Phantom Gourmet: Ocean Prime On Boston's Waterfront

BOSTON - A shellfish tower that smokes before your eyes, and cocktails that do the same; a 10-tiered slice of carrot cake; the fanciest drawn butter Phantom has ever seen. At Ocean Prime, the food is a feast for your eyes and your stomach.

Part luxury steakhouse, part upscale seafood restaurant, Ocean Prime has over a dozen locations from Beverly Hills to Phoenix, and they now have a new location in Boston's waterfront district.

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"It's a modern American restaurant. It's fun. It's electric. It's a vibrant atmosphere. It's just a place built for all kinds of special occasions," said General Manager Nick Foley. "We have all kinds of steak options. We have 11 composed seafood dishes. We offer sushi. We're built for everything."

Nick has worked in some of Boston's finest restaurants, so he feels right at home taking care the movers and shakers.

"It's definitely a formal environment, but it's meant to be social. It's just an electric atmosphere. You walk through the restaurant, and there's just a buzz."

Every Ocean Prime experience should start out with one of their Smoking Shellfish Towers. This three tiered appetizer features levels of fresh shucked oysters, lobster, king crab and cocktail shrimp in a sensational display of seafood that has customers mesmerized.

"You'll see a smoking tower come through the dining room, and everybody just turns and looks and wants to know what it is," Nick said. "We have east and west coast oysters. We have a Dutch Harbor king crab on there, jumbo shrimp."

From there, order some of Ocean Prime's creamy, dreamy Lobster Bisque, poured right before your eyes.

"We do a table side pour, over a corn fritter and lobster in the bowl. It's definitely interactive, and guests seem to love it."

Other starters include a playful spin on Surf and Turf.

"We do a seared sea scallop and a slow braised short rib, over a bed of mash, with our cab jus. It's delicious, and it's not too heavy," Nick described. "It's just the right size as an appetizer."

There are several lobster dishes lining the menu, like the Shellfish Cobb Salad loaded up with chunks of lobster meat, shrimp, bacon and blue cheese. Then there's the classic broiled Twin Lobster Tails served simply with asparagus and drawn butter that's kept warm with the help of a candle.

While seafood lovers will be satisfied with entrees like the Sea Bass served over whipped potatoes in champagne truffle sauce, this is Ocean Prime, as in prime beef, so steaks are most definitely king, like the ultra-tender eight ounce filet mignon, served with a flavorful bleu cheese crust. For an over the top steak, get the 16 ounce bone-in Kansas City strip, served Oscar style.

"It's aged for about 28 days. Then the Oscar style, it's a very common preparation, just jumbo lump crab and béarnaise sauce. It's a perfect way to enjoy your steak," Nick explained.

What would steak be without potatoes? So at Ocean Prime, there are seven types of spuds to choose from.

"Everyone loves potatoes, so why limit the options when you come to the restaurant? We have the jalapeno au gratin, roasted garlic mash, we do the parmesan truffle fries, loaded baked potato, twice baked, creamy whipped potatoes, and finally the lobster mash potato as well."

If that's no enough carbs for you, sink your spoon into the Baked Truffle Mac and Cheese. Nick has no problem with over-indulgence.

"The guests will normally say, 'I've got to have a starch and a green, but is it okay if I have two starches or three?' The answer is always yes."

When your server asks if you'd like to see a dessert menu, you should also answer in the affirmative, and get the towering ten layer carrot cake.

"Ten layers of carrot cake with cream cheese, and a cream cheese icing. It's my favorite dessert," Nick confirmed. "Comes with a pineapple coulis, and it's unbelievable."

Or, you might want to opt for the equally appealing and outrageously delicious Baked Alaska.

"The Baked Alaska is a pound cake. It comes with three different kinds of ice cream, chocolate strawberry, vanilla. It's a hearty dish. When the Baked Alaska gets to the table, it's probably our biggest dessert, so everyone's first impression is, 'Holy smokes, how am I going to finish that?'"

You can find Ocean Prime at 140 Seaport Boulevard in Boston, and online at ocean-prime.com.

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