Harry's

A longtime favorite for its Cajun ribeye and its cocktails, Harry's had a higher bar to clear than most. Tree goes every month or two, has a standing weakness for that ribeye and will tell you the cocktails are usually out of this world. His case for the place goes well beyond the steak, too: in his experience the kitchen does great pasta and seafood, and a lamb curry that has been one of his favorites on past visits. It is a menu with real range. So a Council night here came with real anticipation, and a bigger table than usual: the regular four, joined by three spouses.

It was a weekend night, and the dining room was packed. To be fair to Harry's, a quieter evening might have been quicker, easier and hotter. On this one, some of the food did not arrive as warm as it should have, and the pace was noticeably rushed.

The starters held up. Buffalo mozzarella, baked clams and the smoked bacon were all good, a solid opening without surprises.

The mains were where the table aimed high. A slice of beef Wellington with black truffle sauce was the unusual order, and it paid off. The Cajun ribeye was good, but by the standard of earlier visits, that was a step down from the incredible it can be. A prime porterhouse took the middle of the table, with a prime tomahawk alongside. The steaks were cooked well. Still, too much of the meal landed at okay.

At the bar, the night showed in the details. Cocktails at Harry's normally arrive with a little sidecar and a big king cube of branded ice, and that ritual is part of the pleasure. This time the drinks were just okay, and the sidecars came and went: one cocktail arrived with one, the next did not. Red wine and cocktails were both on the table, and the inconsistency was hard to miss.

Small things, one at a time. Together, on a night with expectations this high, they added up. The bar and the kitchen both seemed backed up, and the night never found the rhythm Harry's is capable of.

Tree's own reading is the generous one: this may have been an anomaly, and on a normal night Harry's might well be a 90-out-of-100 kind of place. That is a regular's hunch, not a Council score, and this review is about the dinner the Council actually had. It was a good meal. It could have been a lot better.

Three member scorecards stand behind the official score of 80.53, third among the opening four restaurants on the Meat Hause Index; guest scores never count toward it. The room was the one thing the busy night could not dent. The packed dining room stayed lively and the vibe was superb: Atmosphere & Ambiance earned 11.73 of 12, the best atmosphere mark of the four.