BLT Steak

If you want to go off your diet, BLT Steak is the best place to do so! The generous portions will tempt the most moderate of eaters. For former Atkins devotees, there are huge parmesan-crusted popovers and 7 different potato preparations. For those who've been avoiding sweets, there are chocolate tarts, lemon meringue pies and carrot cakes. Last night, for the lapsed vegetarians, there was a 21-oz. Chateaubriand special for two topped with foie gras.

My companion and I let a couple glasses of Chateauneuf-du-Papes loosen our ordering inhibitions and we decided on three appetizers, two entrees, four side dishes and two desserts. Now the indulgence would begin.

The waitress brought by complementary duck liver mousse and crostini, as well as the aforementioned popovers. Just one of the puffy breads was almost enough for a meal!

The Parmesan-crouton Caesar salad was terrific, its leaves of romaine well-coated with a garlicky, anchovy-laced dressing. A shrimp cocktail consisted of four giant shrimp and spicy cocktail sauce. The tuna tartare was a sensual square of sashimi-grade tuna, under which was a bed of creamy avocado and a pool of soy-citrus sauce. The crispy shallots and microgreens on top provided an extra zing.

A juicy ribeye steak, served in a big cast iron pan, was marinated in olive oil and garlic. The spiced grilled swordfish arrived in a Moroccan-influenced preparation of tangy preserved lemons, coriander, cilantro and harissa. Our chosen side dishes were French fries with cilantro mayonnaise, the sweetest braised carrot flowerettes, a faintly smoky hen-of-the-woods mushroom, and rich creamy spinach. There were so many pans of delicious foods on the table that it was difficult to figure out what to eat!

Dessert was another dilemma. I normally opt for the most chocolatey selection; last night, a chocolate tart and a peanut butter chocolate mousse competed for my attention. The dessert special, a lovely gooey-centered warm chocolate cake, ended up being my choice. It came with a small oval of condensed milk ice cream studded with a bit of chocolate tulle. My companion delighted in the seemingly mile-high orange-raspberry sundae, a marvelous parfait of orange, vanilla and raspberry with meringue "marshmallows." And I must not forget the chewy chocolate-coffee brownies that arrived unexpectedly. Next time, I'll ask for a bag of them!

BLT Steak: 106 East 57th St., 752-7470.

A Peppery Meal At Lupa

On several occasions, I've been on my way to Tomoe when I've been sidetracked by the delicious scent of garlic wafting from Lupa next door. Tonight was one of those nights; the heavenly aroma pulled me in and deposited me firmly at Lupa's bar.
 
Lupa is a wonderful place for a light summer dinner; one can easily make a varied and filling meal from the antipasti e salume. This portion of the menu is divided into vegetable, fish, Italian cold cuts and salad categories. I'm especially fond of the octopus and garbanzo salad. Tonight, as I decided between the black kale and fried garlic or the lightly vinegared sea bass scabece with arugula (I chose the latter), I was briefly distracted by a plate of paper-thin slices of prosciutto di parma that was on its way to a nearby table. 
 
Although I could have happily continued with more antipasti, I remembered how much I loved the bavette cacio e pepe. This perfect pasta dish is a bowl of linguini-like pasta, made pungent with melted sheep's-milk cheese and spicy with generously sprinkled black pepper. I don't think I could ever tire of it.
 
The peppery experience was unexpectedly prolonged with my dessert order: a flower of apricot-petaled panna cotta highlighted with pink peppercorns. The heat of the spice was a nice counterpart to the cool, creamy custard. 
  
As I exited Lupa, I saw the usual long line of people waiting to eat at Tomoe. I patted my full stomach with a satisfied smile.
 
Lupa: 170 Thompson St., (212) 982-5089.

Benoit

Delicious creamy frozen treats are popping up all over the city. Just two months ago, a wonderful new ice creamery/patisserie opened up on Lexington Avenue to the great delight of Upper East Siders. Benoit Gerin, a Jean-Georges alumnus who has produced fine ice cream in NYC since 1999, has debuted a refreshing menu of iced cakes, sorbets and coupes glacees. On a hot sunny day, what could be more appealing than the Special Benoit: a cup of mango, coconut and passionfruit sorbets topped with raspberry sauce and whipped cream? Or how about the Pear Belle Helene, a poached pear with vanilla and chocolate ice cream, chocolate sauce and whipped cream? (For the diet-conscious, there is also the "skinny juice": carrot, orange and ginger juice. Somehow I think I'll be more focused on the fattening part of the menu.)

Benoit: 1212 Lexington Ave., (212) 327-4369.