Charm, Not Macho, Adds to Village Prime's Steakhouse Appeal

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I don't usually use the word "charming" to describe an American steakhouse because most of them fall into one of three categories: the hyper-masculine, barebones place with grumpy, robotic waiters; the huge western saloon with steer's heads and several TV screens above the bar; and the new swanky Vegas-type restaurant with shapely hostesses and outrageous cocktail tabs.

But I will happily call Village Prime charming and consider its décor just about what it should be for a small steakhouse in West Greenwich Village, a neighborhood with few options in the genre. Seed Design Planning has gone for the look of a wine cellar, a little too dimly lit from exposed-filament bulbs; turning up the light just a tad would make for a more convivial ambience.



The 70-seat dining room and bar is done with unfinished wood and cow-hides, walnut tables, leather banquette seating and wild flower arrangements, rather like a log cabin. Beyond the dining room is the delightful garden, which seats 30, where my friends and I ate one beautiful July evening. You can be sure manager Kevin Wood will be at your beck and call throughout your visit.

Steakhouse menus seem immune to change everywhere, and it's no different at Village Prime, except that the meat portions are larger and the prices slightly lower than you'll find uptown. For instance, a 20-ounce Cowboy ribeye here runs $48; at Strip House $55, at Smith & Wollensky $56. Frankly, they must take a loss on the colossal lump crabmeat at $19, and the chilled seafood tower for two at $59 (for four $110) is generously piled with oysters, clams, shrimp, crabmeat and more. And the crab cake ($16) is nothing but lightly bound lump crab, not shreds of snow crab meat and bread filler.

Purists may gripe that the New England clam chowder ($12) is too thick with cream and binder, but it's a very delicious rendering, with plenty of clams in the buttery mix.

Village Prime's name tells you that they are serving dry, 21-day aged USDA Prime beef, and though I found it of good quality, it lacked some of the minerality I'd expected, and next time I'll asked for a better char on the outside. The porterhouse for two at $109 (for four $210) is an enormous amount of meat at 42 ounces, and though four of us did our best with that two-person portion, a good chunk was taken home. At a time when most other steakhouses are now offering a 14-ounce NY strip, Village Prime's is still an admirable 18 ounces ($48). We took some of that home, too.



There are a few more seafood selections than elsewhere, and I thought the yellow fin tuna crusted with wasabi, ($30) was a fine piece of flavorful fish enhanced by ginger soba noodles and baby boy choy. Why the menu bothers to list crispy tofu in a pepper broth ($22) is beyond me; it's like offering sliders at a sushi bar.



All the side dishes were first rate--whipped potatoes ($9), sweet caramelized onions ($9) and cream of spinach ($11).

When it comes to cheesecake, I don't know why some steakhouses bother to make their own. Junior's, served here ($10), and S&S have no competition from the city's patîssiers. Chocolate lava cake ($10) was also among the better ones I've had recently.

The wine list is commendable and more than adequate, if not in the big leagues found uptown.

On a midsummer night's evening, there was nowhere I'd rather be than on a quaint old street in the West Village, and dining out under the stars at Village Prime, where the noise of the city does not much intrude, makes this a new favorite and, for a couple, a romantic one.

VILLAGE PRIME
302 Bleecker Street (near Seventh Avenue)
Open for dinner nightly and brunch on weekends. -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.












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