hen the proverbial Steve Hanson/BR Guest group opens a restaurant, NYC pays attention. With such upscale success as Fiamma and Blue Water Grill, the foray into a steakhouse theme worthy of antiquity (specifically 1950’s NYC) is a welcome change to the seafood and Italian menus that the other restaurants possess. Recently making its Manhattan debut, Primehouse is yet another successful addition to the New York dining scene.

Immediately upon entering a feeling of modern elegance came over me; rest assured this is not your grandfather’s steakhouse. The dark stuffy rooms of yesteryear were replaced by illuminated limestone walls with a horizontal grain that appeared to extend to infinity. A black and white geometric décor was illustrated by a dark circular floor pattern that could speed up the process of intoxication after one too many cocktails, and dark upholstered leather booths are comfortable enough for your meal, but don’t encourage a sleepover. Far from the classic jazz or Sinatra tracks you might expect, funky lounge music emanated from the backdrop.

This bovine-friendly addition to the dining scene marks the return of Chef Jason Miller to his hometown of New York. Miller’s creative menu mixes traditional steakhouse fare with cutting edge contemporary dishes. This modern formula is evident throughout the menu, starting with the appetizers. The classic caesar salad is prepared tableside, as one would expect from NY steakhouses of yore, however the contrasting beet and goat cheese salad - a mixture of red and yellow beets, coach farm chevre, freisee, apples, and pistachios in a sweet black fig and balsamic glaze – employs ingredients that only 21st century produce can boast. The traditional jumbo lump crab cake was moist and flavorful but spiced with a hint of paprika for that needed kick, but also made bedfellows with the usual lemon wedge and garlic tartar sauce. If you prefer the utensil-free ease of slurping and sucking, an array of raw bar items are also featured on the menu.

Quality USDA prime beef cuts are sourced from partners at Creekstone Farms, Kentucky, and each piece of meat is dry aged on the Primehouse premises in their custom built Himalayan rock salt room. Upscale all the way. The friendly wait staff easily impressed us with their in-depth knowledge of the menu (surprising since the restaurant’s two-week debut), and assisted us in choosing two very different steak cuts.

The traditional style petit pas filet with bone in was cooked to perfection, tender and juicy and the lite aging process lended just the right amount of salty crust to it. I accompanied my steak with one of the many house made sauces, the tangy béarnaise. The hanger steak topped with chimichurri was also cooked to our specifications and contained a plethora of flavors ranging from parsley and oregano to lime and garlic. Although the flavors were huge, this dish was on the smaller side. If expense is not a factor, then peruse the a la carte menu that offers several inventive takes on traditional sides such as the creamed spinach with smoked essence and the homemade tower of onion rings; enormous onions battered in panko breadcrumbs and fried to a golden brown.