When I was at Don Julio in Buenos Aires, I was seated next to two Americans who were colleagues in town for work. They were in all-business-catch-up mode, until their steaks arrived. From that moment the plates hit the table, what ensued was at least twenty minutes of silence. When I asked them how the steak was, one said it was the best steak of his life. The other said he was having a religious experience. So when that’s the bar that’s set, expectations are high for Graciela. However, Graciela isn’t trying to be Don Julio’s New York outpost — and that’s why it works. You can’t compare Graciela and Don Julio because their dishes, wine list, format for dining and vibes are different. What they do share though, is the heart that goes into preparing the meals. There’s nothing here that’s going to combust or entertain you. Instead, the food is real — honest, simple ingredients prepared with an execution that deserves a Michelin star. The level of talent in the kitchen is so high, they make magic out of broccoli. (More on that in a bit).

Big First, The Mains

I am a pescatarian, so I relied on my dining companion to take one for the team on evaluating the steak. And similar to the guys I sat next to in Buenos Aires, he confirmed that this is one of the best steaks in New York City. The star may be the ribeye, as it’s flown in from Argentina — arguably, the meat capital of the world. The distinct character of Argentine beef shows with the marbling, the char, and the way it barely needs the knife. With the European influence, Milanese is a popular dish in Argentina, and could easily be thrown on the table as a share. Anyone who remotely likes beef isn’t going to be disappointed at Graciela.

But don’t sleep on the branzino, either. It would be easy to assume fish is an afterthought on a menu built around a grill this famous. But it goes into the same wood-burning oven as everything else, and I can still taste that smokiness of the branzino. In my expert pescatarian opinion, it holds its own next to the beef, instead of just sitting in its shadow. The branzino was one of the best I’ve had in NYC.

Not an Afterthought

I know I jumped right into the main dishes, but the rest of the menu deserves accolades. The broccoli dip arrived with warm bread and quickly became a table favorite. The dip, although pureed with cheese, was decadent, but also felt healthy. It was a dark horse against a menu full of headliners, and will change your point of view on broccoli. The empanadas were good; baked with a bubbly crisp crust and filled with vegetarian goodness of spinach and cheese. I slathered them in the broccoli dip, which brought all the flavors together for me.

French Fries and Mashed Potatoes

The sides might be the real plot twist of the night. The French fries are, without hyperbole, the best in the city right now. I’m not a fan of steak fries in general, but it’s like a sacrilege to put these in that category. They are so crispy on the outside and soft and pillowy (almost like a mashed potato but not) on the inside. The mashed potatoes are doing something unexpected too, almost sweet in a way that shouldn’t work with a plate this savory, but absolutely does. As far as the other sides go, the quality of the ingredients and the simplicity are what make them shine. A plate of tomatoes so ripe and perfectly seasoned with the right salt and olive oil, and seasonal greens automatically make you feel like a healthier individual. We were very happy to take home leftovers that barely made it to the fridge when we got home. The food was so good, we did a round 2 of Graciela. This is the kind of meal that you could eat at least twice a week. The food was so clean and healthy — even if you partook in the ribeye or Milanese.