MIAMI GRUB: Prime One Twelve = Prime Heaven

GRUB 411:

• PRIME ONE TWELVE (official website): 112 Ocean Drive; Miami FL; (305) 532-8112
• TYPE: Steakhouse
• PRICE: $$$½
• QUICKVIEW: This is a Miami staple for me — whenever I visit, I make it a point to eat here.  Delicious assortment of surf & turf with OUTSTANDING, savory sides.
• SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

FULL REVIEW:

If someone were to ask me about what kind of eater I was, I would say, “CARNIVORE.”  It’s no secret that I love meat.  So Prime One Twelve speaks to my very culinary soul.

(My one thing, why not call it “Prime 112″…like the R&B group?  Peaches ‘n Cream, baby!)

Decor is warm and inviting but not overly male, like most steakhouses.  Waiters are all male, we noticed, but very friendly and knowledgeable.  Each table had 2 attendees per table, so service was top notch.

The main description for the food is SAVORY.  Well-seasoned, packed full of flavor.  It’s not that Prime One Twelve delves so much into contrasting flavor combinations — nothing is very complex, but everything is done well.

Portions are generous — sides definitely meant to share, in true steakhouse form.

Here’s the Menu:

• Appetizers, Soups & Raw Bar
• Featured App, Salads
• Prime Steaks; Chops, Racks & other meats; Sauces
• Chef’s Compositions
• Potatoes
• Accessories

And here’s a plate-by-plate of our meal (me + 3 dinnermates):

APPETIZERS:

• Bread Basket: Brown rolls were an onion pumpernickel.  The other was a heavenly cheddar cheese biscuit/roll.  It reminded me a little of Pao de Queijo, but with cheddar.  Delicious.

• Because the cheese bread deserved its own photo. THAT good.

• Tomato Basil Soup, with mini Fontina grilled cheese.  $13. Two of my friends split this.  Grilled cheese + tomato soup is really the ultimate Comfort Food meal.  This is that quintessential comfort meal combined to make one hearty appetizer.  They said it was rich, filling and the grilled cheese was just right.  SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• Pan Seared Diver Scallops w/ Slow Braised Short Ribs, truffle mash & Pinot Noir sauce.  $25. This was the featured app on the menu and it was delicious!  I don’t often encounter truffles in a seafood dish but in conjunction with the richness of the Pinot reduction, it balanced SO nicely.  Scallops were fresh, and the short ribs (SWOON!) were tender and perfectly braised.  I couldn’t have asked for anything more.  SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

ENTRÉES:

• Bone-In Rib Eye Steak (22 oz.) $56. For being such a foodie, I really like my meat cooked well.  (I know…what can I say?) That’s why I tend to like a more marbled meat.  I also love meat on the bone, just seems more flavorful to me.  This was a delicious piece of steak — but at the same time, it was JUST a piece of steak.  SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥½ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• Soy Marinated Chilean Sea Bass with Steamed Baby Bok Choy and Sweet Miso Sauce.  $38. I didn’t have this dish, but our friend said it was great!

• Five Cheese Truffle “Mac”.  $13. You know that me and @erinmccaffrey have an unhealthy obsession with All Things Truffles.  We saw Truffle Mac on the menu and came a-running.  This is a very serious thing I’m about to say: BEST TRUFFLE MAC ‘N CHEESE WE’VE EVER TASTED.  They nailed it on the cheese sauce: savory, salty, thick, gooey.  Truffle flavor: JUST RIGHT.  We experienced Truffle MAC Nirvana, ladies & gentlemen.  SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• Sautéed Broccoli Rabe, with Chilis & Lemon.  $13. After the Truffle Mac Triumph, I had really high expectations for our “veggie” side.  Unfortunately it was slightly overcooked, pretty oily and lacked a little flavor.  Because broccoli rabe is such a pungeant bitter green, I feel like its usual pairing of garlic is appropriate to offset the flavor sometimes.  It was missing SOMEthing, that’s for sure.  SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• Crispy White Truffle French Fries.  $12. The Truffle mania continued with these lovely fries. Unfortunately, nothing could touch the truffle-high of our Truffle Mac.  From a pure “french fries” perspective, the potatoes were beautifully cooked — very potato-y.  But the delicate white truffle flavor was not enough to make a mark on the fries.  You really needed the full black.  :\  SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

DESSERTS – Menu

• Fried Oreos w/ French Vanilla Ice Cream. $15. The first time I ever tried fried Oreos was at Prime One Twelve. I am a convert.  They are completely NOT what you expected: they are light, fluffy, not greasy, and not overly sweet.  SEOULDIVA SAYS:  ♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• Chocolate and Peanut Butter Smores w/ Vanilla Ice Cream.  $15. When we ordered, we weren’t expecting a small ramican filled with heavenly goodness that arrived at our table.  The marshmallow was perfectly bruléed…but underneath…was pure gluttony:

• There was a thick layer of graham crackers, on top of which there was peanut butter and chocolate fudginess.  Somewhere in there was the Vanilla Ice Cream…and then the fluffy cloud of marshmallow.  It was beyond delicious, but a little too sweet for my personal taste.  Everyone else loved it though.  SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥½ / ♥♥♥♥♥

Tags: Miami, Prime 112, Steakhouse