy:eats]

I really like grass fed beef. I like any beef that's different, and grass fed fits that description. And I never thought to make a burger out of it (I agree that the texture is tougher, for lack of a better term, than grain fed beef).

And I happen to be in the Wayne area practically every Friday, so, you know, yeah.

[Daniel]

Bottle King has it, and Carlo Russo has one more bottle (as of yesterday).

[tommy:eats]

Then I shall have it...

to add to the Baker's, Makers, Woodford, Knob Creek, Parker's, and the JD Single Barrel whisky (just because).

I best get started drinkin', and thinkin', because at this point I don't know the difference between any of these bottles.

[adegiulio]

Name the place and time (preferably not too late, as I have 1:45 drive home...I finish work around 4:15).

[tommy:eats]

i will be in touch. if anything i can just arrange to be at your office at 4.15 for the drop-off. would you be getting the meat the day before? if so would it degrade at all during that 24 hour period?

[adegiulio]

Yeah, since I leave at 5am to be to the office at 7, I will be buying the meat the day before. Never worry, I'll pack it up in a nice cooler with some cold packs for the ride down. The meat will be fine. In case you lost my email, contact me using my username at gmail.com

[tommy:eats]

who's better than you. nobody, that's who.

[Ev]

It's official...I miss the adegiulio/Tommy days of alternating posts! But it's reaaally nice to see them again here.
T, I have a small bottle of Buffalo Trace that my uncle gave me (he lives in Louisville). Ever see it around here? I'm told it's small batch. Or at least, it was when they started...I'll also ask my dad for some recs for you, as he sold a loooot of bourbon in his day. The only real bourbon drinking I've done was on my visit to Churchill Downs many years ago...had a couple of mint juleps there + a Hot Brown for breakfast at...where else? The Brown Hotel! When in Rome, of course... ;-)

[tommy:eats]

Ev, I definitely want to try Buffalo Trace. Haven't seen it around here yet.

Fleisher's was featured on Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie program. I Tivo that show and happened to take a look at it the other night. I FF'd through and saw talk of grass-fed beef and figured it was worth a view. And they were talking about Fleisher's!!

Sounds like I might have to have my girl adegiulio bring not only some ground beef for Friday, but some nice strip steaks as well for Saturday. :)

[adegiulio]

You better be drunk on bourbon, or that "girl" comment just cost you several pounds of meat...

By the way, they sell out of strip steaks most of the time...

And another thing, I forgot this friday is Good, so I will not be coming to work (as the markets are closed) I will be happy to meet you the following Friday...

[tommy:eats]

it's a term of endearment!

i figured they'd sell out of strips as they actually break down entire carcasses. you gotta love that.

i'll be in touch.

[Ev]

For the sake of T:e's regular readers, would you girls please kiss and make up already?!? hehe

[Ev]

As promised, I checked in with MY expert on wines and spirits (aka Dad)...here's what he said:

Woodford Reserve is made at the old Labrot and Graham distillery just south of Frankfort KY. There is yet another from that same general area (good water sources)-Wild Turkey. I used to take retailers out to the L&G lake and fish (Brown Forman still owns it) while I was living in Lexington.

Rye whiskeys are really where American distilling got its beginnings in PA and MD. The small grains were familiar to the Scots/Irish who were early settlers and then came the Germans, who also recognized these. Rye gives a sweeter product (I remember drinking Old Pikesville when I first came to MD). The only two that I am aware of being still available are Old Overholt and Wild Turkey (yes, they make straight bourbon AND straight rye).

Having said the above, remember I’ve really not been in the whiskey biz in a lot of years, and there are a number of boutique distillers of whom I really have no knowledge. I’ll bet that searching for American Distillers would offer a lot of names.

This is coming from a guy who has been in the business for over 50 years. :-)

[suzilightning]

ohhhhh.... Buffalo Trace is on my list to find.

with all this i do believe we need to have a beef and bourbon tasting.

[Ev]

Well, I have relatives IN Louisville, so if you are really in need of Buffalo Trace, I could certainly arrange to get some... ;-)

[tommy:eats]

OK, so Ev, you bring the Buffalo Trace, adegulio, you bring the grass-fed beef, suzi, we'll meet them in the parking lot of South City Prime 4.15 sharp two Friday's from now.

[adegiulio]

Oh hell yeah. I'll rig something up so we can grill these fuckers right on my trucks engine. HEMI POWER!!

Sweet

[Ev]

Ah, reminders of why I love you boyz...I was going to ask who's bringing the portable grill! ;-)

[Ev]

And PS, my bottle of Buffalo Trace is SMALL. As in, a mini. Top bidder gets it! hehe

[tommy:eats]

While we were busy chatting about bourbon, The Bergen Record was busy eating steak. But they just weren't feeling it, dawg.

Ms. Ung, like me, isn't a fan of truffle oil...or at least "artificial-tasting truffle oil", which is all of them in my experience. I look at the use of truffle oil as a serious flaw in a restaurant. She also enjoyed those oysters. But the steaks were underdone.

Sounds like they have a "vegetarian-fed" steak on the menu now. Aren't most cows fed strictly vegetables? Corn? Or is that a grain. I'm confused. At any rate, if the beef is grass fed (and it would be nice if the menu makes that all very clear), it's healthful and I'm looking forward to trying it.

I didn't mention those popovers, but they were pretty pathetic, especially when compared to BLT Steak's popovers.

I drove by the other day and boy oh boy that facade is uglier than I remember. It looks like a cow stall, which I suppose it what they were shooting for. But Holy Moley.

And what's with the steakhouse review on Good Friday? That's not very nice.