M. Wells Steakhouse Bursts with Juice and Flava

Celebrating our anniversary last week, Dan and I splurged on a special dinner at M.Wells Steakhouse.  I've been dying to try this place ever since it opened, but haven't gotten around to it, so this made for a perfect opportunity.

Atmosphere:
Located on a discreet corner of 43rd Avenue and Crescent Street in LIC, M. Wells Steakhouse isn't the easiest to find, but once you uncover it, you'll be glad.  Occupying an old garage/body shop space, it very much fits the vision that its innovators had for it in that it's unique, a little quirky and very noteworthy.

Once you walk in, you're welcome by a warm vibe and an overall spacious open floor dining room.  I love that you have full view into the kitchen, which puts on display the talented chefs that make all that steak magic happen.  There's a wood fired grill at one side from which delicious smells emanate and where you see women chefs flipping juicy steaks.  It's the ultimate juxtaposition, which breaks every cliche in the proverbial book and I love that.

Food:
The simple yet intriguing menu left us pining for almost everything on it, and we didn't shy away from ordering a little bit of everything.  In the end, I think we ordered too much, but my philosophy is to try it all and then pack the extra for later, which is exactly what we did.

Appetizers - We ordered two appetizers, including a classic Caesar salad as well as duck cooked inside of a pumpkin.  The latter was a clear standout, as it represented everything that I love about fall - deep, rich flavors, seasonal veggies such as the pumpkin and mushrooms.  The duck itself was luscious and juicy and flavored by a rich broth that soaked deep into the crevices of the pumpkin.

Steaks - The main draw is the steak of course, and we each chose something different, Dan deciding to go with a T-Bone and I tried the skirt steak instead.  Both were cooked to a medium rare consistency and had a nice char on the outside from the wood fired grill.  Even though they were generously marbled, I didn't mind and thought this added to the steak's overall tastiness.  While my steak was a lot less low-brow, I preferred my dish, since it also came with other accouterments such as grilled onions, thinly sliced potatoes and chunks of comte cheese.

Side - Even though we didn't need it, we had to get a side of poutine for good measure.  Everything about this was awesome including the hearty gravy, the crispy fries and the slightly melted comte cheese (the same one that was on my skirt steak).

Dessert - The dessert presentation was a thing of beauty, as our waiter came around with an elaborate cart full of goodies and meticulously described each item.  There were some impressive dishes such as Pumpkin Chocolate Charlotte, which feeds 2-4 people and is a whopping $29.

We didn't try that needless to say, but decided on a chocolate whiskey tarte with a cookie crust.  It was phenomenal - chocolatey, caremeley and crunchy on the outside, it was the perfect way to end this memorable meal.

Service and Cost:
Everything about the service at M. Wells was on-point.  From the minute that we walked in and got seated to the bread and water service, to the very end when we received our to go bags, it was all high quality and super professional.  The fact that the service doesn't feel stuffy and pretentious also says a lot about M.Well's excellent management.

Costs are expensive but unsurprising for the uniqueness of this place:

Appetizers - $11-$15
Steaks & Mains - $18-$160
Sides - $8-$15
Dessert - $6-$29

3 Mmmms

M.Wells Steakhouse - 43-15 Crescent Grill, Long Island City NY 11101
718.786.9060
7 Train to 45th Road/Courthouse Square
magasinwells.com