The Corner of Lucky
7SQUARE Steaks its Claim
by John Mariani

Nouveau Steakhouse in the Theater District

The Theater District is a double-edged sword for restaurants. On the one hand, even the most meretricious of places—some that should have gone out of business decades ago—still thrive from 5 p.m.-7:30 p.m., when everybody barrels out the door to attend a play or musical within the area. Then a few regulars might trickle in, and there might even be some after-theater revelers. Some restaurants are famous—Barbetta, Sardi's, Gallagher's, Joe Allen—while others get by purely on nostalgia, like the old bistros Tout Va Bien and Chez Napoleon. But the number of restaurants with serious, modern cuisine in the Theater District is very, very low indeed, and many have struggled to attract a clientele that wants to eat well after the 8 p.m. curtain.

One such is 7SQUARE, whose young chef Shane McBride is a very bright addition to the neighborhood, as he would be to any, for he has both the experience (Lespinasse and Aureole) and a feel for the Theater District, having worked on these premises when it was the estimable Oçeo. He's got energy, his talent for rendering fine food from fine ingredients is evident in just about every dish, and he's got the backing of the owner, Alvaro Perez, who has himself been involved in 50 restaurants in Japan.

The name 7SQUARE comes from a play on 7 times 7 = 49, which is the number of the street the restaurant is on; it is also a lucky number, and I hope it works for them.

I'm not sure why the owner calls this a "modern American chophouse," for although it is modern, and it is American, and it does have chops, it has so much more on the menu that distinguishes it from nouveau steakhouses like Craftsteak and Kobe Club. I cannot say I am in any way taken by the decor, which is plumb boring. Upstairs is the Time Hotel, complete with lounge and bar music, reached by an interesting elevator; fortunately that nightlife doesn't intrude on the dining area downstairs. Unfortunately, there is not a single element of decor that draws the eye. It is a dull dining room if there ever was one, resembling more a hotel coffee shop than a serious restaurant. Basically it's a long room with a semi-open kitchen and an overall cast of silver and aluminum, which is rather cold and uninviting. The tables are cheap laminate, bare of any covering (ugh!), the lighting is gray and unflattering, the chairs are diner-class and the piped-in music and lack of any soft surfaces don't help the decibel level one bit. Alexander Kaletski's cardboard collages help brighten the space, though.

Collage Artist Alexander Kaletski Created Five One of a Kind Pieces

Fortunately, McBride takes up the slack, starting with appetizers like his Caesar salad, which is unlike any other you'll run across: shredded lettuce on crusty sourdough croutons with a poached egg and bacon strips. Ham is another wonderful piece of artifice—a tasting of four artisanal hams: Jambon de Bayonne, wild boar ham, house-cured duck ham, and applewood smoked ham with deviled eggs. The hits keep on coming: “Dirty rice” risotto is dotted with duck confit, smoked duck ham, andouille and green onion. Marvelously fresh steak tartare comes with pickled vegetables and hot, crisp house potato chips. The hearty New England clam chowder screams of sweet, tender clams and cream—one of the best I've ever had.

Main courses maintain the heat, with excellent Colorado rack of lamb, and a New York veal chop with roasted mushrooms. Shortribs are braised in root beer—not a bad idea when you think about the flavor and sweetness of that soda pop—and the side dishes are every bit as good, like the spicy broccoli di rabe, the terrific, gooey macaroni-and-cheese and hand-cut crisp french fries.

The two winning desserts are "Dougie’s Chocolate Square Ding," a take on the classic Hostess ring ding and a plate of warm, tender cookies. Apple tart was nothing special, despite a molasses sauce and pecan streusel topping.

The wine list is well conceived with sufficient bottles at fair prices under $50.

So I'm obviously very high on Shane McBride as a young chef to keep your eye on. I wish, though, that the premises of 7SQUARE had something to draw me here again and again. 7SQUARE doesn't look much like a winner, but McBride is doing some of the best food in the Theater District right now and this is well worth a visit for a full post-8 p.m. meal rather than a fly-by pre-theater nosh.

John Mariani is well known for his frank and poignant writing in Esquire, Wine Spectator, Diversion and the Harper Collection. He is author of The Encyclopedia of American Food & Drink, The Dictionary of Italian Food and Drink and co-author, with his wife, of the Italian-American Cookbook.