J&K: Another Steakhouse, Another Excellent Steak

And then, there were three.

Within a few months, Morristown went from having one exclusive steakhouse, , to having a trio, starting with a few months ago and, earlier this month, J&K.

This latest entry comes by way of Dover, where the original J&K Steakhouse has been serving carnivores for several years. With the recent business boom overtaking Morristown, the owners of J&K seem to have struck while the oven was hot.

Not wanting to deal with crowds (as well as any raised eyebrows while I snapped pictures of food), I popped into J&K Steakhouse at around 4:15 p.m. this week, while the main dining room was empty. Unlike Roots, with its high-backed chairs, deep wooded accents and commissioned murals designed to scream rather than whisper its presence, J&K's smaller space at 56 South St. is considerably more subtle, with muted colors, a couple of paintings on the walls and simple furnishings.

Several waiters attended to me while I looked through the menu, which I found to have just enough variety beyond the $40-$50 steaks to please many palettes. There was chicken marsala, rack of lamb and grilled swordfish, to name a few. There even was a modestly (for a steakhouse) priced N.Y. Strip, sliced with black truffle, for those not ready to take the higher-priced plunge.

I ordered from J&K's "price fixed" menu, in the $42 section, which comes with an appetizer, entree and dessert (a $48 menu offers a second appetizer choice). From it I took the mixed greens salad, 10 oz. filet mignon, rare. And for dessert ... well, I was likely not going to get to dessert.

First arrived some rolls and butter. The bread was warmed and crusty, the butter cold. I worked on a piece and tried to resist scarfing down the whole basket. Thankfully, the salad arrived soon after and to this I was very happy. Not just because I could move away from my carb addiction, but because it was so good. A simple assortment of field greens, the salad was paired with sweet dried cranberries and blue cheese crumbles. The dressing was subtle, a light viniagrette. I had to keep myself from scraping the plate (again, thankfully, I was alone).

Finally came my steak, a very pretty cut of meat, indeed, garnished with a roasted bulb of garlic and accompanied by a side of frittes. Unlike the fries called frittes , these I would actually differentiate from the kind of french fries one might get from their school cafeteria. They were thinner, crispier, more full of flavor. In short, they were awesome.

Then, I took my first cut into the steak. With its cool pink center in full-flower, the knife glided effortlessly through. Then I took my first bite and tasted ... salt.

I chewed through and took a big pull from my glass of water. I took a second bite. Salt, but not quite as pronounced. Either I was getting used to it or my first bite had the bulk of it. Once that cleared, what was left was a tender, buttery flavor. Simple, as an excellent steak should be.

And, it was an excellent steak, save for the salt bath, which continued more or less throughout the whole thing. I mentioned this to my waitress as she brought a brownie wrapped up for home (I told you I'd never get to dessert), and she happily took note.

Besides the salt, dare I say this was a better overall experience than the mighty Roots Steakhouse offered. Then again, that meal was no slouch, either. With such stiff competition in its midst, let's hope Sebastian's remains on top of its game, as well.