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We have a T-bone to pick.
A famously meat-free New York City politician secretly devoured a succulent steak inside the ultra-private upper-level room of Midtown’s beloved Benjamin Steakhouse Prime.
“That means our steak is so good that even vegetarians cannot refuse,” restaurant owner Benjamin Prelvukaj said while taking Page Six on an exclusive tour of his storied Manhattan establishments.
“I saw with my own eyes,” Prelvujak added of the elected official cheating on his supposed herbivorous habits.
The restaurateur — an Albanian immigrant who kicked off his career as a busboy at the renowned Peter Luger Steakhouse — reminisced about the many iconic celebrity moments that have unfolded in the same hidden space overlooking the upscale eatery’s main dining room.
“50 Cent came to celebrate the launch of his [Le Chemin du Roi] Champagne here with ten of his friends,” Prelvukaj recalled.
The “In Da Club” rapper proceeded to play his own music while popping his bubbly brand all evening.
In a separate private dining room with wine-lined walls, accessible through a secret side entrance, Juan Soto commemorated his historic $765 million contract with the New York Mets.
“After they signed the contract, him, his family, his friends, including Mets owner Stephen Cohen, they came to dine with us,” Prelvujak said, adding, “The energy that night, it was incredible.”
The baseball slugger and his group spent the evening drinking booze and eating “amazing” food.
“He was a very humble young man,” he shared. “Even though he signed the biggest contract in US history, he was taking photos with all the staff, with the guests, including me.”
Fellow Albanians Dua Lipa and Action Bronson joined forces for a gathering in the special haven.
“I know her dad for a very long time,” the Benjamin Restaurant Group co-owner said of Dua’s father, Dukagjin Lipa. “I also joined them that night. We had dinner together — it was a very beautiful night. We had a lot of beautiful food and great wine together.”
The “Houdini” singer, the rapper and their party dined family-style on the chef’s signature Caesar salad, wedge salad, crab cakes, Canadian bacon, porterhouse steak, ribeye and filet mignon.
The modern main dining room on the first floor — featuring herringbone hardwood floors and plush merlot banquette seating — has also had its fair share of A-list sightings.
Christopher Meloni, a regular at the hotspot, ate with his cast and crew in the main dining room after shooting an episode of “Law & Order: SVU” outside the venue during the pandemic.
“It was a very cold wintertime, so I think they were hungry…I think they felt very good to come inside the restaurant [and] enjoy a nice meal,” Prelvukaj said.
On another evening, just minutes before closing, a UFC fighter showed up with his possé, prompting staffers to stay late and keep the kitchen open well past midnight.
“They were very happy that we did that for them,” Prelvukaj said. “Once they left the restaurant, the UFC fighter took care of our staff [with] about $20,000 in cash tips.”
Prelvujak said that his team was “thrilled” despite having to close up shop late.
“It was worth it,” he said.
Right around the corner from the dinner destination is its predecessor restaurant, Benjamin Steakhouse. Located inside a building that was once The Chemists’ Club, and then briefly Britney Spears’ now-shuttered nightclub Nyla, Prelvukaj’s OG restaurant has served up some big-time stars since opening in 2006.
One iconic encounter for Prelvukaj was when Naomi Campbell dropped by for dinner — only to make an off-menu demand.
“She was under the weather and asked our staff for a very specific tea they didn’t have,” he said of the supermodel. “She was kind of annoying, and we told her, ‘You have to give us a few minutes,’ so maybe we can find [the tea].”
A staffer ended up having to run out to a closeby supermarket to buy the “specific tea” for her.
“We saw [her] smiling face…So I think she was very happy,” he said of the impromptu tea service.
Bill Murray has patronized Benjamin Steakhouse on many occasions — usually showing up as a walk-in instead of making a reservation.
“One night there was a very, very busy night. [Murray] was walking through the tables [and] there were six beautiful ladies,” Prelvukaj said, adding that the women asked the “Ghostbusters” actor for a photo.
“They stopped him, took a photo with him [and] one of the ladies kissed him,” Prelvukaj laughed. “Bill Murray went on to kiss all the ladies.”
“Sex and the City” alum Chris Noth, another habitué, has been known to sit solo at the cozy bar where we’re told he drinks martinis in true Mr. Big fashion and likes his porterhouse steak cooked medium rare.
The curtained-off upstairs private wine room has been a go-to spot for stars like Aaron Rodgers and Kim Kardashian, the latter of whom once joined Ludacris for an exclusive soirée.
“I remember it [like yesterday] that Kim came out kind of late. That’s why they saved the last seat for her,” Prelvukaj said, pointing to a seat at the end of the table close to the exit.
We’re told the Skims founder’s dinner consisted of crab cakes and medium rare steak and she capped off the evening with pecan pie à la mode.
Along with their Manhattan restaurants, Prelvukaj opened a Benjamin Steakhouse in Japan as well as in Westchester, NY, where Mariah Carey likes to order the Chilean sea bass.
“Mariah Carey, when she dined with us last year… I asked to take a photo with her,” Prelvukaj remembered.
The “Touch My Body” singer told him that she needed a few minutes to “freshen up.” She then went back to her car and proceeded to put on a whole face of makeup before smiling for the friendly photo.
Once a year, the steak franchise pops up at the US Open in Queens, NY, under the name Champions by Benjamin Steakhouse.
“Anna Wintour comes to watch a lot, and she’s there all the time for finals, semifinalist, in any big game,” he explained, adding, “She is a very difficult person to please. But we were honored to serve her.”
Prelvukaj noted that the Vogue editor usually asks for a quiet table in the main dining area — a request that isn’t always easy to accommodate during the noisy sports event.
“It was not [as] quiet as she requested, but somehow we managed to please her,” he said.
We’re told the fashion icon indulged in filet mignon and their celebrated creamless creamed spinach.
We also hear tennis legends like Roger Federer, John McEnroe and Rafael Nadal flock to the Manhattan locations during the US Open because they often stay in Midtown hotels during the tournament.
“Frances Tiafoe actually came here one night [during the US Open,]” Prelvukaj said. “He had a porterhouse steak and a few tequilas. He had a lot of tequila.”
Despite the excessive rounds of hard liquor, Prelvukaj shared that Tiafoe came out ahead during his match the next day.
“He did win, so it was a good thing. It was great,” Prelvukaj laughed.
