The showy D.C. and Baltimore steakhouse chain has swanked up
a smashing space in the Warwick, with plush, leopard-print
carpet, onyx walls and a baby grand, all to attract an older
crowd hungering for the old days; huge portions of excellent,
traditional food (the signature prime rib can feed an army)
are served impeccably.
Soaring above the leopard-print carpeting, a gargantuan prime
rib made its way to our table in the clutch of a tuxedoed
waiter. Past plush banquettes crowned with urns of gorgeous
silk flowers. Past the reunion of heavily hair-sprayed ladies
waving forks and glittering knuckles. Past the deeply tanned
fellow with a golden oak-leaf necklace dangling from his turtleneck.
Past the countless starched collars and crisply pressed suits.
The
jazz combo struck up "Satin Doll" and the prime
rib landed gracefully before us, so prehistorically huge,
I sank a little deeper into our riveted black leather booth.
Just one thin slice of this 27-ounce mastadon chop was enough
to cover half a bread plate with a sheet of meat. It's steeped
in juices the faded pink hue of a fine, cellared Bordeaux,
with an intoxicating flavor nearly as complex.
The
rib seemed to stoke in my guest a ravenous hunger--an impulse
that carried over to dessert as he plundered our hot fudge
sundae with a long spoon and the privileged abandon of someone
who was King for the Day. This, of course, is the desired
effect of the supper-club steak-house experience--that old
fashioned sense of special occasion dining, where the jazz
combo effortlessly tolls out "Stardust" and the
black-tied servers pad about the dining room like silent sentries...
The
shiny black leather seats are comfortable, the tables are
well spaced for easy conversation, the live music of pianist
Kenneth Gates and bassist Jymie Merritt is classy, and the
courteous servers are eminently professional.
This
is also a drinker's haven, with tall, stiff cocktails, a wonderful
selection of single malt Scotches and after-dinner drinks,
and a very good wine list... it is a nice surprise to find
an entire page of interesting wines under $30 a bottle.
A
hefty tandem of grilled lamb chops were also tasty and tender...
and it made sense that the swordfish would be the most delicious
of the kitchen's fish selections, since it comes out as a
steak cut as thick as an anvil. It was light and flaky, though,
mild enough to shine with just a gently spritz of lemon. Best
to stick with the basics - like those perfectly pink slabs
of prime rib, which go into the oven as 15-pound spice-slathered
sides of beef, and emerge five hours later transformed into
one of the best reasons I can think to dabble in carnivorous
activities.
There
is nothing quite as satisfying as a proper side of silken
creamed spinach, with just enough bechamel to take the
roughage off the green, or a finish as mountainous
as a wedge of cinnamon-laced apple pie in a classic flaky
crust.
"The
sight of the The Prime Rib's prime rib is knee buckling; the
taste tops almost any cut of red meat I have encountered in
Philadelphia."
At
The Prime Rib, the ambiance is as dazzling as the food."
"You
can almost imagine yourselves as Nick and Nora Charles of
The Thin Man films, trading quips over dry martinis at The
Prime Rib. With its black walls trimmed in gold, its naughty
lithographs, its leopard-print rug and its tuxedoed maitre
d', this restaurant evokes an early forties Manhattan supper
club."
"The
Prime Rib is a rare combination. Usually diners have the choice
of a steakhouse or a glamorous setting, but here both are
offered."
"Remember your prom-night dinner? This is what it should
have been."
Blue
Ribbon Winner
"Dine in style with the best steakhouse salad in the
country, the best roast beef in the city, an imperial crab
that is the definitive version of our finest regional dish,
and a rare addition to a menu that has changed little over
the years -- Buzz Beler's splendid version of baked shrimp
stuffed with crab."
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