Where Geoffrey Zakarian Orders His Favorite Steak Dish In NYC

Nothing quite beats a steak dinner, especially if you know the right place to order it. For instance, New York City is filled with steakhouse institutions and newer, trendy spots to grab a filet or ribeye, but when we spoke to Geoffrey Zakarian, he had one place where he preferred to order a steak. Out of all the celebrity chefs who shared their go-to spot to order a steak with Tasting Table, Zakarian said his preferred eatery for the dish is Minetta Tavern, a Parisian-style restaurant in Manhattan's West Village.

From competing on "Iron Chef" to judging on shows like "Chopped" on top of the chef's other accolades, we certainly trust Zakarian's recommendation for the place to order steak in NYC. He told us that it's not technically a steakhouse, because it only has a couple of burger and steak options on its menu — but it's still his preferred place. His order? A medium-rare côte de boeuf, which is a French-style cut of beef rib. The famed chef says he likes it with lots of salt, which we know brings out the flavor of the fine-cut beef — so much so that he doesn't need anything else to complete the meal.

According to MInetta Tavern's menu, its côte de boeuf is dry aged and serves two. For $189, the steak comes with roasted bone marrow bones (yum) and a gem lettuce salad. Sides like fries and pommes Anna are available for an extra cost if you require a starch to go with your steak. A look at photos of the restaurant's côte de boeuf reveals it comes sliced and fills a large serving platter, so you might be able to feed more than two depending on your appetite. If you want a smaller cut, Minetta Tavern also serves steak frites, bone-in New York strips, and filet mignon, all of which cost considerably less.

For a little more about Minetta Tavern, it was originally opened in 1937 and patrons like Ernest Hemingway frequented the spot back then. It's now owned by Keith McNally, who also owns other popular NYC restaurants from Balthazar to Pastis. In fact, we ranked Minetta Tavern as one of the best places to dine at the bar, which is a good backup plan if you can't score a reservation for a table. And if a dinner at home is more of your thing, here are our best steak recipes to make it happen.