Fridays, amongst all other things, is a good time to reflect upon the hard labours of the week and reward yourself for the undue suffering that week. Normally, this would involve a casual sit down lunch over a burger or sushi, but when lunch is with the ever bourgeois Iron Fist, it always ends up with us at a fancy restaurant, sharing in his perchance for luxury and extravagance. Which is why we found ourselves at the newly opened Walter's Steakhouse last Friday (thankfully before all the rain started). Being situated in the old lodgings of what used to be Restaurant II, it is opposite the nice leafy greenery of the botanical gardens. 
Taking a quick stroll down Eagle Street, we entered and found ourselves at the bar. Despite the fact that our reservation was at 12pm, our table wasn't yet ready, so we grabbed seats at the bar to for around 15 mins. We really liked the bar area, which had a really cool classical vintage set up.
The drinks menu was very comprehensive and covered a large variety of options.
As usual, Iron Fist ordered a red wine. Wanting to try something new, I tried the Mineral House Cocktail, containing Rittenhouse 100 Proof Rye, Walter's Salt and Pepper Vermouth, Bitters, and Apricot and Sweet Spices. It was surprisingly strong, and deliciously fruity and sweet, which was quite enjoyable.
After a while, our table was ready and we were shown in. The restaurant was set up much like the bar, and we liked the decor quite a bit.
Menus were provided upon being seated. It contained a selection of what you would expect at a traditional steakhouse, with appetisers suited to complement steak, a variety of steaks and other meaty mains, sides and dessert. Of course, there is no doubt that we would want to try the signature speciality porterhouse, which is what we ordered.
Complimentary bread was soon served. It came with some unsalted butter, and surprisingly steak sauce. The bread was wonderfully toasted and had a considerably dense but fluffy interior, with a chewy but not very crusty exterior. The butter melted wonderfully into the bread, and the steak sauce gave it a wonderfully sweet smokey taste.
My entree came before long. As expected by my dear readers, I ordered the steak tartare. It was served with cornichons, eshallot, mustard and cured egg yolk. I found the beef to be very fresh, with an almost crisp meaty flavour to it. The eshallot gave it a sharp bite whilst the egg yolk added a certain smoothness to the dish. Compared to other steak tartares I've had at other places, the beef had a much denser, heavier and substantial texture, which made it quite filling, and thoroughly enjoyable.
The rest of our meal came very promptly after we finished the tartare, and it was definitely a sight to behold.
The main event of course, was our speciality porterhouse for two. It was served sizzling on a 300 degree plate that was slanted to allow for the oils and meat jus to pool at the bottom. It was served with four different types of mustard, which we sampled and quite enjoyed, especially the tangy wholegrain mustard. The steak itself was done wonderfully well with perfectly rendered caramelised fat, an almost crisp exterior and a delightfully silky smooth, moist and perfectly rare interior. Iron fist liked it so much that he had the steak plain and unencumbered with condiments of any kind. 
First of our sides was Iron Fist's most beloved creamed spinach. It was wonderfully rich without being overpowering. Having enjoyed creamed spinach in NYC before, Iron Fist said it was quite similar to what he remembered. Having it for the first time, I liked how the smooth cream cheese absorbed into the spinach, making for quite a decadent dish.
Wanting to try a novel potato side, we opted for the German Fried Potatoes. They came fried to a golden brown, tossed with bacon bits, onion bits and herbs. I liked the crisp skin of the potato, which was wonderfully seasoned. It provided a welcome change to the usual mash or chips that we would have had with our steak.
Our last side was the Caesar salad. It was presented unusually, with the lettuce leaves being unchopped, and topped with copious amounts of Parmesan cheese and served with bread sticks. It was a simple yet elegant salad without the distraction of bacon or dressing, making for a refreshing but sophisticated side in which to complement the steak.
Price Range: $70 - $130pp
Taste: 9/10
Value: 7/10
Service: 9/10
Environment: 8/10
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