One day in December, a member of the New York State Assembly walked into Peter Luger, the Brooklyn steakhouse against which all others are compared.

The assemblyman sat and ordered a juicy slab of what Luger is famous for. But when the meal ended, something remarkable happened, something more rare, it would seem, than the meat in the cooler.

The assemblyman, after paying the check, left Luger with less money than he had when he entered. Nobody passed him an envelope stuffed with cash on his way to his vehicle. No one even offered. He just left.

This is contrary to what we have learned this week about how lawmakers conduct themselves in New York City steakhouses.