Grill 23 & Bar

Any good steakhouse offers oversized hunks of beef, a clubby atmosphere, and expert, deferential service. A truly great one, like Grill 23, has all that plus a chef who prides himself on going beyond the perfect sirloin. Jay Murray (a former vegetarian!) tempts diners with less popular but equally flavorful “chef’s cuts” (medium-rare flat iron, anyone?) and serves up seafood, like the soft-shell crabs Milanese, of which any fine-dining establishment would be proud. In short, the joint gives a new wrinkle to the phrase “the thrill of the grill.”