Steak Tacos, Margaritas, and Carnibros!
Review: Oyamel by José Andrés, Yellow Rose's steak fajitas, Tacombi's ribeye special. Plus: The NYT on "carnibros"
Dear Friends!
We made it through winter and false spring! So let’s celebrate with something summery. Let’s party with frozen margs and steak tacos.
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The Carnibros Are Out in the Wild: NYT
Beef is back, baby.
Sure, our bromakase era still lives on with $500 sushi, but as I wrote last year, steakhouses are evolving and fighting back for those expense account dollars.
Luxuries like wagyu and truffles are helping fuel this movement — as are cool Korean steakhouses, and a political climate that can sometimes feel as red as rare roast beef. You know this to be true if you’ve ordered martinis surrounded by guys in collared shirts at La Tete D’Or, Crane Club, B.O.M., and elsewhere.
Or as I said last year: The sushi bros were always really steak bros at heart.
But that’s the local story. Kim Severson of The New York Times has a great column with a national angle. The headline says it all: “Meat is Back, on Plates and in Politics.”
Here are a few quick takeaways, as sales of meat hit record highs:
Texas Roadhouse, with its affordably-minded steaks, has overtaken Olive Garden as the country’s top casual dining chain
Fogo de Chão, that Brazilian steakhouse where waiters slice your sirloin tableside, will open 12 more stateside locations this year
Sweetgreen has finally added steak to its salad bowl menu
Severson also covers the so-called “carnibros” of the right. She writes about the meaty Gospel of Joe Rogan. She reports on dudes who eat beef liver right outside the butcher shop. And she talks about how HHS secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is quite the fan of frying in beef tallow (versus seed oils) for health purposes.
Beef tallow fries! For your health!
Here’s another key line: “For many conservatives, pushing back against the liberal green agenda is part of the attraction of conspicuous meat consumption.”
Even better: “The demonization of meat is over,” said Chris DuBois, vice president at a market research company. And Nicolette Hahn Niman, the cattle rancher and former vegetarian behind the book, “Defending Beef,” had this to say:
“I am passionate about this whole idea that beef has been unfairly vilified.”
People fretting over red meat can sound a bit like folks who think the Second Amendment will go up in flames the next time a Bernie rally rolls into town. I’m also old enough to remember the right-wing “They want to take away your hamburgers” nonsense of 2019.
So let’s be clear: Meat isn’t going anywhere, mi gente.
It’s always been okay to enjoy burgers, carne asada tacos, galbi, and steaks. In private. And in public.
During the Biden years, the guy interviewing you for that job at Goldman was never going to end the meeting and say “aw sh!t” after you declared your favorite restaurant to be Sparks. Educators are scared right now for a lot of good reasons, ranging from academic freedom, to seeing students get deported over op-eds and activism. But rest easy, my anemic souls, Yale Law was never going to turn you down to teach a tax seminar because you love the marbling on A5 wagyu.
I mean, I’ve been covering steak for twenty years, and Thought Police have never knocked on my door at 3:00 a.m. to revoke my food critic’s license.
If you think meat has been demonized, you clearly haven’t dined out in Manhattan or Brooklyn anytime in the 21st Century. Steakhouses and other bastions of beef fall in and out of favor — due to legitimate reasons linked to health and the environment — but they’ve never shuttered at the same clip as experimental tasting menu spots, late-night diners, or pretty much any other form of restaurant.
If you’ve ever dropped by a seafood spot like Marea, Le Bernardin, or Milos, you know you can get a great steak. Because owners know that certain dudes in sports jackets melt into a puddle when they come into contact with halibut.
Meat eaters in this blue town have always been afforded a privileged status.
But have you ever dined as a vegetarian at an old-school steakhouse or a barbecue spot? You’ll sample some of the sh!ttiest vegetables you’ve ever tried.
It’s not meat that’s been vilified, dear carnibros.
Behind the Paywall: New York’s Top Steak Tacos!
Limited-time ribeye tacos at Tacombi, reviewed
Review: What beefy tacos to get at Oyamel by José Andrés
Re-review: Some thoughts on the ribeye gringas at Esse Taco
Why you should try the charcoal beef fajitas at Yellow Rose
A few thoughts on frozen margaritas in NYC…
One more thing, before we get to today’s steak review:
Red meat will always be a cornerstone of our coverage at The Lo Times. But…