First look: New Westchester steakhouse restaurant brings top notch ingredients, experience
Center cut dry-aged rib eyes are the specialty at the newly opened (as of May 2) Peter's Steakhouse in Eastchester. The steaks, dry-aged for 28 days, hail from Bronx-based wholesaler Master Purveyors, what Owner Peter Bijac calls "the best" in the industry.
Bijac is also especially proud of their porterhouse cuts, which are also dry-aged for 28 days.
"It's all about the process of dry aging the meat, wet aging the steak and the process of serving the right cut," said Bijac.
Those top quality products help make this 50-seat place, what formerly had been Westchester Meat Market, special, according to Bijac. That, plus experience. He and business partner Ari Jahaj have both spent the bulk of their careers at Manhattan steakhouses — 11 years for Jahaj, 20 for Bijac.
Bijac's goal? "To bring excellent food, exceptional service and great atmosphere to Eastchester."
Like any traditional steakhouse, that means more than steak. Along with a raw bar there's branzino, salmon, blackened swordfish, yellowfin tuna, salads and pastas such as linguini pescatore, lobster ravioli, and truffle fettuccine.
There's also a wide selection of wines and an array of cocktails including, with a nod to Eastchester, an Eastchester Mule (with Purity vodka, ginger beer, fresh squeezed lime juice and mint) and an Eastchester Plane with Aperol, Amaro, Irish whisky and fresh squeezed lemon juice.
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Naturally, too, there are other meat dishes such as filet mignon, rack of lamb, New York sirloin, organic chicken, veal and a burger.
A more casual bar menu is also available as is happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday. Sunday brunch is to come.
Though steak certainly takes center stage here, so, too, does dessert, all of which come with schlag, a super fluffy whipped cream and a longtime New York institution, with roots stretching to Brooklyn's famous Peter Luger Steakhouse. Enjoy it atop chocolate lava cake, pecan pie, tiramisu or a hot fudge sundae.
Those who had been to Westchester Meat Market, where Bijac previously worked (and was known for his burgers), will recognize the large windows in the front, but besides that, there's not much else that looks the same. The place was gutted and Bijac, along with Jahaj, designed the space using the arched windows for inspiration.
Light pours into the space, giving it an airy feel while new archways in both the dining room (to the left) and in front of the bar (to the right), soften the space. There are serious steak knives at every place setting along with a bottle of Peter's Steakhouse (housemade) sauce, white tablecloths, and subdued brown and black colors mixed with white throughout the room.
Bijac hopes the two, coming from "great steakhouse experience," will bring something new to Eastchester. Added Jahaj: "We can't wait to introduce our restaurant to this area."
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If you go
Address: 1 Mill Road, Eastchester, 914-202-7740, peterssteakhouseny.com
Hours: Noon to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday; to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Prices: In the $16 to $60 range.
Good to know: Housemade steak sauce, which graces every table, is also sold to go (for $9).
Another FYI: A private dining room with seating up to 25 should open soon. There's also valet parking seven nights a week in addition to a sizeable public parking area in the back.
Jeanne Muchnick covers food and dining. Click here for her most recent articles and follow her latest dining adventures on Instagram @jeannemuchnick or via the lohudfood newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Peter's Steakhouse in Eastchester NY brings top ingredients, experience
