Sparks Steak House   

Sparks gets a bad rap arising from the 1985 murder of mafia chieftain Paul Castellano as he exited the Midtown steakhouse. This bit of lowlife lore gives the impression that Sparks is some kind of joint, frequented by demimondaine characters. But Castellano was an upscale mobster who did his best to disassociate himself from the homespun trappings of his felonious forebears. Sparks fit the bill nicely -- the walls are brimming with oil paintings, the leather dining chairs are stately and accommodating and the wainscoting might well have been donated by the Third Earl of Leicester. In a word: class. It's also a pricey spot, with many entrees just south of $40. This is not a place to count your change, or your calories. A typical meal might include a mouth-watering order of shrimp cocktail, a tomato-and-onion salad and a thick, marbled cut of sirloin, followed by brandy, cigars and some discreet defibrillation. The steaks don't miss -- Sparks is up there with Peter Luger, Keen's and anyone else who puts heat to meat.