Ben Benson’s Steak House

Photograph: Meghan Petersen

The place:
The Ben Benson’s Steak House (123 W 52nd St between Sixth and Seventh Aves, 212-581-8888)

The diner: Mike Levy, 65, real-estate lawyer. Born and raised in the Bronx, Levy never visited the West Side until his law office moved to the area. “I was an East Side boy, I never used to cross Fifth Avenue,” he says. “The first time I came here one of my clients took me. We sat down at the bar, I looked around and said, ‘Thank God. I have a place to go.’ ”

The routine: Levy, who works and now lives less than a block from the restaurant, has visited Ben Benson’s three times a week at noon since 1989. A neon sign reading mike levy and a photo of his late dog, Timber, marks his usual two-top (the sign was installed in 1994). He also likes a four-top one table away, where, at Levy’s behest, management has swapped out the standard wooden seat for a more comfortable cushioned chair.

The order: “You can’t eat steak every day,” says Levy, who alternates among soft-shell crabs, stone crabs and bay scallops, depending on the season. He also enjoys one Finlandia vodka on the rocks. “I switched to Finlandia when Russia invaded Afghanistan in 1979. It was a political statement.”

He says: Levy’s regular status has afforded him a few amusing run-ins with other guests. “For eight months I would see this guy eating here by himself, “ he recalls. “Finally, one day I walked up to him and said, ‘Who the fuck are you?’ He looked at me and said, ‘Who the fuck are you?’ We ate together. Then, a few months after the sign went up, I saw [baseball Hall of Famers] Ralph Branca and Whitey Ford here. I put my arms around them and said, ‘I don’t know about you guys, but my name is still up in lights!’ ”—Jordana Rothman

Are you a regular? E-mail us at eatout@timeoutny.com.

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