The Upper East Side steakhouse Arlington Club isn’t your typical finance or bro’d out spot. It’s feels a bit rustic with a rich brown coloring, high ceilings and black and white framed photos on the wall. A wine cellar encompasses the back end of the restaurant and there is a second level that would most likely make a great private room or big group dinner. This menu is absolutely perfect. I can’t tell you how many times I tried planning my order for this beforehand which was a hard feat to handle. Just in the appetizer section alone there is Eggplant Parm, Braised Artichokes, Chicken Meatballs, Yellowtail and Jalepeño. Then you move on to the Simply Grilled section with some fresh fish options and then you hit the Specialties and Sides which really throw you for a loop and mess up your ordering plan.
The best way to attack this journey is to skip the Appetizer, Salads and Simply Grilled sections from the start narrowing down your options and temptations. We started with the Short Rib Lasagna with basil and pomodoro sauce because when you know what you want you should just order it first! New York is getting quite creative with their lasagna’s these days from Bowery Meat Company’s Duck Lasagna to Florian’s Ossobucco Lasagna. Add this one to the list, too. Just think of it as ordering a “primi” pasta dish at an Italian restaurant and you’re good. My favorite dish was the Dover Sole Modern Meuniere with lemon and capers. Perfectly cooked and dressed, it’s a go to that I’m always going to stand by. I will say the Natural Beef Burger was a little disappointing. With all the juicy, flavorful burgers out there that you can literally down out of the palm in your hand, it’s just wrong to serve a well done burger. However, on the up side the fries are nice and salty.
The side game is on point. You have your Mac ‘n Cheese, Creamed Spinach, Roasted Cauliflower, Mushrooms, Sweet Potato Fries and Brussels Sprouts. My favorite were the Braised Green Beans with tomato and oregano. Slow cooked or stewed tomatoes always makes vegetables taste better. I really enjoyed the Creamed Spinach as well because it wasn’t overly doused with cream to the point where you can’t even see any green. Just the right amount. Smoked Gouda is my favorite cheese so the fact that it comes on Mac ‘n Cheese here is a dream come true. I wish it was served with actual macaroni noodles, so you could enjoy more of the sauce but the rigatoni shape sure made for a great presentation.
To be honest, the Peanut Butter Chocolate Bar with Milk-Popcorn Ice Cream was the first main draw of Arlington Club for me. The ice cream tastes exactly like popcorn which is fun and risky and the bar is soft and almost close to a mousse texture. The Warm Sticky Date Pudding with Kumquat Toffee and Ginger Ice Cream was the real wild card here. The bottom is as gooey and dough as can be and you’ll need to really dig your spoon down in their deep to get your best bite. Love this treat and it’s the only way you should end your meal here.
Arlington Club is a bit more mature being that it’s in the Upper East Side (side note: they are owned by Tao Group). Therefore, this is a great place to celebrate family events, dinner with the grandparents or parents or something for a couple friends who live in the hood to try out for some solid steak, seafood and side options.
Sticky Date Pudding