Linger Longer Steakhouse

Absolutely wonderful. Ignore the low-​starred reviews if you’re like me and aren’t willing to sacrifice a phenomenal meal for something as petty as imperfect service. I’m so glad I didn’t rely on those reviews and overlook this place, it was incredible. We came here because we happened to be staying at the Ritz for our 3^rd honeymoon (anniversary in layman’s terms) and they kindly accommodated us even though they were super busy and we hadn’t made reservations.
We brought our own champagne and wine (note: $ 35 corkage fee), but we thought their list was very respectable, too. We started with their beautiful crusty homemade French bread with a couple of their compound butters, garlic and merlot, both good, but I also requested regular butter because the bread was so amazing I didn’t want to cover it up with too many other flavors.
The appetizer we had was really the star of the evening — crispy pork belly, possibly the best I’ve ever tasted, and, frankly, purely orgasmic. It was served with a chow-​chow type preparation and a sauce that, in combination with the crunchy pork fat and tart pickly taste of the chow-​chow, took it to other-​worldly proportions. We came very close to double-​dipping and ordering a second, but we had committed to so much other food that we felt it might be a little piggish and ultimately (tearfully) passed on seconds.
We both had the Delmonico ribeyes, perfectly cooked, tender, and flavorful — they really could not have been much better. The sides were a lovely complement to the steak: jalapeño creamed corn (addictive and incredible), crispy Brussels sprouts in a yogurt sauce (one of the best Brussels sprouts preparations I’ve had), and lyonnaise potatoes (good, but they didn’t rival the other two sides). Just delicious.
We found absolutely no fault with the service, our server was very nice and talkative and just the right amount of attentive. We didn’t order dessert, but they sweetly brought us a big stick of cotton candy, which I think is a signature of theirs — what a fun way to end our meal! We thoroughly enjoyed pinching off pieces and feeding them to one another — it was almost as good an experience as the wedding cake ritual, even 3 years later, but I think that speaks more of love than cotton candy ;)

Absolutely not worth the money and definitely not a Ritz-​Carlton level of service or atmosphere. Big open room. Cocktails watered down, steak not cooked as desired, principal server never followed up on anything, a different person came to table every time, nothing really outstanding except the coffee. Definitely would not rush back.