Providence Prime
279 Atwells Avenue
Providence
by Bob Mariani
When you put the word "Prime" in your restaurant’s name, and it’s a steakhouse, you’d better deliver, and that means the beef you serve better really be "U.S.D.A. Prime," which is the most tender, most flavorful beef available in this country. It’s also the most expensive.
At Providence Prime, in the heart of the Italian restaurant district on Federal Hill, they do precisely that— and more. The quality of the meat, the attention to detail, the creative use of sauces and side dishes at Providence Prime are as good as, or better than, any steakhouse in the country.
The atmosphere is that of simple elegance with an obvious skew towards the sophisticated business-person. A sleek, modern, marble fireplace is at eye level over the bar, the booths are curved and made of black leather and the wait staff is energetic and very knowledgeable. Before you order, you’ll be shown a platter of the various cuts of meat available here and your waiter will explain the virtues of each.
On a Wednesday evening the place was nearly full. I began with a perfectly made Manhattan in a chilled glass with just the thinnest sheen of ice on the surface.
From the appetizer list that offered items like steak tartar; crispy calamari rings with hot pepper; jumbo shrimp cocktail; a chilled seafood platter; sautéed escargot; and oysters on the half-shell, I chose a Jonah crab cocktail. It was a surprisingly delicate serving of sweet, flaky crabmeat atop a slightly spicy swirl of crème fraiche. For our other starter, we had the perfectly seared barbecue shrimp, 4 medium size morsels in a tangy, smoky sauce.
I’m not sure why, but no steakhouse menu would be complete without the classic "Wedge" salad. It is, I guess, the "beefsteak of vegetables." Prime’s version of the Wedge could not have been better— an entire half-head of crispy fresh iceberg lettuce doused with a creamy blue cheese dressing and delicious bacon bits. Unbeatable.
The options for cuts of U.S.D.A. Prime steaks and chops run the gamut from filet mignon "tenderloin" (10oz or 14 oz.); to New York sirloin center cut (14oz. or 20oz.); Prime’s signature porterhouse (24oz or 36oz); roast prime rib of beef (Saturdays only); a 16oz Delmonico rib eye steak; Prime’s "Cowboy Steak" (23oz. bone in rib eye ); veal porterhouse (16oz.); and a duet of American lamb chops. And yes, the size of these pieces of meat are indeed prodigious.
I chose the New York Sirloin center cut and was dazzled by this classic T-bone steak’s flavor and tenderness. It needed no saucing, but at Prime, they take the extra step and provide several wonderful sauce options. I tried their intensely dark Burgundy demi-glace and their creamy garlic and herb butter sauce, and was hard put to say which did more to take my sirloin’s flavor to the next level. Both were perfect compliments to an already marvelous piece of meat.
Our other entrée was the duet of American lamb chops, and again, the intensity of the flavor will make it hard to go back to ordinary cuts of meat again. Just one of these chops would be a hearty meal. The lamb flavor was also intensified by the dipping sauces— especially Prime’s horseradish cream sauce.
The side dishes at Prime are anything but afterthoughts. We shared a huge bowl of light, crispy, golden onion strings and also some of their dark, smoky flavored roasted forest mushrooms. Both were perfectly focused flavors that went beautifully with our meats.
I’m not sure why you would order anything but red meat at Prime, but for those contrarians who wish to, there’s a nice selection of seafood dishes—borrowed I’m sure from Prime’s other impeccable twin restaurant just next door, The Oyster House.
For dessert we split a "Fuji Apple Gallete," which is a superlative, light and buttery crust laced with soft baked apple filling and topped with whipped cream.
I really can’t say enough about Providence Prime’s Executive Chef, Larry Solitro’s attention to detail and his focus on making this restaurant a true meat-lover’s paradise. There are no disappointments here and most things exceed expectations.
Appetizers and steak-house salads are $5.50 to $14.95; soups are $4.75 to $5.95. Selected entrées range from $18.95 to $24.95. A la carte steaks are $22.95 to $43.95. Sides are $3.95 to $6.95. Desserts are $5.50 to $8.50.
The wine list has a good by-the-glass selection and a wide range of bottles, especially Italian and Californian selections.
Providence Prime is casually upscale and accepts reservations at 454-8881. It’s wheelchair accessible and allows smoking in the bar area only. They’re open Mon-Thu 5 p.m. to midnight; Fri-Sat 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. There’s free valet or on-street parking.
Bob Mariani is a Southeastern New England freelance author. Besides his "Table for Two" restaurant reviews found here, he also writes jazz articles on allaboutjazz.com.
