Chef/owner Michael Lomonaco worked at restaurants 21,
Windows on the World, Wild Blue, and Guastavino’s, before he opened Porter
House in 2006. He is one of the original Food Network and Travel Channel chef
personalities with shows called “Michael’s Place” and “Epicurious”. Lomonaco also
appears regularly on “The Chew” and “The Today Show”. Along with Porter House
Bar and Grill, Lomonaco also operates Center Bar (in the same building).
Porter House Bar and Grill (previously called Porter House
NY) is located in the Time Warner Building at the Shops at Columbus Circle.
(Formerly, Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s V Steakhouse occupied the Porter House
space.) The front of the space houses the large Porter House Bar, a great place
to enjoy a drink either before or after your meal, or to eat a more casual meal
at the bar itself or at one of the round lounge-type or long communal tables.
The spacious dining room features high ceilings with beamed rafters and offers
tremendous views of Columbus Circle and Central Park. The dining room spans two
levels, one level is a step higher than the other. The higher level spans the
corner of the restaurant space and features tables set in front of large
windows, whereas the lower center section features booth and table seating. A
private dining room is also available.
Porter House serves American cuisine with an
emphasis on steaks, seafood, and pasta. (New York is the origin of the famous
porterhouse cut.) Our group started with the small chilled seafood plateau (7
pieces each of clams, mussels, crab legs, lobster, shrimp, with dipping sauces;
the large size offers 12 of each item) and the tomato and burrata salad (with
heirloom tomatoes of various colors and sizes, amazingly creamy burrata, and a
dressing of olive oil with a tiny smattering of pesto sauce). As entrees, we
ordered the Amish chicken (with frites and gravy), hanger steak (with frites
and chimicurri sauce), cobb salad, gulf shrimp salad, one 3-course $24 prix
fixe (with Caesar salad, petite filet and mashed potatoes). For dessert,
because we were celebrating two birthdays, the restaurant brought us two
desserts to share: cheesecake (with blueberries) and chocolate lava cake (with
whipped cream).
