Critics' choice: Steak houses that break from tradition

La Tête d'Or

New York City

"Can you even call yourself a New York mega-restaurateur without a steak house?" asked Matthew Schneier in NYMag.com. Pioneering chef Daniel Boulud had grown his portfolio to a dozen New York City establishments before he finally opened La Tête d'Or late last year, and this latest destination turns out to be a meeting of American burliness and French finesse.

The place gives off a glow that's "like a flame for high-spend moths," and the menu abounds with Franco-American marriages such as a wedge salad elevated by "gamy ribbons of smoked tongue." And what of the beef? "La Tête d'Or has one excellent cut: a 10-ounce slab of prime rib, served with all due pomp and circumstance." Carved tableside, it's "almost unbearably tender after eight hours of slow roasting." None of the other cuts are bad, though none compare. "Of course, part of the golden allure of any high-end steak house is ordering to impress," and the citrus-fed Australian Wagyu and olive-fed American Wagyu answer that call, as does a wine list that's seven pages deep with Bordeaux. 318 Park Ave. S.

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Il Premio

Atlanta

Like Manhattan, "Atlanta is a steak house town," said Jennifer Zyman in Atlanta magazine. But standing out can be difficult when there are roughly 150 options. Il Premio confronts the challenge by drawing inspiration from a famous horse race in Siena, Italy. Lush upholstery fabrics and equestrian-themed decor "make the space look like a swanky Italian polo club," and chef John Adamson's menu leans into seasonal Italian fare. "Instead of a seafood tower, you get crudi," and, of course, there's a pasta program. The tagliolini Bolognese and bucatini all'Amatriciana are "faultless in execution" and make pleasant shareable openers for the steak.

Il Premio serves "a delicious filet and New York strip," but if you're with a larger party, indulge in the 41-ounce bistecca alla Fiorentina. "It's one of the most expensive cuts on the menu and one of the best to eat," perfectly cooked and "imbued with smokiness." Meanwhile, service is "some of the best I've experienced in Atlanta in 20 years," and pricing is competitive. While "you can ball out if you want to," it's "also easy to share a few courses and be satiated without taking out a second mortgage." 800 Rankin St. NE.

Wye Oak Tavern

Frederick, Maryland

Bryan and Michael Voltaggio's latest venture "might be their best restaurant yet," said Tom Sietsema in The Washington Post. Certainly, it's the brothers' "most divine," because the main dining room is a former Catholic school chapel that still has the stained glass and pipe organ to prove it. The owners of the attached Visitation Hotel asked for a steak house and the Voltaggios obliged, adding a few twists.

Seafood and regional specialties set the stage for the steak. Coddies, a Baltimore snack of fried cod and potato served on popsicle sticks, "present playful" but "taste regal." And the shrimp cocktail, featuring a green tomatillo cocktail sauce, "steals the show." The Voltaggios, who grew up in Frederick, source good beef for the steaks, and serve them with a tiger sauce that my crew "applied to just about everything but drinks and dessert." What's more, the prime rib is "everything a fan wants it to be," and the pot roast "tastes like Mom's if Mom had gone to Le Cordon Bleu." 211 E. Church St.