The Delightful Surprise of The Eighty Six
When I first heard about The Eighty Six on Bedford Street, I was skeptical to say the least. This tiny, ten-table steakhouse has rapidly become New York City’s most impenetrable dining destination, a place where reservations seem to exist only for those in the know. Occupying the historic space that once housed the beloved Chumley’s pub for nearly 75 years, this exclusive establishment has transformed a once-welcoming neighborhood fixture into what appeared to be yet another playground for the privileged. The restaurant’s spokesperson claims “limited reservations are available exclusively on DoorDash,” but the reality feels much more restrictive—you need connections. This level of exclusivity has reduced normally composed diners to pleading for access, with friends constantly asking if I could somehow secure them a table. I too required a friend’s invitation to experience it myself, approaching the evening with decidedly low expectations.
What I discovered inside completely transformed my perspective. The Eighty Six offers a decadent, protein-focused culinary experience that ranks among my best meals this year. Under Chef Michael Vignola’s guidance, this isn’t your typical steakhouse fare—you won’t find basic cuts with sauce on the side. Instead, Vignola creates magnificent dishes using truffle butter, béarnaise, au poivre and other rich accompaniments to elevate uncommon cuts from remote farms. When asked about the absence of trendy Snake River Farms beef, Vignola dismissively responded, “Too commercial.” The restaurant is owned by Catch Hospitality Group, the same team behind last year’s sensation The Corner Store in Soho—a place Taylor Swift instantly catapulted to fame. Given that establishment’s emphasis on scene over substance, I kept my culinary expectations tempered.
My meal began without bread—initially disappointing—but the kitchen quickly won me over with two meaty, horseradish-drizzled dill pickles that proved to be the perfect appetizer. The bluefin tuna tartare ($29) demonstrated the kitchen’s precision and creativity, featuring impeccably fresh fish surrounded by shaved Persian cucumber, crowned with Osetra caviar, and enhanced with aged soy and cold-pressed Sicilian olive oil. Brown butter-toasted sourdough provided the ideal vehicle for this perfectly calibrated dish, where each component maintained its distinct character while harmoniously complementing the others. The 8-ounce filet mignon “Rossini” ($65) was a revelation—sourced from the Jeffrey Huss family in South Dakota, this was nothing like the lean, health-conscious filet typically found around town. It arrived with a flawless sear, cooked precisely to medium-rare, and elevated with two ounces of Hudson Valley foie gras and butter whipped with white Alba and black Burgundy truffles. A Barolo-scented bordelaise sauce unified these luxurious components into a gloriously indulgent experience.
The kitchen’s creativity extended beyond traditional steak preparations. Their Wagyu cheesesteak ($39) reimagined the Philadelphia classic with thinly sliced, slow-roasted Westholme Australian Wagyu ribeye, enlivened with pickled peppers and chiles, and enveloped in a creamy combination of Hornbacher and Comté cheeses. The Cresta di Gallo caviar pasta showcased the chef’s talent for complex flavor compositions, featuring saffron-shallot sofrito, cream, robiola cheese, egg yolk, Calabrian chili oil, and Osetra caviar—a multidimensional dish that defied conventional categorization while delivering extraordinary taste. Dessert maintained the restaurant’s playful sophistication with chocolate “flying saucers”—malted milk ice cream sandwiched between chocolate waffle cone pieces, presented on a bed of chocolate crunch for rolling the sweet creation to your heart’s content.
The Eighty Six’s ambiance matches its culinary excellence with sumptuous comfort and intimate charm. Large, upholstered booths embrace diners in luxury, while Art Deco fixtures cast a warm glow across dark lacquered woods and marbled floors, creating the most seductive neo-speakeasy atmosphere in the city. My fellow diners—about thirty in total—appeared dressed for celebration, though I spotted no celebrities among them. The atmosphere remained pleasantly subdued, with only the occasional appreciative murmur interrupting the elegant hush, save for one exuberant quartet of young women who seemed more focused on cocktails than cuisine. The setting creates an intimate cocoon where the food rightfully takes center stage.
My only regret is what I couldn’t experience during this singular visit. Time and stomach capacity prevented me from exploring the seafood selections ($37 to $110) or the showstopping whole duck—aged for ten days and served with an orange-blossom glaze and foie gras sausage—which sounds utterly magnificent. I would love nothing more than to return and sample these missed delights, particularly that wondrous-sounding waterfowl. All I need is another friend with the magical ability to secure a reservation. The Eighty Six has accomplished something remarkable: creating a dining experience so exceptional that it justifies the frustrating exclusivity. I’ve never been so pleased to have my cynicism proven wrong. What I anticipated would be an exercise in pretentiousness instead delivered one of my most memorable meals of the year—a delicious reminder that sometimes the hype, however annoying, is absolutely warranted.
