Smith & Wollensky

You’ll find a better New York strip at Sparks, a few blocks east, but the prime rib at the famous flagship branch of this increasingly sprawling New York City beefeater chain is hard to beat. Like most of the beef in this traditional fresser’s destination, it’s laid out on the plate in the simple, old-fashioned way: in a pool of its own cooking juices, and for the best results, we suggest you enjoy it with a side of the house hash browns, a bite or two of spinach (un-creamed, please), and — if the depleted expense account or your rich uncle from the hinterlands can bear the prohibitive markup — a bottle of the inky red stuff from the house cellars. If you’re in the mood for something a little lighter, the menu at the more casual Wollensky’s Grill next door offers a slightly smaller English-cut prime rib, addictive platters of fried zucchini and onion rings, and probably the finest example of that old fresser’s favorite, roast beef hash, in the city.