Bobby Flay’s top NYC steakhouse is a classic favorite.

When renowned chef, longtime Food Network star, and grilling maestro Bobby Flay wants to savor a quality steak in New York City (unless he opts to grill a perfectly tender steak himself), he heads to Wolfgang’s Steakhouse on Park Avenue in Manhattan.

Flay and his daughter, Sophie, featured Wolfgang’s in an episode of their Food Network show “The Flay List.” In that episode, Flay remarks to Sophie that he skips the menu because he already knows his picks: chopped salad, onions and tomatoes, shrimp cocktail, creamed spinach, German-style hash-brown potatoes, and the porterhouse steak.

“That’s the essence of a classic steakhouse meal — it’s straightforward and flawlessly made,” Flay explains in the episode (via Amazon Prime). He notes that the salads and the shrimp cocktail serve as the “warmup” for the main attraction: the sizzling dry-aged Prime beef cuts served so hot, they continue cooking at the table.

“You can hear the juices of the steak bubbling on the side of the plate, and then you complement it with some creamed spinach and the potatoes — everything harmonizes beautifully,” Flay says. “It’s a significant meal — definitely one of my most beloved perfect dinners.”

You might mistake the Wolfgang in the name for celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, who owns several restaurants, including celebrated steakhouses like Cut in New York. But that’s not the case here.

Wolfgang’s Steakhouse is actually established by Wolfgang Zwiener, who was a head waiter at Brooklyn’s Peter Luger’s, arguably New York City’s most iconic steakhouse. Zwiener spent decades at Luger’s before launching his restaurant in 2004.

The two Wolfgangs were at odds over trademark issues after Zwiener’s thriving Park Avenue location prompted him to open a site in Beverly Hills, not far from one of Puck’s establishments. Although Zwiener won in court and now operates additional locations in NYC, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Hawaii, and several Asian countries, the Beverly Hills venue eventually shut down.

Wolfgang’s is distinguished among national chains for offering some of the highest quality beef available in solely four cuts — ribeye, porterhouse, New York sirloin, and filet mignon — all graded USDA prime, dry-aged on-site, and carved by the in-house butcher. The original site at 4 Park Avenue withstood the COVID-19 pandemic and remains the flagship location. The restaurant is also renowned for its vaulted tiled ceiling designed by Spanish architect Rafael Guastavino, one of the few remaining examples in New York.

The porterhouse is a standard item on steakhouse menus because it features two cuts of beef in one hefty steak, divided by a T-bone. One side has the tenderloin, while the other boasts the strip loin, making it ideal for sharing among diners with varying tastes. The tenderloin, also known as filet mignon, is soft and lean, while the strip loin (often referred to as New York strip) is more marbled, offering a richer flavor.

The pricey porterhouse is considered one of the finest cuts of steak, and mastering its preparation is critical since no chef wishes to ruin food — or waste money. You can grill or pan-sear a porterhouse, but since it typically needs to be at least 1.25 inches thick, cooking it partially or entirely under the intense heat of a broiler, as Wolfgang’s does, is a preferred method to achieve ideal doneness and a perfect char.

Flay prefers his porterhouse medium-rare — although he has stated that he generally enjoys steaks (and burgers) cooked medium, as the extra cooking time allows the fat to render better, enhancing the meat’s flavor and texture. However, it’s essential to note that a steak continues to cook after being removed from heat, which is why letting meat rest post-grilling or broiling is crucial. Since Wolfgang’s steaks arrive at the table sliced and still steaming on a hot plate, a medium-rare steak might reach medium doneness by the time you dig in. Just be cautious not to wait too long!