Inside Prime & Providence: First Look/First Bites. Plus Five Things to Know.
Prime & Providence is set to shake things up on the high-end steakhouse scene. And their happy hour might soon be the hottest high-end happy hour in town.
Prime & Providence opens May 13. Last Thursday, I was invited into the new restaurant to learn about their happy hour; in doing so, I also got a sneak peek at the fully finished dining room and gleaned some overall insights. Of course, I snagged a menu, which I share below.
They’ll Offer a Doozy of a Happy Hour
And you can enjoy it at a table!
For happy hour at most high-end steak houses in town, you have to enjoy the specials at the bar or scramble for one of the few available tables. At P&P, you can enjoy the specials at the bar alright, but also in one of the pleasant booths and high-top tables in the lounge area. Happy Hour will run from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
While Iannarelli had not yet finalized the bar menu, he let me taste through a few highlights (disclosure: I was hosted for this private tasting).
For the bar burger, the grind is comprised of equal parts meat trimmings and grass-fed beef; it’s topped with fromage d’affinois (a soft-ripened double-cream) and a slather of thousand island. The slender, crisp, golden fries are judiciously sprinkled with Iannarelli’s take on the famed “secret seasoning” found on Dot’s Pretzels. Yes.
This fan of tinned fish smiled when she saw the cute presentation of tinned mussels—served hot in the tin and covered in cheese gratiné. I was even happier after I tasted the combo atop a fried saltine cracker that had been seasoned with Old Bay seafood seasoning.
Another highlight was Iannarelli’s take on the Greek salad, starring fresh globe artichokes (grilled, of course), with a supporting cast of Castelvetrano olives, arugula, red peppers and grilled red onions, all served atop roasted eggplant puree (his hearth-y take on baba ghanoush).
Yes, It’s All About the Hearth
As partner Cory Gourley showed me around, he pinpointed an interesting detail: when entering most restaurants, diners first encounter the bar/lounge area; however, at Prime & Providence (P&P) your eyes will immediately sweep the swanky-modern dining room, with Iowa’s largest restaurant grill as its focal point. There’s a reason for this.
“I just believe that that charcoal is best way to prepare most proteins,” Chef-Partner Dominic Iannarelli has told me. He also plans to take full advantage of the hearth for other foods (e.g., the globe artichokes shown above).
Grill-geeks can read more about P&P’s custom-made hearth (from famed Grills by Demant, in Atlanta) in Susan Stapleton’s recent story for The Des Moines Register.
I Don’t Think They’re Having Trouble Getting Good Help
Gourely told me that when management held an early staff orientation, senior management warned him to be prepared: in all likelihood, at least five or 10 new hires would be no-shows (such ghosting is a typical pattern in the industry).
For this meeting, however, 55 out of 55 attended (actually, 56 attended—one new hire brought a hopeful friend).
I was particularly excited to learn that industry veteran Lisa Battani (who’s worked at top-drawer venues such as Sage, Splash, Proudfoot & Bird, and Ruth’s Chris) has signed on as a floor captain. That makes me doubly glad—it’s great to hear Battani’s in the mix (she’s a true pro) and to know they’ll have dining room captains. It speaks to a true dedication to service.
Initial Thoughts on the Menu
If at any brief moment I was thinking that Prime & Providence would be just another Fleming’s/Ruth’s Chris kind of joint, this menu says otherwise. Sure, the Fred Flintstone-size cuts of prime meat are there, and you’ve got the classic embellishment options. All good to see. But where this menu especially takes off is in the sides (some classic, others well off the beaten path) and the dedicated raw bar.
Iannarelli has spent 20-ish years purveying oysters at Splash—he knows his way around the trade. Expect some seriously good raw bar action coming from this station. I can’t wait.
Prime & Providence
595 S 60th St., West Des Moines
Phone: (515) 644-6805
Reservations will be on Resy.
What I’ll Order on my First Visit to P&P
There’s another fascinating dish I tried that I haven’t mentioned above, and I’ll be ordering it on my first visit.
However, when I go in for a full review, it will be on my own dime (I only take freebies if it’s a press preview). It takes time and money to review high-end restaurants, and I need reader support to do so. So, as a “thank you” to those who support this newsletter, here’s a photo of that marvelous dish, plus some insight into what else I’ll be ordering.