📍4 Charles Prime Rib, New York City

4 Charles Place is one of my favorite places in New York City. It's officially named 4 Charles Prime Rib but I can't think of anyone that doesn't call it by the address. An aspect of this place that adds to the lore. On a Wednesday afternoon, I was planning to fly to San Francisco from Seattle but that trip fell through. On Thursday, a friend reached out, he got a last-minute reservation at 4 Charles on Saturday night. I booked a flight to New York that landed Saturday afternoon and I got to dinner with moments to spare.

It's one of the hardest tables in the world. It's not even the food, as incredible as it is, the experience makes it for me. It's walking down the steps of a townhouse in the West Village, the darkened room with a handful of tables, and the unknown of what's happening inside. You get this sensory deprivation of what's happening outside when you're inside. It feels like you're in another dimension. I've been here 5 or 6 times and want to attach all the superlatives but I can't do it justice. I'm going to try anyway.

We started with the burger and fries (no pictures of either). The burger at 4 Charles has similar components and a shared recipe with Au Cheval in New York City and Chicago, Restoration Hardware in various cities, and La Renommée in Paris. If you've been to those places, you've had this burger. Except, it's not the same, at all. The butter on the bun at 4 Charles feels butterier. The sauce and pickles and beef are more harmonious together than anywhere else. It's confusing but when you bite into it, or split it into 4 as we did, it makes sense.

The fries come in a goblet lined with parchment paper. Two small dipping cups flank the fries, one with ketchup and one with a garlic aioli. The fries are thin and well-salted. The outside is crispy and the inside is pillowy soft. There are french fries and then there are french fries, these are the latter. The garlic aioli has a depth of garlic to it that I've only had in toum, the Middle Eastern garlic spread made by smashing garlic. It is pungent and punchy and lovely.

We ordered two bottles of wine throughout our dinner. I like wine but I need to improve my wine skills. Luckily, one of my friends was well-versed and chose these bottles. The first bottle was the 2015 Château Clinet. This was a lighter red where I picked up berries and dark plums. We got this bottle to pair with our entrees but we liked the wine so much we finished it before they arrived. It happened to be the last bottle they had, funny how that works.

The second bottle was a 2015 Margaux from Château Margaux. This was a bit deeper body red than the first bottle. It was similar to the first bottle with a dark berry scent. It had a bit more astringency to it but worked wonderfully with the beef.