In 1837, the Delmonico brothers opened the first fine dining restaurant in the United States, featuring private dining and  the largest private wine cellar in the city .

In 1862, Charles Ranhofer was named Chef de Cuisine  for his most noted and famous creations which can be  found in restaurants around the world: Eggs Benedict, Baked Alaska, Lobster Newburg and Chicken a la King are a few of his culinary creations. Eggs Benedict is so famous and an American staple that it was featured on the new Chef reality show on Fox 5 in July 2011. Six Chefs had 30 minutes to make that perfect Eggs Benedict that is served every time at Delmonico’s and it was not an easy task. I recently visited  Delmonico this past May and June for lunch and dinner.Every meal was a true New York experience. The steaks were cooked to perfection, the wine list is filled with gems, the service was top notch and yes,  the desserts are to die for!  The new owners have done a great job in bringing this landmark back to its original splendor and dining here  is a must for anyone visiting New York City or anyone who lives in this city and  is a lover of  great steaks and wines. Our first meal was supposed to be a quick lunch but it ended up being one of the best bacon cheese burgers I had in a long time paired with a bottle of Gran Sasso Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. I never have dessert at lunch but I saw a New York style cheese cake being served at the next table and knew I had to have one or two. I still dream about it. My second meal was lunch again with a wine manager of a local wine distributor and it was a feast. We shared the Eggs Benedict as our appetizer followed by Prime New York Strip medium rare. We shared as sides the classic Delmonico potatoes, creamed spinach, grilled asparagus paired with a bottle of Castelli Martinozzi Brunello . I am not going to write about my dinner experience there because dinner,  it wouldn’t be fair to you. I suggest that you go visit this New York gem and be dazzled by Chef William Oliva and his team and see first hand how Dennis Turcinovic and his staff make everyone feel at home. The Original Delmonico’s is a must!