BLT Steak (which stands for “Bistro Laurent Tourondel”) is our interpretation of the American Steakhouse, and it combines bistro ambiance with steakhouse fare. At BLT Steak White Plains, located in the always elegant Ritz-Carlton Westchester Hotel, Westchester residents can savor the signature warm popovers along with specially selected steaks, fresh seafood, and satisfying sides such as grilled asparagus and hash browns.

Chef Laurent Tourondel may no longer be involved with his namesake steakhouse, but this classy space, decked out in beige with resin-top black tables, still draws a crowd every night.

Since I was staying at The Ritz-Carlton hotel, I invited the family to dine and made a reservation for 7:00 p.m. for the large booth table which could easily accommodate our group of seven.

You can either enter through the restaurant via the Ritz Carlton or use the main entrance off the street.

Once inside the restaurant it is very nice without being pretentious. There are huge glass windows surrounding the entire restaurant letting the early evening light in.  In the evening, the city lights reflect inside.  You are even offered a choice of sitting outside for dinner.   Overall, the ambiance is trendy, classy, and relaxed.

As we were seated at our booth, our waiter took our drink order right away.   As soon as we were all settled, the waiter brought out a chicken liver pate with bread and two plates of gruyère Popovers still steaming upon arrival at our table.

These inflated Popover bread rolls were the conversation starter at our meal.  Comically large and mishapen, with balloon-like tops crusted with baked on cheese, they also came with a meaty salt shaker and — we were told — special European butter that is 98% butter fat. Yes, please!

They even gave us the Popover recipe in a little card so we could try making them at home.

SALADS AND APPETIZERS

The chef sent over a few appetizers for us to sample including a platter of age-cured meats with sausages and prosciutto hams and cheese bread with bacon.

ENTREES

When it came time to order our entrees most of us ordered their famous steaks.  I ordered the Filet Mignon 8 oz, and it was perfectly cooked. The spices in the crust perfectly complimented the flavors of the filet.  It was melt-in-your mouth delicious.

While the others ordered Prime Hanger Steak, Braised Short Ribs, Lemon-Rosemary Chicken, and Salmon.

SIDES

For our side dishes we went with the potato skins, creamy mashed potatoes, and the mac and cheese.

DESSERTS

Most of us were all stuffed from the meal, but we couldn’t pass up on ordering the Warm Chocolate Tart with Vanilla Ice Cream dessert and Meyer Lemon Cheesecake with Huckleberry Sauce.  I loved that the tart was not super sweet and had a nice rich dark chocolate flavor.  The chef sent out some mini chocolate brownies which had an airy texture and were not too heavy. Dessert was perfect as we were all incredibly full by then!

PRIVATE DINING

BLT Steak has a private event space that mimics the aesthetics of the main dining room, and it is available for a sit-down dinner up to 40 guests. For cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, the room can accommodate up to 65 guests. The room comes equipped with a plasma screen, digital cable television and a DVD player.

BLT Steak is a great eatery that offers a fantastic range of scrumptious dishes.  The setting is stylish yet relaxed, and its location is convenient.  Overall, BLT Steak is a reliable restaurant for a relaxed and comfortable dining experience.

BLT Steak 221 Main St, White Plains, NY 10601