Everyone has their own personal favorite steak restaurant, but I have to admit that anytime someone suggests BLT Prime, I am sold. I have adored popovers since I was a little girl, and if I ate nothing else at BLT, I would be very happy simply eating a few of these scrumptious wonders. On the day that I visited the restaurant with some of the Manhattan Sideways team, I had the pleasure of introducing them to these puffy delights. There is a ceremony to consuming them, the general manager, Paul Molakides, told us - carefully break open the pastry, allowing the steam to escape, apply a pad of butter and liberally shake salt over the top. It pleased me to no end to watch the expression on Olivia and Tom's faces as they bit into their first popovers.
An outpost of the renowned BLT Steak/Fish/Burger/Bar&Grill restaurant franchise, BLT Prime, for everyone else, is all about the beef. Prime elevates traditional American steak and potato fare, and brings it to an upscale, downtown-atmosphere. The venue, covered with dark floors, zebra wood tables and large, circular pendant lights, is splendid. Paul was very proud of the décor: He described it as being “small, intimate, classic, yet with a modern touch.” Prime replaces the usual rustic steakhouse kitsch with a clever sense of humor: a picture of the Wall Street bull statue adorns the left wall as diners walk in and there is a large black and white board that lists the menu with changeable letters.
There are many different spaces within the restaurant: The main dining area occupies the first floor and a second dining room is located up the stairs, looming over the first through glass panels. Below ground there is a private event space, which has its own bar and a flat screen TV. As Paul so easily stated, "Prime has a place for everyone: it is such a neighborhood restaurant.” He went on to say that on many nights there are corporate people closing deals dining next to couples celebrating anniversaries.
Sitting down at the bar, we met Ali, the bartender, who demonstrated some of the bar’s signature drinks. Along with an impossibly pink cosmopolitan - of which Tom said, "I could drink this all day” - and a classic French Martini, Ali made Prime’s newest drink, called a Smoking Gun. With equal parts Woodford Reserve bourbon and Monkey Shoulder blended malt scotch, the cocktail is flavored with a touch of bitters and vermouth and garnished with an orange decorated with cloves.
Paul had members of the Sideways team sample some of the delicious offerings: the Hawaiian Kanpachi Crudo was a perfectly light and fresh complement to the flavorful ribeye with bone marrow and roasted garlic that chef Derek Styczek presented to us in a cast iron pan. A raw bar and selection of small salads top BLT’s mix-and-match-style menu, from which diners can choose different cuts of steak, nine sauces, and a dozen side dishes. True to form, six of these small plates are variations on the potato. I, on other occasions, had to order several of them, including Potato Gratin and Truffled Mashed Potatoes, which were perfection, as was the creamed spinach, another favorite of mine. BLT does offer a separate entrée menu – grilled fishes and roasted meats – but steak is clearly the go-to option at this award-winning eatery.
Having eaten at some of the other BLT restaurants in New York, I asked Paul if he interacted with any of them. He responded immediately saying that of course, he works with all of them: “We are a really big small company."