BLT Prime

My wife and I were craving a great big steak last night. The only requirement of my wife was that it be walking distance as we'd both been tired from a long weekend of activities.

BLT Prime was our first and really only choice. Wolfgang's has some pedigree and for a brief moment was considered, but it was too stereotypical an atmosphere. And this is one area that BLT Prime really works - it's a steakhouse in the sense that it serves steaks and has a fare amount of masculinity in its appearance but it doesn't look dated, typical or for that matter - too-steakhouse-like (i.e, missing the gruff service, boring side plates, wood paneling, etc.). The tables, for example, were made of beautiful, polished wood and the booth backs were suede - masculine but stylish.

We went fairly simple this evening, skipping any appetizers to go right to the main event: the "BLT cut" double sirloin for two. We ordered it medium rare and got a side of the braised carrots, the french fries, and a trio of mustards.

Before I get into the details of the main course, I should mention that we were served an amuse of chicken liver pate served warm in a glass jar and toast. Holy cow was this excellent. Slightly grainy and not all that pleasant to look at, but it tasted wonderful.

We were also served popovers (a favorite of many) with butter and sea salt. These were as good as they've been touted elsewhere. A little doughy in the middle, but really, really good.

Back to the beef. It had an excellent char with a fair amount of saltiness to it. Though we asked for medium rare, there was a patch of truly rare meat. It was slightly undercooked, but in this case it was fine...and we were starving. It probably wasn't the best steak I've ever had, but it definitely had excellent marbling and satisfied the craving to a tee. The trio of mustards (one was a typical dijon, the other tasted like a tarragon dijon and the third, a grainy, reddish mustard was very tasty though I can't figure out the flavor) added a nice touch to the meat and more importantly, the fries which were very good but not great.

The braised carrots on the other hand were phenomenal. I'd recommend these in a heartbeat. Expect a sweet take on this vegetable.

To finish, we were given chocolate chip petit fours that were warm and oozing chocolate. An excellent way to wrap up the meal without going overboard with dessert.

Service was very good, though it slowed down considerably toward the end of our meal. Our waiter disappeared for a good ten minutes, delaying our ability to get the check and get home. The steak was big, and so I was able to have some of the leftovers for lunch today. The smell of it reheating in the office kitchen got my colleagues to salivate and inquire about what it was/where it came from.

If you want a good steak, with great sides, good service in a pleasant/not stodgy steakhouse setting - definitely consider BLT Prime.