The Iconic NYC Steakhouse Anthony Bourdain Swore By For Unforgettable Cuts And Flavors

As one of the titans of the culinary world, Anthony Bourdain's opinions on restaurants will always retain their staying power and gravitas. One restaurant in New York City was beloved by the late Bourdain for those very things. Bourdain considered Keens Steakhouse to be the master template that all other steakhouses tried to emulate. In season 5, episode 8 of his television show, "No Reservations", Bourdain explored aspects of the island borough of Manhattan he felt were disappearing. Admittedly, Keens wasn't disappearing, but the stoic concept of meat and hard liquor, emblematic of what Bourdain considered "political power built around beef, bloody aprons, and smoke-filled room," was (via Facebook).

The majesty of Keens rests in its tight grip on identity and tradition, checking off all the necessities on Bourdain's checklist — oil paintings, wood paneling, and taxidermy on the wall. While other steakhouses, both in N.Y.C. and around the country, try to offer up new and elevated spins on classic dishes, Keens has remained largely unchanged. The pipe room is still intact, showcasing imported tobacco pipes used and stored at Keens, belonging to presidents, celebrities, and other American icons like Buffalo Bill. Keens isn't where you'd dine on what Bourdain considered the most underrated steak; instead, it's home for likeminded individuals craving Bourdain's favorite steaks, massive cuts of ribeye and prime rib. The hulking cut of prime rib, served at a juicy rare, was Bourdain's go-to order when dining at Keens Steakhouse. 

The girthy cuts of lamb, mutton, and beef aren't the only reasons to dine at Keens. Other elements indicative of a steakhouse aesthetic, according to Bourdain, are an iceberg wedge, shrimp cocktail (emphasis on it being jumbo), and, of course, creamed spinach — the quintessential of them being creamed spinach, a deep green and ambiguous texture somewhere between a sauce and a spread. Bourdain noted that all of the sides and appetizers a true steakhouse offers need to be as unattractive as possible to reinforce the idea that you're there for the meat. Even so, you can make creamed spinach worthy of a steakhouse at home by adding in bacon and even more cheese broiled on top.

With Bourdain's dedication to steakhouses maintaining the feel of yesteryear, he rebuked any modernity in these dishes. The aforementioned shrimp cocktail absolutely must use jumbo shrimp dipped into a traditional horseradish cocktail sauce. Absolutely no modern or culinary fusion-inspired sauce is allowed. There may be new editions to the Keens menu from when it opened in the mid-1800s to today, but all the classics that made them great, and that Anthony Bourdain loved, continue to shine on its menu — almost like a lighthouse calling steak lovers home through the vestiges of time.