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After Dan Patrick, the lieutenant governor of Texas, announced his plans to rebrand the New York Strip steak as the “Texas strip” on X last week, a couple of New York restaurants, including the one that claims to have given the steak its current name, are firing back.
6 News in Albany reports that Todd Shapiro, the owner of the War Room Tavern in New York’s capital Albany, plans to file a lawsuit against the state of Texas for $1 million, alleging that the rebranding of the New York Strip “infringes upon New York’s cultural heritage and poses economic harm to businesses that rely on the recognition and popularity of the New York strip steak.”
Patrick, for his part, says he plans to introduce a concurrent resolution in the Texas legislature to change the name of the cut of meat in the state of Texas and that the government will request that restaurants print the changes on their menus. If the change goes through, grocery stores would have to rebrand the steak as well, but privately owned businesses, even those located in Texas, would not be bound to the new law. “In a world filled with serious issues that we address every day at the Texas Capitol, this simple resolution will help better market Texas beef,” Patrick wrote. “That’s good for the Texas cattle industry.”
The lieutenant governor also noted that Texas has the largest number of cattle in the nation, whereas “New York has mostly dairy cows.” He has a point: The United States Department of Agriculture’s State Agriculture Overview noted that Texas had nearly 4.1 million cows used for beef and 675,000 used for milk in 2024, whereas New York had 100,000 cattle used for beef and 630,000 used for milk.
Patrick’s proposal comes after a meeting with the Texas Cattle Feeder’s Association, the Austin American-Statesman reported, and although the new legislation would only impact Texas, Patrick hopes the name will take off, Chron reports.
News has traveled up to New York City, where Dennis Turcinovic, an owner and managing partner of Delmonico’s, the legendary fine dining restaurant in the Financial District, pushed back. Turcinovic, who claims to have named the strip back in the 19th century, told NBC New York that Patrick’s move is ridiculous and wished him “good luck with that.” Delmonico’s opened in 1827 — before Texas became a state, NBC New York cuttingly notes. Meanwhile, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram notes that this cut of steak has already gone through a rebranding — It was originally called the “Kansas City cut” before being renamed the New York Strip because that moniker didn’t fly as the name of a fancy piece of beef in New York.
At Delmonico’s and many steakhouses throughout the country, the New York Strip — a cut of beef short loin found in all cows — has long been sourced from various states, not just Texas. The cut, presented both with and without the bone, is known for its tenderness and is considered leaner than other cuts, like its fattier rib-eye counterpart.
