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Ten Prime Steak and Sushi

John Elkhay has always put design front and center in his restaurants (XO, Big Fish and Citron rounding out the Providence Four), and Ten is no exception. Twinkling stars covered by sheer scrims, bass-driven music and a crowd that almost never surpasses age forty, all make Ten a steakhouse that stands out. (This in addition to the bevy of naked female figures gracing the walls.) The business crowd still frequents the bar, but couples and friends on the town fill the fifty-odd seats and intimate sushi counter.

The attraction of the restaurant is multidimensional. The atmosphere has an undeniable allure (if you shy away from sedate). The menu is simultaneously unconventional and quintessentially twenty-first century American. Ten also has something more in store: it’s a restaurant and lounge meant to commemorate the end of a long work day. Exhibit one: the menu. Food offerings are printed on the exterior, while the three-way fold opens to reveal its precious cargo of wines (more than 150 of them). Women might want to peruse the list with a sense of humor because the obsession with the feminine physique is in full swing here. White wines are classified as easy, voluptuous or svelte blondes and reds as hot blooded, big busty or crazy, mixed-up red-heads. Politically correct is clearly not high on Elkhay’s priority list.

If the list doesn’t offend, an impressive meal lies ahead. Shrimp cocktail may be easy to prepare, but it’s just as easy to ruin, and Ten’s is spectacular. Gargantuan, firm shrimp are served with a homemade cocktail sauce (heavy on the horseradish) that won’t satiate your appetite as much as jumpstart it. Sushi platters are dramatic and innovative, featuring standard tuna and yellowtail as well as seaweed-wrapped sirloin and lobster. A special of toro (fatty tuna) in citrus-soy sauce with a dice of bell peppers is as simple and delicious as the restaurant’s grill selection.

There are several steakhouses set to open, but Ten can rightfully rest on its laurels. The house sirloin, aged for at least five weeks, has the right balance of flavor and firmness with a mouthwatering char that supersedes even the interior of the steak. It’s a manly (as in cave-manly) piece of meat that doesn’t need sauce, though bearnaise, red wine and peppercorn are available. For the barely red meat eaters, a grilled veal chop with arugula and parmesan adds a dash of Italy to an American experience.

Steaks and chops are served a la carte, and one shouldn’t forgo Chef Nick Rabar’s side dishes. Mounds of macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and Madeira-roasted mushrooms round out a superlative steak, but the cheddar tater tots (deep-fried balls of cheesy mashed potatoes) are an indulgent masterpiece.

Desserts are the final culmination of this design extravaganza. The menu comes with 3-D glasses for an in-your-face view of the offerings, almost all of which are plated to serve half the incoming freshmen in Providence. Made-to-order donuts are crunchy on their own and delectable dunked in espresso ice cream, or opt for the more standard creme brulee or chocolate souffle. Prepare for a shock if you choose Cheryl’s Wedding Cake. At $14, you’d expect a multitiered confection, but this is eight full layers of chocolate cake covered in mocha buttercream. It may be embarrassing to sit next to, but it’s right in line with the restaurant’s identity: an offering as grand in appearance as it is in flavor.

Ten Prime Steak and Sushi -
55 Pine Street, 453-2333,
www.tenprimesteakandsushi.com
Years in Business: 5
Chef: Nicholas Rabar, Executive Chef; Sean McCabe, Chef de Cuisine
Cuisine: Nouveau Surf & Turf
Dinner for Two: $175
Get: Steak and sushi, of course! And plenty of tater tots…
Don’t get: Chicken. You’ve had too much to drink if you’re ordering it here.