By Steve Cooper
The Foodie Foursome
Steve Cooper
For quite a while now there have been many requests from my followers and my Facebook page about local high-end “steakhouse specialty” restaurants. I met Chef Attilio Marini years ago at his mom’s restaurant in Trumbull, called Marisa’s. He definitely honed his culinary talents during those years and brought them to his new restaurant, Cast Iron Chef Chop House and Oyster Bar on State Street in New Haven in 2017. It is the former space of Carmen Anthony Steakhouse. Marini has been awarded Best Steakhouse in New Haven County by CT magazine for seven consecutive years, and this year won the title statewide.
His use of the timeless cast-iron skillet is the main cooking vessel at the Cast Iron Chophouse. Cast-iron cookware has been used for over 2,000 years and is valued for its durability as well as its ability to retain and maintain even heat. The dishes are not just prepared in the cast iron, but served in it too.
The Cast Iron Chef Chop House is one of the finest steakhouses in New Haven. The meats used in the restaurant are butchered in-house as they trim their beef tenderloins, filets and chateaubriand to be used in the burgers, meatballs and chili. Every offering at the restaurant holds unexpected wonder. Marini has become a celebrity chef and is a regular on New Haven’s ABC affiliate WTNH.
Cindy and I were joined by longtime friends Tammy and Steve for a fun evening of food, drink and conversation.
We started with appetizers, prosecco and a signature espresso martini with its own special twist. First up was the cast iron clam chowder and burrata cheese salad. I originally was thinking of ordering French onion soup, as I am not usually a clam chowder guy. But I’m so glad we decided on the chowder. It was incredible. The broth was creamy and luscious. The silky broth held an abundance of nice chunks of potato and clam that I would definitely order again.
The simplicity of the salad exceeded expectations. The creative plating featured a large mound of creamy, but not overly moist, burrata adorned with arugula, strawberries, pistachios, olive oil and a strawberry balsamic glaze. The textures and varied tastes worked so well together. The peppery and fresh taste of the arugula was offset by the sweetness of the strawberries and glaze.
Our appetizer choices showed off the chef’s expertise in presenting a variety of offerings. The tuna tartare reminded me of an artistic ceviche with an Asian flare. It was constructed of large, diced fresh tuna with avocado, jalapeno and red onion topped with tobiko and served with corn tortilla chips. If that was not enough, the sauce made with olive oil, white soy sauce, mirin and yuzo was outstanding. The cast iron spicy braised meatballs had the perfect texture with a definite spicy kick that was served with a dollop of fresh ricotta and tomato sauce.
Next up was their unique vision of a crab cake. It was baked, not fried, and designed as a tower of jumbo lump crab, bread crumbs, parsley and scallions that was cast-iron seared and served over a corn bisque and roasted red pepper puree.
The last two appetizers were the Korean short ribs and lobster arancini. The short ribs were some of the best I have had. The thinly sliced American wagyu short rib was made with white soy, gochujang and topped with scallions. The beef was tender, the sauce sweet, gooey and savory.
The lobster arancini was a superb, baseball sized, round construction of lobster, risotto, peas, grated cheese and mozzarella served with a luscious lobster bisque and topped with langastinos.
Our first main course was the homemade fettuccini smothered in a meaty bolognese sauce made with a touch of cream, a dollop of fresh ricotta and fresh basil. The second entrée was a classic – the cast iron chateaubriand for two. This 27-ounce hand-cut, premium roasted tenderloin was simply seasoned with salt and pepper, with roasted garlic butter and fresh thyme. It was sliced and served with a sweet potato, sautéed broccoli and gorgonzola sauce.
The third entrée was the cast iron seared duck, which was an 8-ounce tender breast, served with sautéed broccoli and garlic mashed potatoes (sprinkled with roasted cloves of garlic). The exquisite finishing touch was the signature chop house duck sauce.
The final main course selection is my favorite cut of meat. The 26-ounce cast iron “prime” bone-in rib eye was perfectly seared and cooked to a spot-on medium rare. The seasoning was a classic salt and pepper that adds great flavor when seared. The garlic butter and thyme adds that nice sheen and beautiful taste. It was served with plenty of incredibly seasoned roasted potatoes with a little crunch and creamy interior. When I am in a first-class steakhouse, this steak is usually my go-to. This finishing act was perfect.
We ended with two wonderful cast iron specialty desserts. The cinnamon cake was awesome and gave me a “bananas foster” vibe. The moist cinnamon cake was engulfed with a glaze made with Captain Morgan and salted caramel surrounded by caramelized bananas and topped with vanilla ice cream. The s’mores with strawberries was exquisite. The s’mores was a hot plated deconstruction of huge strawberries, toasted marshmallows and chocolate sauce served with graham crackers. It was the perfect end to a perfect evening.
The décor and room layout lends itself to a night out with friends or family, yet the elegance takes on the perfect ambiance for a business meeting or romantic night out. There is also a great bar area and terrific daily happy hour specials. Every table gets the chef’s “secret spiced” signature popcorn.
They are open daily for lunch at 11:30 a.m. and dinner until closing. They are located at 660 State St. in New Haven, eight miles from the Orange/Milford line. Reservations can be made at 203-745-4669.
Steve Cooper is a local, national and international award-winning photographer, culinary influencer and executive director of the Milford Performance Center. Contact him at 203-723-3672.