At Prima, steaks and spirit in a storied space
Where to: Prima in Charlestown.
Why: For Italian food in glammed-up steakhouse surroundings, in the old Olives space.
The backstory: Prima appeared on the scene quietly this summer, steered in part by culinary director and managing partner Nick Dixon (South Boston’s Capo, Hunter’s Kitchen & Bar, and Lincoln Tavern). Why the new neighborhood?
“It’s beautiful. It’s full of families and people who like to dine out — people who like drinking wine, who like good cocktails,” says Dixon, who came of age idealizing Olives.
He wants to create the same sense of place here, facing the park, steps from the Freedom Trail, wrapped in subway tile, with an open kitchen and big windows opening onto the street, adding to the buzz. People stop and stare; others take pictures of the cherry-red awnings. Is this Paris? I’m showing my Gen Xness here, but I was reminded of the opening credits from “The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd.” (Remember that show?)
“We’re huge fans of open kitchens, because we want chefs to be a part of the dining experience … and really make connections with people,” Dixon says. Beyond the bustle, there’s a darker, moodier space known as the Rose Room — “I like to describe it as dreamy and romantic,” Dixon says — with roses, fireplaces, red-tasseled chairs, and grape vines dangling from the ceiling. (The team gives tours when there’s time.) This sanctuary skews young: lots of twenty-somethings, lots of big bright cocktails, and even a few strollers in the aisles.
The food: “I’m a lover of shared steak plates. I like to eat some pasta, but then have a couple of slices of steak — but not have to fully commit,” Dixon says.
There’s also an in-house butchering program, and so: a dry-aged shareable porterhouse or Tomahawk steak showered in black truffles and goat cheese (both $130); a hulking veal chop parmesan blanketed in mozzarella, fit for three ($40); and filet mignon in gorgonzola sauce ($56). There’s also plenty of pasta, both classic and unusual. Try the handstretched picci, a thin, stretchy, Udon-esque noodle coated in a spicy, minty, creamy pepper sauce ($25); it has a nice crescendo of heat. A tangy complement: thinly shaved mushroom “carpaccio” with sharp shards of parmesan, rolled in brown butter crumbs ($18) — it’s Dixon’s favorite dish. Next time, I’ll sample something from the fresh mozzarella bar, visible from the dining room and stretched to order, like the Stracciatella with glazed figs ($16).
The drinks: Andrew Colgan (Charlestown’s Monument) mixes spritzes, martinis, and Negronis, bright and mellow, optimism in a glass ($14 and up). I tried a refreshing non-alcoholic Limo-nada (tart, sparkling Sicilian lemonade and mint), but not before I accidentally received a boozy Limoncello spritz. Not a big deal for me; I just had a headache and wanted to stay hydrated — but duly noted. (Our server quickly swapped it out and took it off the bill.) Also fun: orange wines by the glass; plenty of bubbles; and a fruity, summer-is-here Junglebird ($12) made with pineapple rum and Campari.
The takeaway: Youth, promise, and buzz in a dining room that has the spirit of a Parisian bistro.
10 City Square, Charlestown, 617-8047400, www.primaboston.com