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Plush mahogany furnishings, fringed lamps and gilded mirrors, waiters dressed in butchers' aprons, and a no-butter-spared cooking aesthetic define this nod-to-nostalgia American steakhouse. The restaurant is just over two decades old, but chandeliers and other furnishings in the French art deco style evoke a Roaring Twenties feeling. The bar includes mahogany and oak molding dating back to 1904, salvaged from the Astor Hotel when it was destroyed in 1967. And the clientele seem as stately as the styling. Neither has the Continental-American food been updated since the twenties. Garlic and butter are the main flavorings, and unless you count the grilled New England scrod or the Southern fried chicken, there are no regional influences. Steaks are the stars, from the "ladies cut" 14-ounce New York sirloin to the 48-ounce double porterhouse. Sea-based dishes include poached salmon, shrimp scampi, and double lobster tails. There are also surprises and comfort food: cranberry chicken, orange roasted duck, homemade meatloaf, and a few Italian specialties. Sides stand out: Mashed potatoes are almost one-half American cheese, and artichoke hearts sautéed with balsamic vinegar and bacon are pleasingly tart. Desserts, like carrot cake with a light cream-cheese frosting, are pure New York. And since this place is not for the diet-restricted, you might as well eat it. — Timothy Cooper

There's a discount available at the St. Tropez Garage, on 64th St. between First and Second Aves.

The huge $38.95 prix-fixe dinner, with appetizer, salad, entrée, dessert, and coffee, is a relative bargain, but it's only served after 9pm.

Mashed potatoes, $9.75; creamed spinach, $9.75; veal parmigiana, $30.95