If you’re walking northeast from the Boston Common along Tremont Street, you’ll probably spot KO Prime by the cow logo protruding from the brick edifice to your right. Linger outside, underneath that trademark cow, for a few minutes, as I did the evening of my visit, and you’ll see residents and tourists alike slowing their pace and peering at the menu posted outside the establishment. “I hear this place is supposed to be really good,” I heard one passerby say to a group. “This place is for high rollers,” laughed another.
As it turns out, both are correct. Attached to the stylish Nine Zero Hotel, KO Prime, opened three years ago by James Beard award-winning chef Ken Oringer and helmed by executive chef Josh Buehler, is a chic, sexy American steakhouse. The restaurant’s fusion of upscale ingredients and bold takes on classic recipes make for revelatory – and, in many cases, expensive—dishes. But don’t assume that the restaurant is out of your reach, as there are regular early-evening discounts on food and drinks in the bar. So come for the after-work nibbles or come for the blowout entrees. Basically, just come – because this is culinary craftsmanship you don’t want to miss.
“The steaks are amazing, but our other entrees are awesome too,” said Mark Spence, the restaurant’s assistant general manager and sometimes-sommelier. “The chicken is big enough to feed an army. The snapper’s a favorite of mine. And people come just for the short rib macaroni and cheese.”
Now that your dining mind is made up, step off the Freedom Trail (the historic Granary Burying Ground is right across the street), pass underneath that cow and ascend the brushed-stainless steel staircase to enter into KO Prime’s sexy, dimly lit den. Overhead apertures, orange and ovular, cast an ethereal glow. On your right is an ultra-modern white bar backed by frosted glass, surrounded by comfy, stuffed chairs that invite lingering and small plate-sharing. In the divided dining room, the walls and furniture are seductive shades of brown and red, and dark-wood tables and padded banquettes are accented by throw pillows, chairs and other décor with leathery textures and cow prints, reminding you that, even in so classy an establishment, one of your first questions to your waiter probably ought to be, “Where’s the beef?”
KO Prime’s bar is alluring on its own, but a quick peek at the cocktail menu makes it that much better. The menu is separated into three sections: A taste of the past, a taste of the present and a taste of things to come. As such, there are historic-themed conconctions like the Boston Tea Party (Clement Rhum Creole Shrubb liqueur, chai tea and lime juice served chilled in a teacup, $10); modern drinks like the Temptation (Finlandia vodka, Pimms No. 1 gin, apple juice, mint and ginger ale, $10) and futuristic cocktails like the Boston Garden (Woodford Reserve bourbon, Tawny port wine, cherry and mint syrup, $14) and the Green Tea Calamansi Gimlet (Hangar One kaffir lime vodka, calamansi citrus juice, lime juice, ginger and green tea, a whopping $18). These latter two are billed as “liquid-nitrogen cocktails,” a stunning presentation that chills the drink without diluting the alcohol or the flavor and gives off the appearance of puffs of smoke emanating from the frosted glass. We all ought to receive belated chemistry credits just for imbibing this frothy libation.
Of course, this is a steakhouse, so its wine list is stellar. On our visit, Spence introduced us to several varietals paired with our dinner orders, which will be discussed below.
Our first amuse bouche of the evening did exactly what it was intended to do: Upped our anticipation for the rest of the meal to stratospheric levels. How can you not fall in love with a teacup-sized portion of velvety corn soup, laced with mascarpone cheese and toasted pistchios, that packs more flavors than full quarts of soup manage to do at some lesser restaurants? The creamy, pale yellow concoction was absolutely heavenly, and probably would have been a perfect accompaniment to the hearty breads in the bread basket – if I had let it last that long. Paired with the soup, we had a glass of cava, a fine, sparkly wine the color of a light rosé with a fruity, crisp finish.
At this point, we couldn’t resist the call of the wild any longer: Our Kobe beef tartare ($14) hardly hit the table before our forks cleaved its silky surface. The meat, finely chopped and blended with spices and oils so it can achieve that double take-worthy creaminess, was crowned with a deep-fried quail egg that we cracked open, allowing the soft yolk to run over the beef. The dish also came with a roasted jalapeno aioli, speckled with bacon, to fold into the beef as well. “It’s as spicy as you want it – and you can use the lime to cool it down,” our wonderful waitress, Melissa, explained. There was also a small bowl of crispy fried tortilla strips, providing a satisfying crunch. All told, it was addictively good: Even knowing full well that other appetizers, an entrée and dessert still awaited me, I polished the dish off, leaving nary a bacon crumble in sight.
The shrimp cocktail, ceviche-style ($17) was more cocktail than traditional ceviche, arriving in a tall glass bowl, on ice, and garnished with slivers of onions, red pepers, chives and orange zest. The five gigantic, tail-on shrimp were bathed in a barbecue-like glaze, the subtleties of which escaped me at first (perhaps my palate was still processing the beef tartare). But, on second taste, the sauce struck me as far more nuanced, piquant and infused with orange zest flavors. My sole complaint: A disappointing dearth of avocado, which had been listed in the menu description and helped sell me on the dish. There were some small green cubes but not nearly enough for an avocado junkie like me. But the Latin flavor shone through thanks to the four large slices of fried green plantains, also known as tostones (as opposed to the sweet variety, called maduros) that rimmed the edge of the plate.
We enjoyed these two appetizers with a wine intended to complement their spiciness. The pinot gris, from J Vineyards & Winery in California, was a medium-yellow color with floral, green grape and pear aromas and a lingering aftertaste.
Two off-menu appetizers that made their way to our table had me asking whether they’d be into the regular rotation anytime soon. The thin-sliced lamb carpaccio, sprinkled with cracked pepper and capped with arugula leaves, topped a crusty baguette steeped in red pepper coulis and bordered by crumbled feta cheese. The savory lamb meat was beyond delectable – I had to intercept my dining companion’s fork before he devoured it all!! The flavors were all bold – feta, in particular, occasionally overpowers other elements in a dish – but in this case, the team effort was unbeatable.
Then, there were the black mission figs—teardrop-shaped with thin black skin and a deep red flesh — stuffed with blue cheese, speckled with crushed hazelnuts and draped in thin, curling layers of dry-cured prosciutto. There was even a pretty pink petal punctuating the petite pillar, picking up on the wine-red color of the huckleberry coulis underneath the picture-perfect creation. These earthy treats, ideal during the fall harvest season, were soft, warm and soothing, with a nice, compact wrap. Like a sushi roll, you could pop the whole thing into your mouth at once and savor the flavors together.
With these latter two appetizers, we drank the Acrobat 2009 pinot noir from King Estate in Oregon, which the restaurant serves by the glass. Spence told us it would enhance but not overwhelm the food, and he was right on. Its berry notes, tempered by some smoky tendrils, made it a mellow, smooth partner.
We’re not done: The appetizer portion of the meal wound down with another little amuse bouche, a guzzle-worthy glass of homemade spiced pumpkin soda. Chef Buehler delivered the drink to us personally, and explained that it wasn’t topped with any old foam, but bubbly crème fraiche. It was further accented with an apple-slice garnish and a scattering of candied pistachios around the base of the glass. The soda’s deep cinnamon and nutmeg flavors were perfect for fall, but it’s a crime that this sweet, sparkly treat isn’t sold in stories all year round. Melissa, our waitress, explained that the restaurant’s soda flavors change with the seasons, so come by sooner rather than later for this pumpkin-scented dream, and start fantasizing about the concoctions Buehler will deliver this winter and beyond!
Could KO Prime’s entrees live up to the appetizers? You better believe it. We almost melted into the super-tender 10 oz. filet mignon ($44), beautifully charred, nicely seasoned and crested with chimichurri, a spicy South American condiment containing red onion, parsley, oil and a blend of spices. The side of creamed spinach whipped with mascarpone ($8) made good on its reputation as a steakhouse staple. And the braised short rib macaroni and cheese ($11) — browned on top and loaded with penne pasta, rich meat and, of course, cheese — proved why it’s available as an entrée in its own right. My dining companion loved the steak – said his knife sank right through it – but admitted that the mac ‘n’ cheese made him just as happy.
Wishing to see how KO Prime handled an entrée other than steak, we also ordered the red snapper with lobster ($30). There were so many delicious elements to this dish, any of which could have stood on its own! The cream sauce, which served as the base for succulent lobster chunks, assumed the scent and taste of the pea tendrils scattered throughout – I didn’t even need to recheck the menu to know what I was tasting. The ravioli were divine, soft pillows exploding with ricotta cheese and plump corn kernels. The dish’s crowning glory, a well-sized portion of browned, spiced snapper, was perfectly prepared, flaking easily and combining gloriously with the pea-flavored bisque.
It probably wasn’t easy to find a wine that would match both of these entrees, but Spence pulled it off with the 2007 St. Francis Old Vines Zinfandel. Hailing from Sonoma, the deep red relied on heavy, dark fruit notes and a toasty, spicy finish to satisfy our palates.
To keep those palates cleansed, an oval scoop of house-made pineapple sorbet arrived at the table, dotted with tiny pineapple chunks and set off by a single blueberry. It was very sweet, creamy and fresh, and while I usually prefer ice cream or frozen yogurt to sorbet, KO Prime’s version might change my mind.
At the behest of my dining companion – a big Sam Adams fan who probably never expected to see his favorite brew on the dessert menu – we ordered the Sam Adams float ($10). A triple-level pumpkin cake layered with whipped mascarpone was topped with a scoop of brown sugar and bourbon ice cream, made in-house, with a line of crumbled sugared pecans on the side. On another plate, chewy oatmeal cookies were baked with a blend of autumnal spices. Then, in a nearby glass, there was a tall, cold, frothy beer. The interplay between the three elements – forkful of cake, mouthful of cookie, swig of Sam – was well thought-out and a superb (not to mention alcohol-soaked) end to our meal.
Well, not quite the end. There was one last treat: A chocolate yuzo truffle. The rich chocolate square had decadence written all over it. The yuzo is a Japanese citrus fruit, the tartness of which really came through, reminding us, one more time, of the restaurant’s unwavering commitment to taking culinary risks that leave satiated customers hungering to return.
Assessment
Those passersby on Tremont Street weren’t kidding: KO Prime is absolutely divine, and certainly belongs in the discussion of the best steakhouse in the city. While the menu is pricey – and it’s no surprise, given the quality ingredients and swanky atmosphere – this restaurant isn’t for high rollers only. If a full dinner stretches your budget too far, visit the bar in the early evening and split some small plates with friends. If you can afford the splurge, this is an impressive spot in a prime downtown location perfect for special occasions. Of course, my start-to-finish fantastic meal already has me plotting a return visit – no special occasion necessary.
KO Prime
Address: 90 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02108
Phone: 617.772.0202
Website: http://www.koprimeboston.com
