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When you walk into Gallagher’s, the first thing you see is a room filled with hunks of beef hanging from the wall and stacked on shelves. This is the meat cooler, where steaks sit for 21 days at exactly 36 degrees—dry aged to eliminate moisture and draw out flavor. The second thing you’ll see is a round bar in a sea of red-checkered tablecloths. Though it’s now just another watering hole, this bar used to serve New York’s finest writers, gamblers, showgirls, and gangsters during the long years of Prohibition. On the walls are thousands of framed photographs of the more notable patrons, and celebrities still make the occasional appearance. The vestiges of this old-fashioned aplomb remain: complimentary coat check and a deadpan wait staff of mostly old German men dressed to the nines. But don’t come unless you’re in the mood for meat—lots of meat—as the menu is almost exclusively seafood and beef. The steak is good, if somewhat overpriced, but you certainly won’t go hungry. A single serving is enough for two, but consider a side or two to round out all the protein. And if you prefer the creatures of the sea to those of the plains, raw clams whet the appetite for lobsters you can select from a holding tank. Sort of like the beef in the front window, just with claws. The expansive wine list will appeal to high-rollers who want to pair rare reds with their meat. — John Knight

Daily, noon—3 p.m., three courses for $32

Bluepoint Oysters, $16; Filet Mignon, $44.95 (14oz) or $39.95 (10oz); Gallagher’s Own Potatoes, $9

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