The steak frites at Medium Rare, New Orleans (photo: Alex Staniloff)
Medium Rare: Uptown Steak Frites for the Whole Family
Review by Gia Martinez
If you’ve ever done the shop n' stroll down Magazine Street, you know you’ve got to hit all the shops before they reach their famously early close times. If you’re anything like me, food can wait until I’m done rummaging through antiques and trinkets.
After one such day, I found myself with a craving for a steak and in front of me was Medium Rare, a steak-and-frites-exclusive establishment. It is one of seven locations for the franchise, with three more in the works. It was a Wednesday night, and just two other groups were dining, both of which were birthday parties. A father gives his son presents as they enjoy their meal, and a large party of girls prepare for a night out.
As you walk in, the restaurant’s open concept allows you to see cooks steadily flipping steaks. I took one look across the room and immediately caught the layered cakes staring back at me! The exposed brick and dim lighting gives this establishment a rustic/ industrial appearance.
The prix fixe menu is $35 and includes bread service, a Caesar salad, and not one… but two servings of steak cooked to your liking . So what makes this restaurant different? Their secret sauce! The steak frites are covered in a rich and bold secret sauce whose origin dates back to the early 1800s (according to co-owner Mark Bucher’s restaurant founding story).
No one knows the recipe for this sauce except for the owners, who ensure it stays secret by having different employees work on different parts of the sauce using unlabeled containers. Disclaimer for those too weary of trying a secret sauce: they will happily put it on the side. I was also surprised to learn that there is a portobello mushroom option for vegetarians.
Medium Rare is a great choice for celebrating birthdays, graduations or any casual occasion. It exudes a family friendly energy and provides a fun and approachable steak and frites experience for all ages. Portions are generous, as I mentioned before, a second serving of steak was a happy surprise!
We were approaching the finish line when I was captivated once more by the layered cakes across the room. I made an executive decision and opted for dessert. We got the same chocolate cake that we spotted the moment we walked in; multiple layers of perfectly moist, nice and warm chocolatey goodness.
Selfishly, I will say, a melting scoop of ice cream on top would have made it heaven. However, no complaints here. Lastly, as a little nostalgia punch, the check was presented with two pieces of bazooka bubble gum, which prompted my dinner guest to recall stories of their childhood and days spent playing sports. We ended the evening laughing our meal off and exchanging stories over bubble gum, a memory carefully curated by Medium Rare.
Medium Rare New Orleans website
Review by Gia Martinez
If you’ve ever done the shop n' stroll down Magazine Street, you know you’ve got to hit all the shops before they reach their famously early close times. If you’re anything like me, food can wait until I’m done rummaging through antiques and trinkets.
After one such day, I found myself with a craving for a steak and in front of me was Medium Rare, a steak-and-frites-exclusive establishment. It is one of seven locations for the franchise, with three more in the works. It was a Wednesday night, and just two other groups were dining, both of which were birthday parties. A father gives his son presents as they enjoy their meal, and a large party of girls prepare for a night out.
As you walk in, the restaurant’s open concept allows you to see cooks steadily flipping steaks. I took one look across the room and immediately caught the layered cakes staring back at me! The exposed brick and dim lighting gives this establishment a rustic/ industrial appearance.
The prix fixe menu is $35 and includes bread service, a Caesar salad, and not one… but two servings of steak cooked to your liking . So what makes this restaurant different? Their secret sauce! The steak frites are covered in a rich and bold secret sauce whose origin dates back to the early 1800s (according to co-owner Mark Bucher’s restaurant founding story).
No one knows the recipe for this sauce except for the owners, who ensure it stays secret by having different employees work on different parts of the sauce using unlabeled containers. Disclaimer for those too weary of trying a secret sauce: they will happily put it on the side. I was also surprised to learn that there is a portobello mushroom option for vegetarians.
Medium Rare is a great choice for celebrating birthdays, graduations or any casual occasion. It exudes a family friendly energy and provides a fun and approachable steak and frites experience for all ages. Portions are generous, as I mentioned before, a second serving of steak was a happy surprise!
We were approaching the finish line when I was captivated once more by the layered cakes across the room. I made an executive decision and opted for dessert. We got the same chocolate cake that we spotted the moment we walked in; multiple layers of perfectly moist, nice and warm chocolatey goodness.
Selfishly, I will say, a melting scoop of ice cream on top would have made it heaven. However, no complaints here. Lastly, as a little nostalgia punch, the check was presented with two pieces of bazooka bubble gum, which prompted my dinner guest to recall stories of their childhood and days spent playing sports. We ended the evening laughing our meal off and exchanging stories over bubble gum, a memory carefully curated by Medium Rare.
Medium Rare New Orleans website