Review: Brooks & Porter Steakhouse & Bar

Upon arrival at Brooks & Porter Steakhouse & Bar, I knew this restaurant was not your "typical" steakhouse.  The stately appearance from the outside alone told me this would be a superb dining experience.

As we walked in, we were greeted immediately by our waitress and promptly seated at a private, roomy booth that could have easily accomodated six or more.

The decor was brilliant for the season, every table appointed with a small poinsetta and the entire room aglow with white holiday lights and evergreen style roping.  A small office party in the rear with a DJ confirmed the vibe we had gotten staring in the window before we had even entered: this was a festive place.

I ordered a French martini, and my husband a Heineken.  The drinks came out snappily and our attentive waitress read us the evenings specials.  For starters, we opted to share a bowl of cream of mushroom soup.  While waiting my husband went to the men's room, and when he returned he dutifully reported that the facilities were spotless, beautifully modeled and staffed by an attendant, dry towel at the ready.  While we waited for our soup we snacked on the cranberry rolls with the butter.

The soup wasn't exactly what I  expected: I had been anticipating whole mushrooms, but instead it was more of a puree. It was also piping hot and absolutely delicious.

For the main course, I opted for the petit filet mignon cooked medium well with a side of sauteed asparagus and my husband ordered the stuffed filet of sole with a baked potato on the side.  The filet mignon had a perfect crust on the outside and was tender and just the right shade of pink on the inside.  I dabbed on some of Brooks & Porters own steak sauce and found it nicely smooth with a hint of apple. After practically demolishing my steak I tried some of the sauteed asparagus with an olive oil, black pepper and fresh garlic glaze.  I didn't expect anything less than magnificent and magnificent was what I got.

My husband's stuffed filet of sole was extremely fresh, and the stuffing was atypically more fish than bread.  The baked potato made a nice, understated complement.

Throughout the meal, our servers were very attentive and our glasses were always filled.  We asked the waitress about booking for a birthday party and she told us that they can make DJ's and even live bands available.  She brought us back a catering menu and added that if we were looking for something on a lower scale, they are also the owners of Hudson McCoy which is on the ever so famous Nautical Mile in Freeport. 

Yet more attentive service came in the form of a friendly waiter who struck up a conversation with me when he saw me taking pictures. When I told him my birthday had just passed, he offered to take a photo of me and my husband, and suggested the gorgeous working fireplace by the entrance.  It wasn't even lit, but he went and got it fired up for us, and I ended up with a holiday card photo to send to my family and friends. 

We then ordered dessert.  I ordered the creme brulee, my favorite, and my husband the pumpkin pie ala mode, his favorite.  The creme brulee was was fired to perfection and the pumpkin pie equally flawless.  They capped an evening that produced few if any misfires and a new entry in our personal list of favorite restaurants.