Steak In The Hills
(aged.)
107-02 70th Rd., Forest Hills
(718) 544-2433
Cuisine: Steak House
Hours: Open Mon-Sat at 11:30 a.m. Closes Sun-Wed at 11 pm; Thu-Sat til midnight
Credit Cards: All Major
Parking: Street
In the early evening of a beautiful summer day, a guest and I decided to visit a restaurant on 70th Road in Forest Hills in the heart of the area’s dining district. With steaks, chops, seafood and more, (aged.) offers an upscale meal that neither matches the price or attitude of a big-time steak house, but definitely holds its own in flavor.
As we were seated we were handed a wine list with many international options. I selected a Navarros Correas Argentine Malbec while my guest picked himself up a Heineken. We placed our appetizer orders and sampled the bread basket, which included a variety of rolls – including a cinnamon raisin roll, which was a surprise.
My guest had ordered the house special Baked Clams (aged.), which are topped with roasted red pepper, spinach, breadcrumbs and a beurre blanc sauce. The combination was heavenly, sweet and buttery.
I had the Caprese Salad, with fresh made mozzarella, beefsteak tomatoes, basil and another house special, the (aged.)balsamic. The vinegar was actually a reduction of the sweet balsamic with corn syrup and sugar, leaving the tang of the vinegar but imparting a sweetness like honey.
Chef Sergio Valderrama said the reduction, like every other sauce served at (aged.), is made on premises. “We could buy this at the store,” the chef said, “but we just won’t do that. We make every sauce ourselves.”
What visit to a steak house would be complete without some meat? I ordered the Hanger Steak, which came served with fresh steamed vegetables and mashed potatoes. The steak was tender and delicious, and came with my choice of sauces. I went with the (aged.) steak sauce and the Béarnaise. I could have also chosen from a handful of others, but wanted to try the signature sauce – and to see if these guys could nail a Béarnaise.
I was not disappointed. The steak sauce was reminiscent of Peter Luger, with a tomato base and sweetness, but also delivered a bit of a peppery kick. The Béarnaise was spot on.
I was not disappointed. The steak sauce was reminiscent of Peter Luger, with a tomato base and sweetness, but also delivered a bit of a peppery kick. The Béarnaise was spot on.
We also split side dishes of creamed spinach and sautéed onions. The onion recipe called for three whole onions, which were cut hearty, making them a great textural balance for the beef, while also tasting of a sherry reduction. The spinach was so tender that it lost the sometimes stringy texture, but still continued to have a powerful spinach flavor.
We finished our meals with some coffee drinks and a selection of desserts, which included a strawberry pastry-wrapped chocolate cake, a chocolate lava cake a la mode and a key lime pie, all of which were decadent in flavor but light in texture, not adding to the weight of the hearty meal.
— Brian M. Rafferty