Dear Food Diary:
I’ve been obsessed with Instagram lately. While browsing through hundreds of mouth watering photos last Friday, my feed was flooded with shots of an insane wagyu tomahawk from M. Wells Steakhouse.

The steakhouse has been on my list and these photos made it top priority. (I weeped when the first M. Wells diner closed down).

At 9am, I messaged my fellow carnivore J. She teased only I would get excited about steak in the morning, but jumped on a moo wagon with me, no questions asked. J, StalkerBoy and I left LIC Sunday night as very happy carnivores.

Conveniently located near the train station. M.Wells Steakhouse has an unmarked entrance.

Open kitchen. Dark luscious reds and woods. Rustic garage chic.

Next time around, I would love to sit at the counter and watch all the action in the kitchen.

A light fruity red as we prepped… oh the anticipation…

The Caesar Salad is a definite nod to the M.Wells Diner. That mountain of fluffy parmesan cheese was as fantastic as I remembered. Melting like powder snow the minute it landed on my tongue. The dressing, which I’m guessing still uses smoked herring, pairs beautifully with the crisp lettuce and crunchy croutons.

I don’t eat caesar salad often, but when I do, it has to be from M. Wells. 

Now to the much drooled about main event…

This is the shot I was obsessing about. cutiepatroller, johnyprimecc and lordoftheforks simultaneously uploaded their version of such beauty.

I went as far as emailing and Instagraming the folks at M.Wells Steakhouse, just to be sure we would get the exact dish. I was told the presentation would vary but overall components unchanged. Truffle and all.

Wagyu Tomahawk ($150) Shared between 3 of us, but could of easily feed 4 with extra appetizers.

As it arrived, I felt giddy. We have been watching its every move in the kitchen. But, from the photo evidence on Instagram, the truffle shavings were missing. I didn’t mind the missing cheese but truffle was a must!

They took it back and did a little something different…

The waiter came back with bad news – they didn’t have enough truffle, so instead, the chef made a truffle sauce with the few pieces of truffle he had left. An acceptable solution.

J and I like our meat rare and that’s what we got. Tender and juicy. Char around the edges. This is my kind of meat and potato kind of meal. StalkerBoy asked for some pieces to be seared. Service was very good and attentive to our needs.

The truffle sauce was like a delicate layer on top. Without interfering with the meaty flavors. Traces of butter and pepper were witnessed but none powerful enough to hinder the grilled flavors of the steak. I’m with the school of “NO steak sauce on a beautiful piece of meat” and this bad boy was best enjoyed as such.

This potato was creamy and luscious. Oozing with strings of cheesy goodness that wrapped around my fork at every bite. A minor pulling action was required – thank goodness for my strong wrist.

The side of buttery mushroom medley was umami filled. A nice crunchy dusting on top. As good as it was, it didn’t stand a change next to the hunk of precious Wagyu tomahawk and its components. Something that big and well composed doesn’t really need sides.

The dessert cart sat next to us the whole time. Almost like taking over our extra seat, considering the amount of time we were gawking at it.

Chocolate Charcuterie wins for creative presentation. Death by chocolate? Yes, please!
The dark chocolate “salami” was almost like a giant truffle. Filled with pine nut brittle and hidden pops of chili. The heat is far and few, but when it hit, ohhh my… What a sweet way to portray the real thing. The banana bread was warm *insert smile*. Great with the berry compote “ketchup” and buttery “mustard”. Try really hard to save room, this is not to be missed.

Our waiter brought over a dense cinnamon cake (complimentary), but by then I was too stuffed to truly appreciate it. A digestive of whisky and Canada Dry was also on the house. Perfect way to end a Sunday evening.

Though we didn’t get the exact Wagyu Tomahawk with all the truffle and works, ours was pretty darn good. Wish I had a bigger party or tummy to try everything.

Guess I’ll have to go back for that bone-in burger and escargot marrow. This happy carnivore cannot wait.

P.S. Chubby’s Rating:
magasinwells.com
43-15 Crescent St
Long Island City
718.786.9060