10 Steak & Sushi
55 Pine Street
Providence
by Bob Mariani
Providence’s 10 Steak & Sushi is such a unique place in just about every way that new analogies keep springing to mind. In my original review over a year ago, I described it as "an amusement park for your taste buds". This time it struck me as a kind of culinary circus with its flamboyantly sexy wall sconces, its neon lighting, hot salsa sound track, and over-the-top menu items.
In addition to a hefty wine list of "redheads" and "blonds," the wittily written list of special cocktails features items like the Kryptonite Mojito, the Clean Shaven Cosmo, the Love at First Bite, and the Brazilian Panty Dropper.
For starters this night, I was hard pressed to choose from such delicacies as lobster rangoons with apricot dipping sauce ($11.95); littlenecks ($9) or oysters on the half shell ($13.95); or Maine crab cakes with tartar sauce ($11.95)— as well as an extensive selection of nigiri, sashimi and sushi rolls. I finally settled on the Tuna Cerviche ($11.95). The slippery little pink pearls of raw tuna were served in an open coconut shell and seasoned with a very delicate blend of lemon grass, cilantro and ginger juice— a fascinating mixture that kept changing nuance as you ate it.
I, for one, have become a bit bored with the usual architectural presentations in which food is stacked and balanced on plates in curious but arbitrary arrangements. But at 10 there’s always a visual connection or sight gag between the presentation and the dish itself. My wife’s corn crusted calamari ($9.95), for instance, was served in a white cardboard, fast food type take-out box that artfully spilled out its contents onto the plate as if someone had just knocked it over. The squid rings were perfectly cooked, crispy crusted on the outside and soft and chewy inside with a mild dressing.
My wife’s entrée was a grilled swordfish steak ($26.95) topped with a deep, dark red puttenesca sauce spiced with capers and black olives— a perfect complement to the mildly sweet swordfish taste. I had the urge for some red meat, an urge which was more than satisfied when my USDA Prime, 12oz. filet mignon ($30.95) arrived cooked perfectly medium rare. The piece of meat was the size of a softball and tender all the way through. It came with a delicious and not-too-heavy béarnaise sauce.
And in case you doubted that there’s actually an audience for this sort of self-indulgence, check out 10’s wall of fame plaques in the doorway as you leave or enter. The names inscribed here are of those voracious souls who were actually able to consume one the restaurant’s signature 24oz. Porterhouse steaks.
There are 10 side dishes available at 10 (the word- play never stops here) and from that delectable list we chose the steamed fresh broccoli with Hollandaise sauce ($6) and a plate piled high (and I’m talkin’ high) with deep-fried onion rings. Either dish would be enough a small army to snack on.
Some of the other dishes listed under 10’s "Entrée s We Love" section are the Grilled Meatloaf with three-onion demi glace ($21.95); the sliced Tenderloin in a mushroom-wine sauce, with gorgonzola potato cake and grilled asparagus ($26.95); and the Double Chicken Breast with crisp shallots, smashed potatoes and stir-fried spinach ($19.95).
In the Sushi department, 10 offers a tremendous selection including sampling dishes for beginners that will ease them into the raw fish thing. I can’t imagine a better place to learn about all the marvelous Asian combinations.
Given the size of the entrée portions here, the phrase "leave some room for dessert" is well worth heeding. The dessert menu itself comes with a pair of 3-D glasses to convey some idea of the heft and size of the offerings here. I chose the relatively diminutive Coffee and Donuts ($8.50), a half-dozen mini donuts fresh from the fryer and accompanied by a coffee cup full of luscious coffee ice cream.
The waiter smiled to himself when my wife ordered "Cheryl’s Wedding Cake" ($14), an item that changes daily but is always notoriously huge. This night it was a two-foot high (I’m not exaggerating) slab of chocolate layer cake with a coffee icing. To say that anything this large seemed "light" is almost a contradiction in terms, but in fact, this was a very light creation and not too sweet. This is a good thing to order next time you take 10 friends out for an after-dinner treat.
10 is open Monday through Thursday from 11:30am to 10pm; Friday and Saturday from 11:30am to 11pm, and Sunday from 5pm to 11pm. For more information call (401) 453-2333 or visit their
website.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.
