The beefsteak is back!
On Nov. 8, two just-out-of-college kids will restore one of New York’s greatest traditions by grilling up 300 pounds of prime steak and chops, and serving it with bottomless mugs of beer and no forks. These boys have done their homework.
“Whenever you read about a classic beefsteak, there are subtle variations, but the one rule you always hear is, ‘No forks,’” said Derek Silverman (pictured).
Generations ago, of course, no self-respecting Brooklynite needed to be told the traditions of a genuine beefsteak. An all-you-can-eat male fantasy dating back to the 1800s, the beefsteak was already an old favorite when Joseph Mitchell penned his famous 1939 story, “All You Can Hold for Five Bucks,” which laid out the rules (including that a man hasn’t truly enjoyed himself at a beefsteak if he doesn’t end up with grease behind his ears).
Though there are steakhouses in the city with beef older than Silverman and his partner, Andrew Dermont, the pair promises to throw a classic party featuring ribeyes, ribs and hanger steaks from Pat La Frieda in the Meatpacking District and unlimited McSorley’s light and dark ale.
Brooklyn Beefsteak at the Bell House [149 Seventh St. at Third Avenue, (718) 643-6510], Nov. 8, 3-6 pm. Tickets are $35 in advance and $50 at the door. For info, visit brooklynbeefsteak.com.
