New York City is filled with iconic steakhouses. Peter Luger, Delmonico’s, Keens, these culinary institutions are timeless and a must-try for diners serious about beef. New York is also famous for its landmark architecture. Grand Central Terminal, with its grand, soaring main concourse, is one landmark that’s now also home to a steakhouse. Palladino’s Steak & Seafood, the creation of Bronx-born restaurateur Joseph Palladino, is a steakhouse that features some of the best views of the city. We spoke with Joseph to learn what it’s like to run a steakhouse inside a historical landmark.
“People come in, and they’re just loving the energy and the enormous feeling coming into the Grand Central,” said Joseph. “And then they see this beautifully designed restaurant that really complements it.”
The challenges of running a steakhouse in a train station
Of course, running a steakhouse under normal circumstances is a challenge. Dealing with food quality, making sure service is consistent, these are the expected challenges of running a large steakhouse. However, when you throw in the setting of a busy train terminal, new issues arise. According to Joseph, one obstacle is that customers are often on a time crunch since they are traveling or commuting. “Some of those people (diners) might be on a tight schedule,” explains Joseph. “So we need to make sure we don’t compromise our quality and service in any manner, at the same time, meet their needs of getting home at the time they want to.”
Designing the restaurant to his standards was another issue. Joseph was keen on having a grand, Great Gatsby themed decor for the restaurant. Dealing with the New York State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), Joseph was informed he couldn’t touch the floors, the walls, or the ceilings when designing. For the patio section, seated with a view of the Grand Concourse, Joseph was able to add a retro phone booth that doubles as a private seated booth. Reservations are required to be seated here, which is a unique highlight of the restaurant.
The menu
As a steakhouse, Palladino’s Steak & Seafood confidently features a large selection of USDA Prime beef. Unlike many steakhouses in New York, Palladino’s steaks are wet-aged for 28 days, not dry-aged (although they do have a cowboy ribeye that is dry-aged for those who crave that umami funk). This is due to Joseph’s personal tastes, as he prefers the pure taste of wet-aged beef to dry-aged. The menu also features Japanese wagyu, such as A5 Sendai. These cuts are served in smaller portions due to the richness of the wagyu marbling.
But the menu goes beyond steaks. Joseph is particularly proud of the sushi selection, and he recommends it for every dinner order, such as a spicy tuna or the shrimp cocktail roll, a creative combination of Japanese and American steakhouse. Owing to his Italian heritage, pasta is a must-order on the menu. We were recommended the spaghetti pomodoro, a classic done with precision, along with the breadstick veal Milanese. While many Milanese are now made with Japanese panko, Palladino’s version uses breadsticks from Stella Bakery in Brooklyn.
