Sifton: Please Don't Disrespect Luger with Kids, Mom Jeans

In his most recent Hey, Mr. Critic column the Times' Sam Sifton lays down the law when it comes to famed Brooklyn steakhouse Peter Luger. A reader wants to bring three very small children. Sifty responds:

Peter Luger is not a casual restaurant. It is true that you can go there for dinner and see people dining in Giants jerseys and mom jeans, as if the dining room were an airport gate filled with Americans waiting for a delayed flight to Las Vegas. But these people are to be derided and have done much to drag the restaurant down. Peter Luger at its best is a meat church, a restaurant to attend in suit and tie or cocktail wear, the sort of place where maybe you can’t get a reservation on the phone, but where you can always get a table with the help of a firm handshake and perhaps some understanding at the door. Children shouldn’t be in there until they’re 10, at least.