Review: Clubhouse Cafe
Just steps from Times Square and directly across from famed kosher steakhouse Le Marais, Clubhouse Cafe is being billed as the “hip bar scene” for young Jewish professionals. I don’t take my after-Kosherfest dinner reservation lightly, since Kosherfest is usually my only visit to Manhattan each year, but my urge to try a hot new boîte on its opening night overshadowed any worries about a nascent restaurant finding its legs. What lingering worries remained were melted away as we entered, the cafe’s mix of comforting warmth and urbane refinement welcoming us in from the cold. A handsome bar stands by the entrance, beyond which a modest collection of two- and four-seat tables, most with supple leather chairs, fills the dining room. Our party of twelve fit nicely around a sleek square table, dotted with candles, and while the table’s spartan benches weren’t the most comfortable for those of us without a wall to lean on, it lent a casual feel that was suited to our boisterous crowd — “dining hall chic.”
Determined to experience the menu’s complete breadth, we ordered every starter they had, along with a couple bottles of sparkling water — Portuguese Carvalhelhos, the first sparkling water I’ve ever really enjoyed — and a pitcher of their red sangria (they have two other varieties, white and sparkling). At first glance, the menu looks exceedingly informal — salads, sandwiches, starters, and a handful of entrees the most expensive of which is a modest $24, all lacking the verbal excesses (“pan-seared upstate breast of duck with Tuscan winter berry gastrique”) typical of trendy American restaurants. We would learn throughout the evening, however, that the kitchen’s attention to detail transcends the menu’s coy countenance.
Starting at the left: crispy salmon croquettes and tender, one-bite shish-kebabs; mini-burgers (“sliders”); and Spanish tortilla, a potato and egg torte lightly spiced with salt and pepper. Not pictured, but also enjoyed, were duck empanadas, and incredibly juicy buffalo wings. Each was visually enticing, a bit playful, and tasty to boot. Some of my dining companions were underwhelmed by the tortilla, but recalling the whimsical first chapter of my high school Spanish textbook, I was already familiar with the traditional tapa and appreciated its authentic simplicity.
Our group could easily have devoured another round of starters (note: order one per diner), but we lunged forward into dinner.
Steve, who joined us after attending a simcha that afternoon, kept it simple with the foot-long hot dog, which he described as “properly prepared, but ordinary.” Jacob, Danny, and I sunk our teeth into 10-ounce rib eyes — perfectly cooked, nicely cross-hatched, and served alongside exceptional French fries (doubtless all qualities culled from sibling restaurant Le Marais). The French dip sandwich was one of two showstoppers that evening. Thinly sliced prime rib was paired with sauteed onions within a heavenly roll, delicately soft and just crisp on the outside. A dip in the jus provided bite after perfect bite. Chaim’s Clubhouse Steak was a smaller version of the 10-ounce rib eye, also expertly prepared. Marc’s veal sandwich (not pictured) was “very good,” but as he put it, “the taste of the thin pieces of veal were perhaps too delicate for the bread of the sandwich.” (He’s been back twice since, so any displeasure was minor.) The real surprise, Audrey’s second choice when the chicken was unavailable, was the roasted veal breast over white beans — so tender, Jacob described it as “veal fudge.” The dish exhibited a masterful use of salt — all the flavors, from beans to sauce to meat, were fully heightened without ever tasting salty.
The dessert selection was the only area of the menu where we felt more attention was needed. Several of us tried their chocolate salami: cookie bits folded into ample dark chocolate and cut into thick, round slices. It was interesting, but didn’t reach the heights we had, in even a short time, come to expect. Audrey’s berries and white tea sorbet was sweet and refreshing, but again didn’t showcase the kitchen’s abilities. Danny and Devora forwent the sweets entirely and boldly ordered another French dip for dessert, to raucous applause from the rest of us. Clubhouse Cafe should revisit their desserts and add choices that provide reason, equal to that of the previous courses, for patrons to return again and again.
All told, we had a wonderful time, and once New Yorkers become acquainted with the Clubhouse Cafe, I have no doubt it will become a frequent lunch and dinner destination.
As Jon mentioned, I’ve been back twice since our (and Clubhouse’s) inaugural night. I got a chance to try the much-praised prime rib sandwich on Sunday and it deserved all the praise that it got with the group. We started with sliders, which were very tasty, and my dinner companion had the grilled chicken salad. I didn’t try it, but it got good reviews. I went back today for lunch – I have the benefit of working around the corner from Clubhouse and Le Marais. It is a bit unfortunate that they don’t have a separate lunch menu, maybe knock a couple bucks off the prices, but the food still made amends for any other disappointment. We started with the tasty chicken wings reviewed above. I tried the “spicy chili” and my co-worker enjoyed the prime rib sandwich on my recommendation. The chili was good, but not what I was expecting. It is probably something closer to a light stew or even cholent than what you’d expect as chili. The meat consisted of small pieces of beef rather than ground beef. The avocado “relish” on top was a nice touch, as were the sprigs of cilantro. And for those who might be afraid of the “spicy” part of the dish’s name, fear not, it’s not that hot. Also, I ran into a couple of friends, one of whom had the sausage sandwich and gave it high marks. Now I have something to try on my next outing!
BS”D
Is it healthy to aspire to a “hip bar scene” for young Jewish professionals? I used to go bar hopping and drank like a fish, but then again, I wasn’t frum at the time. More likely than not, most of these will be frum patrons. Why aspire to the same kind of social scene as the goyim?
OK, it’s not just a bar, it’s a bar & grill. but I understand from a Chowhound post that the bar is the prominent feature, and if so, I’m wondering whether it might be more proper to de-accentuate it, or people might start separating the drinking from the food, with unfortunate results. Jews, after all, should aspire to be better than goyim, and teach through example.
I’m glad the food is good, but I’m afraid this isn’t the first I’ve heard of sliders making the scene. But these aren’t sliders, they’re little hamburgers. “Sliders” is central Ohio lingo for White Castle burgers, greasy little fried burgers that slide right down. And though these are definitely little, they’re hopefully lacking the grease.
Nonmevushal, chili’s supposed to be made from 1″ chuck cubes. Ground beef has always been the second rater’s way of making chili (certainly, most homemade chili is made from ground beef from people in a hurry, but a restaurant can afford to do it right, and I’m glad to see it in this case).
So to reiterate, it seems to be a Jewish take on the American institution of “Bar & Grill”, but the emphasis in such places is the grill, with the advantage of a full bar. So it’s disturbing to me to have it being billed as the ““hip bar scene” for young Jewish professionals”, because they may get the idea it’s primarily a bar with some food, and if that idea caught on, it would be a shame.
Craig, I’ll assume your screed is simply a bit of Puritanical whimsy, this being the day before Thanksgiving. If not, give me a break. It’s not a shame — in fact, it’s great. I’d love have a nice place like Clubhouse Cafe in Boston to grab a drink and a couple plates of tapas after work or on the way to a show, or to meet up with friends for cocktails and some nice desserts later in the evening.
I think it’s a bit much to belittle it as a “Jewish take” on a “bar & grill.” If anything, it’s more like an “Iberian brasserie.” Like most of the excellent kosher restaurants in Manhattan, there’s nothing overtly Jewish about it, and that’s superb.
So glad to read the good reviews!
Craig, can I remind you that you were in the wine business even after you became frum?
Time to keep the meme alive, baby.
Hey Jabbett (or Marc) – did you see any elbows or ankles while at the restaurant?
Howard: I have almost certainly not seen any elbows or ankles there as yet, but I hope that is merely due to the cold weather. ;-)
Craig: Without getting into a Safire-esque disquisition on the evolution of language, your comments on both sliders and chili are what I like to call “interesting, but irrelevant.” Regardless of the term’s origin, slider is presently the common name for small hamburgers – greasy or not. Of course it was inspired by White Castle, but so what? As for chili, I’d go so far as to say that it’s foolish to begin a sentence with “chili’s supposed to be” and then follow it up with anything at all. Chili is a generic name for a range of dishes that vary by geography and ethnicity, as much as by chef’s preference. Down the block from Clubhouse Cafe, Abigail’s makes a wonderful bison chili (“award winning,” I believe) and it is of the ground meat variety. Shame on them, I guess? Certainly this side of the Mason-Dixon, the ground meat variety is more common. That doesn’t make it right, or wrong, just what is more common. And that is what brought about my comment.
As for your take on the Jewish approach to the “bar & grill” concept, I’m not sure I could disagree more. First, you’re basing your comments on incomplete information, at best. Though the bar is the first thing you see, (a) this is true of virtually every restaurant, Kosher or otherwise, that has a bar and (b) the bar is rather separate from the rest of the restaurant, which is the focus. As for what the Jewish community needs or doesn’t, I’ll excuse your comments on this point as being inspired by a bit of self-importance, but mostly by ignorance of the NYC Jewish scene. It would be nothing, but positive if Clubhouse succeeds and becomes a go-to place for happy hour or nights out (hopefully they’ll be open motzei Shabbat; I’m not sure). It must be, as Jabbett so aptly puts, the delusions of Puritanical whimsy that make you think that the crowd that will patronize Clubhouse, and maybe *gasp* drink there, doesn’t current go out drinking in *gasp* general (read: non-Kosher) bars and clubs throughout NYC.
In fact, quite to the contrary of your point, at least at a place like Clubhouse, those who are going out to have a few drinks can have a nosh, too, rather than forgoing any food due to kashrut that might serve to slow their intoxication. The bread, meat and fries from their prime rib sandwich would be a great way to lay a foundation.
And to bring this thread’s focus back to food…
While the aforementioned ‘sliders’ were delicious, I felt just a bit cheated that they were served on plain-old, buy-them-in-your-local-supermarket, sesame-seeded hamburger buns, obviously cut into smaller rounds with a ring mold (you can see the rough edges in the photo). I would have expected something ‘classier’. My foot-long hot-dog was served on a supermarket-variety bun as well, but that didn’t bother me as much. If you’re going to take advantage of the popularity of sliders, you might as well get matching buns.
BS”D
Gentlemen, it seems I have less in common with you than I thought. I enjoy hedonistic pleasures as much as the next guy, but try not to to excess. Not that I’m a moderate person, far from it, but lack of moderation has always gotten me in trouble, and I would not advocate any lifestyle the scope of which would or could lead to immoderate behavior on the part of myself or others. The danger of the “bar scene” is not that one might have a couple of drinks to unwind after work, but rather that the social scene associated with it will lead to immoderate drinking and behavior in public. So “Clubhouse Cafe is being billed as the “hip bar scene” for young Jewish professionals”, as opposed to “hip eatery”, “hip brasserie” or “hip bistro” (the last 2 of which are historically associated with alcoholic beverages as well, but in conjunction with food) sends up a red flag. And being “billed” as that, I presume by the proprietors (rather than “described” as that by outside critics) indicates the scope of the endeavor.
DeisCane, in a social context, wine is most often associated with food as a complementary beverage. In such a context, beer often takes a similar position, especially with specialty brews. Bar drinks, on the other hand, are rarely complementary to food. In a social context, they are most often used as a social lubricant, in decreasing barriers to social engagement. In limited quantity before or after a meal, they can often enhance not the food, but the overall experience. Plenty of eateries, therefore, have facilities to provide bar drinks in the context of the dinner. I’d respectfully submit to you, though, that different types of alcoholic beverages are different. In a Jewish context, wine has the additional role in kiddush, havdalah, birkas hamazon, bris milah, and the arbah kosos.
Now, I’m 50 years old, so I sound like an old curmudgeon, and I guess I’ve earned that right. I’ve been involved with just about every drug and alcoholic beverage known to mankind, so you know I know how to party. I now think partying is a dangerous thing. I no longer believe the bar scene to be appropriate, especially for Jews, to whom I feel kindred.
Nonmevushal, I’ve personally never used anything but ground beef in any chili, but I’ve read books which take folks to task for using anything other than 1″ cubes of chuck. So I was joking around with you. I guess I should have made that clear. But be that as it may, high quality plump char-grilled burgers, small though they may be, can never be sliders. Sliders are a vehicle for cold beer. But if the burger is quality, cold beer is a vehicle for it.
While I continue to think that you overstate the dangers of the “bar scene,” writ large, I think you’re focusing too much on an offhand comment Jabbett made in the post. One of the things that concerns me about Clubhouse Cafe is that I have not seen any promotional materials for it. If it is being billed as anything, then it is by third-parties. Again, while I don’t think this would be a bad thing, I think it is unlikely that the bar will ever be the focus or driving element of Clubhouse Cafe. It is, as I noted, segregated from the seating area of the restaurant, and is not in itself large enough to be the focus. I find it very unlikely that people will go there to drink for long periods of time independent of eating there. Hopefully, Clubhouse will soon be very busy and the bar will serve as a waiting area for getting a table. Other than that, I can’t imagine people using it for other than a pre-dinner/pre-theater/happy hour place for a few drinks, not the late night bar that you appear to be so worried about. That said, I would welcome such a place to the NYC scene: a bar that serves only kosher alcohol and snacks. Again, the existence of food that the kosher-only crowd can eat at a bar should be an unmitigated positive since the present lack of such food is not preventing that crowd from going out and drinking, sometimes to excess.
Another thing to consider. Many orthodox or otherwise very observant Jews tend to be much less careful about kashrut when ordering drinks at a bar. While there are certain things that can be safely ordered at a bar (most beers and hard liquors, but brandy and vermouth excepted), mixed drinks (with the exception of a screwdriver) could be problematic, depending on how the drinks are made (with fresh ingredients or with pre-made mixes containing non-kosher ingredients). Also, hard cider, hard lemonade, and many liqueurs (also used in mixed drinks) can be problematic. These issues are very commonly ignored (either intentionally or recklessly). Given that these people are already going out to bars (regardless of whether you think that is a good or bad thing), a kosher bar option would make it much more likely that they would be able to avoid the above-mentioned problems. Furthermore, a kosher bar would be more likely to attract a predominantly jewish crowd, mitigating any possible negative results from excessive fraternization with non-jews…
So, even though the Clubhouse Cafe doesn’t appear to be a real full-size kosher bar with the capacity to serve the above-described function, the fact that it has a kosher bar at all is something to be praised, rather than criticized. Just because some people might abuse alcohol, doesn’t mean that many other won’t enjoy it responsibly and in moderation. In any event, there are plenty of other opportunities for someone who wants to abuse alcohol regardless of whether there is a kosher bar at a restaurant.
BS”D
It’s not the bar, it’s the “bar scene” that I find objectionable, and evidently, I’m a yachid in this. There are lots of kosher restaurants with lots of bars associated with them. Ari, I understand your arguments, and I’ll deliberate on them. But off the top of my head, I’m not sure I agree that it’s beneficial to have a robust bar scene, especially one exhibiting even less of a need to reflect on one’s Jewishness in the course of ordering one’s beverage. Of course, a quarter century ago, I became baal teshuvah, and I value my Jewishness just about more than any other facet of my existence.
OK, so it’s become a monologue as usual, and it’s running long, and I’m changing the subject, so I hope that people will find it worthwhile, or at least the subject for thought. A few weeks ago I was looking at a potential site for my barbecue, and in trying to gauge the lunchtime traffic, I went into a nearby kosher restaurant of similar prices to what I hope my joint to realize. In the course of my having lunch, I was talking to the proprietor, and the subject turned to the Subway down the street, doing a robust business. “Yes”, he said, although I’m somewhat paraphrasing, I’ll admit,”you know what would be even better? A kosher Kentucky Fried Chicken.” But I explained that they had the Kosher Colonel, and after that, Chick n’Chow in the same location, very good broasted chicken, very high quality. “No”, he said “it must be Kentucky Fried Chicken, because people want to believe they’re not missing out on anything that the goyim have, and even if it’s the same chicken, if it’s not named Kentucky Fried Chicken, they’ll think it’s less. Jews want to be goyim.” And when I think about it, he’s right. We have our surimi look alikes of fake crabmeat and shrimp and lobster tails, and we (well, not me, but many) would rather have those than a well prepared piece of fish, because we want to make believe we’re goyim. But like the surimi, we’re all show and no go. We’re posers.
So I would like to draw the line at the “bar scene”. I don’t think we need Jewish bars that are like goyish bars. Yes, we need places where we can get kosher beverages, but we don’t need all the other mishegas that comes with the bar scene, and maybe it would be better if people who want that type of thing went to the nonkosher bars and had to have their Jewishness intrude just enough into the consciousness to determine their choice of beverage. I’ll think about what you said, Ari, but I’m not sure that in the end, I’ll agree with you. But maybe I will.
Craig, would you also agree that Jews are trying to be like goys when they want a good selection of quality kosher wines?
Craig: What a pessimistic view of your fellow Jews you seem to have. It appears that more than even valuing your Jewishness, as you claim, you are afraid of losing it or diminishing it and are projecting that fear on others. They are distinct concerns, at least in my mind. Valuing your Jewishness encompasses celebrating it, and for those of a certain strand of observance, that includes keeping kosher. Again, your comments must be informed by your own life experience, and apparently that is vastly different than the Jewish experience in the northeast and specifically the NYC area. I’ll be as reckless in my generalization as you were in yours and assert that most NYC-area Jews do not go to bars or eat kosher California rolls to emulate goyim, but rather to enjoy their lives while respecting kashrut and thus celebrating and valuing their Jewishness. As for line drawing, feel free to draw line at the bar scene and opt out completely. I expect it has always been that the previous generation finds something to object to in the next generation’s lifestyle. Also, I urge you to think about Anonymous’s point (comment 12) about who you were emulating when you began your kosher wine venture.
PUBLIC SERVICE REQUEST: I’m sure there is an appropriate thread in the forums to have this kind of discussion, but we are now very far removed form the topic of this post and people who come here looking information on a great new kosher restaurant in NYC are going to be flooded with this conversation, which they do not deserve. I ask that we adjourn to the forum if there’s interest in continuing this.
BS”D
Anonymous, in many cases, yes I do. If the people who want it don’t appreciate it, and will settle for mediocre examples of their type, yes I do. If they can’t differentiate between good and bad and indifferent examples. For a while, the only observant Jews who knew anything about wine were baalei teshuvah and that was OK. It was enough that people would buy wine that they knew they liked or thought that they’d like. Sometimes, a wine would appeal strongly to someone who hadn’t been exposed before, and it would push him to learn more. But it wasn’t until Jews saw so many ads in the magazines that they realized they weren’t keeping up with the goyim, they needed White Zin and Chardonnay and Bordeaux and Burgundy and Chianti and Barolo and Loire whites Argentine reds and Chilean reds and Shiraz from Australia, in essence following the same pattern as what was happening in the outside world, with a slight lag. So I guess the short answer is yes.
“Fake foods” strike me as much more troublesome than a restaurant that has a bar and may attract people for happy hours and after hours.
Also, I’ll add that though I agree that SOME frum Jews would like to be goyem wrt to eating options, etc., most of them who are interested in these brands are interested in a consistent quality eating experience and believe a major brand would promise that.
Craig you make no sence. One one hand you made wonderful kosher wines and now you seek to establish an authentic bbq joint each of which is a facsimile for observant Jews from the non kosher world. On the other hand you have shown yourself intolerant in modes of dress and now community forums. It seems to me that in your BT way you are swinging to far to the right. By so doing you will provoke a greater reaction to the other pole.
Any further comments that aren’t about food will be deleted on sight.
In addition to comment deletion, can the people responsible be sacked?
Oh – and since I don’t want this comment to be deleted, I will also add that I like pudding and I plan to eat my pudding even if I don’t have any meat.
Will a non-wannabee 72 year old be turned away frome this “Bar-Grill” automatically,not be able to partake of the deliciously sounding menu?
I think that people of all ages will enjoy Clubhouse and will only be turned off if you are not a fan of quality, tasty kosher fleishig food.
My husband and I went there on Wednesday evening, before Thanksgiving. We ordered two snacks, the duck empanadas and the sliders. The empanadas were bland, and came with tartar sauce for dipping, which I didn’t understand at all; one or the other should have been significantly spicier and more flavorful. The sliders were on the well-done side, and just tasted like unremarkable little hamburgers. As others have mentioned, the cut-out buns are a little disappointing, although CC gets points for toasting them. My husband enjoyed the veal sandwich, but I don’t eat veal, and can’t evaluate it. I got the French dip sandwich, which was really quite good, although I was surprised by it – I didn’t realize it’d be thinly sliced, like roast beef. The fries that came with both sandwiches were good, although I don’t think they were quite to the usual Le Marais standard. Our mixed drinks (a caipirinha and a red wine sangria) were fine.
Overall, I got the sense that the place was selling vibe rather than food per se. It felt much cooler than the usual places that Orthodox Jews hang out, and I could see why that would sell, at least for a while. The place was packed, mostly with people under 35, but there were sprinklings of both kids and over-35′s. Most of the floor space is devoted to tables, with about 10 seats at the bar in front. While we were there, people were starting out at the bar with a drink and perhaps a snack, then moving to a table as it became free. The one bartender was helpful and friendly, although somewhat overwhelmed.
Perhaps the quality of the food suffered because of the big crowd that evening, but I have to say that overall, I was disappointed.
My husband and I both had fairly nasty cases of food poisoning starting Thursday night. Nobody else at our Thanksgiving dinner got sick, and Clubhouse Cafe’s food was the only other stuff we had eaten together recently. We don’t know if we picked it up there, but it seems a reasonable guess. Did anybody else eat there Wednesday night (Nov. 21) and get sick afterwards?
Clubhouse Cafe is a very nice pub to hang out with friends or have some quick food before theater.
The environment is modern super casual, the music is nice, the service is great, the food is awesome!
You MUST try: the brazilian caipirinha cocktail at the bar, the duck empanadas and chicken wings as appetizer, the chili as entree, and the prime rib sandwich (with wonderful fries) and the roast veal as main course.
Dessert, go by the vanilla ice-cream with chocolate syrup.
I’ve been there several times and I do recommend those choices.
PS: If you want to have a big meal on an upscale restaurant, just cross the street and stop by Le Marais. Clubhouse Cafe is a casual CAFE, and so its menu.
I had a very positive experience, along w/ 8 friends, at the Clubhouse Cafe last night. I started with a caipirinha, which, while very tasty albeit sweet, is not the real thing as they make it with rum and not cachaça. The bartender told me that they could not find kosher cachaça -oh well. As recommended, the chicken wings are great. They are not buffalo wings but instead feature a garlicky, smoky flavor. Impressively, they take the extra step of creating some ‘lollypop’ wings, i.e., cutting and discarding tips and then scraping down the bone. I needed two orders. The sliders were fine but unremarkable. Based on the above reviews, I ordered the prime rib sandwich but they were all out. I “settled” for the roasted veal sandwich which proved to be delicious – moist, thin slices of veal with sautéed onions on a very fresh baguette. The bosa nova tunes were a bonus and the service was very friendly. I hope the place lasts.
Would this be a good place to bring kids for a weekday lunch or early (6:00 dinner)? My kids have not been exposed to public displays of affection or imodest dress in kosher places and i would like to keep it that way. How does it compare to Esters Deli and Grill on Albany Ave?
Thanks all,
elaine from Silver Spring, MD
Elaine,
Please let me know what day you plan to attend and I’ll be sure to keep me pants on that afternoon.
Take care,
Howard
LOL @ Howard.
Elaine,
Since it’s a bar/grill/cafe, it might not be appropriate even without issues of tznius.
Elaine -
Perhaps it would be best to keep your kids out of New York City altogether – after all, they might see inappropriate things walking to the restaurant.
Best to keep them inside your home until they are old enough to marry, allowing them to leave only for school and shul. That will protect them from the world.
I recently visited Clubhouse and wrote about it on my kosher travel blog.
Would love your comments.
http://yeahthatskosher.com/2008/10/new-in-nyc-maoz-clubhouse-cafe/
We dined at clubhouse cafe this afternoon. I can only say after ordering salads as a maincourse, they were small,(understatement) chintzy. We all felt completely ripped off! A glass of ice tea was $4.50, a small glass all ice! No refills. With le marais cross the street, there is no reason to be ripped off here!
I’ve eaten in kosher restaurants for many years. They all continue to be second rate.
To address a few comments –
I’ve eaten in most of the kosher establishments in NYC including Clubhouse and Le Marais (they are owned by the same people). Le Marais tends to be noisy – Clubhouse tends to be NOISY! I ate there with my wife ercently and could barely hear each other.
The food was pretty good, although there is more variety across the street.
It is primarily designed to attract the 25-35 year old crowd, so I don’t think it would be your best bet for a family.