STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — When Raval Steakhouse opened on Minthorne Street nearly two years ago, owners Naz Ardolli and Ghent Zylfijah weren’t looking to conquer New York City’s steak scene. They simply wanted a neighborhood restaurant where Staten Islanders could enjoy a great steak without crossing a bridge. That vision paid off Wednesday night when the Tompkinsville steakhouse beat more than 25 competitors to win the Rare Steak Championship at Industry City in Brooklyn.
The event was held at Industry City in Brooklyn, where chefs prepared and served their entries on-site for judges and attendees.(Courtesy of Naz Ardolli)
Raval rose to the top of a field that included heavyweight steakhouses such as Del Frisco’s, Mastro’s and Strip House.
That was the vision from the start.
“Let’s bring something to Staten Island instead of people having to go to the city or Brooklyn,” Ardolli said when the restaurant debuted on Nov. 11, 2024.
The invite to compete came from Buckhead, a meat purveyor that distributes to Raval.(Courtesy of Naz Ardolli)
The “Rare” event brought together more than 25 of New York City’s premier steakhouses for an evening of steak tastings, signature cocktails and live entertainment. Restaurants competed in traditional and creative steak categories, with attendees and judges casting votes for their favorites.
The Tompkinsville restaurant was the only Staten Island entrant in the competition.
“We were just happy that we were invited, to be honest with you,” Ardolli said. “Never thought we were going to win first place.”
The winning entry paired Raval’s signature Cajun-rubbed steak with a German-style potato salad.
“The Cajun steak is our signature steak since we opened the restaurant,” Ardolli said. “We’ve never changed it. It’s our own house-spiced Cajun rub.”
The restaurant updates roughly a third of its menu each season, but the steak has remained a constant.
The potato salad was selected to balance the dish’s bold flavors.
“We figured it’s summertime, so let’s do something light and fresh to balance the flavors,” Ardolli said.
The event drew a larger crowd than organizers anticipated, attracting about 2,000 attendees instead of the expected 1,200.
Ardolli said. “We thought we were going to have steak and stuff left over. By the end of the night, we only had pretty much cocktail ingredients left.”
A bourbon-based cocktail made with spirits from Brooklyn’s Port Hamilton Distillery accompanied Raval Steakhouse’s award-winning steak entry at the Rare Steak Championship at Industry City in Brooklyn. The pairing earned recognition alongside the Tompkinsville restaurant’s first-place finish. (Courtesy of Raval Steakhouse)(Courtesy of Naz Ardolli)
The steak wasn’t the only standout. Raval also earned recognition for a cocktail crafted with bourbon from Brooklyn’s Port Hamilton Distillery. To complement the Cajun-rubbed steak and German-style potato salad, the restaurant partnered with the local distiller to create a custom pairing, adding another layer to the award-winning presentation.
The co-owner said the team entered the competition simply hoping to represent Staten Island well.
“There were big corporate and big-name steakhouses there,” he said. “We were just excited to be a part of it and have fun with it. We never thought we’d get first place.”
The Raval Steakhouse team celebrates its first-place finish at the Rare Steak Championship in Brooklyn. The Tompkinsville restaurant was the only Staten Island entrant in the competition. (Courtesy of Raval Steakhouse)(Courtesy of Naz Ardolli)
For Ardolli, the victory carries special meaning because Raval never set out to be anything more than a neighborhood restaurant.
“We weren’t doing a traditional steakhouse. We weren’t copying anybody. We were just doing our own thing,” Ardolli said. That approach has paid off, earning praise from local celebrity chef and Advance Woman of Achievement Shaw-naé Dixon in The New York Times and now a first-place finish at Rare.
Dining and Cooking