Ocean
Prime – Atlanta’s fresh take on seafood and steak –
adds a splash of casual elegance to the heart of Buckhead. This latest addition to
the nationally-acclaimed family of Cameron Mitchell Restaurants boasts the same
superb service and decadent dishes found throughout the collection – yet you’d
never guess it’s part of a chain. Pairing the freshest seafood and finest
steaks with a from-scratch menu, the quality cuisine and creative cocktails make
this one of the best meals in town.
Boasting “simple,
pure and regional flavors,” Ocean Prime’s namesake seafood
is selected daily, delicately seasoned then seared to perfection. My favorite
fish dish was the season’s special: Blackened
Snapper dusted with the house seasoning, topped with a jalapeño corn tartar
and plated with tender spinach – spicy, palate-pleasing and oh so flaky! If you’re
wanting for a heartier dish, try the tender, chargrilled Ribeye and a la carte sides (the jalapeño au gratin potatoes and caramelized
brussels sprouts are delicious!) My other recommendations include the
mouthwatering Surf ‘n Turf appetizer –
buttery seared scallops topped with flaky, slow braised short ribs – and the decadent
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie – a sinful,
sharable confection of whipped peanut butter mouse coated in a bittersweet chocolate
ganache.
Still unsure
of where to start, given such a sumptuous
dinner selection? Make a meal of Executive Chef Jason
Shelley’s top-selling creations:
- Libation: the Berries
and Bubbles, a vodka-based sipper, is cooled by a splash of dry ice
and tickles your taste buds with bubbles and a berry-scented sweetness.
- Teaser: the tender Ahi Tuna Tartar and avocado slices plated with a spicy-sweet
ginger ponzu.
- Starter: the House
Salad is a crisp, refreshing blend of spinach and romaine lettuce,
tossed with tart apple slices, goat cheese and caramelized walnuts then
drizzled with a sherry mustard vinaigrette.
- Entrée: the flakey Chilean Sea Bass is lightly seasoned and seared, then plated
with whipped potatoes and topped with a savory champagne truffle sauce.
- Dessert:
the Ten Layer Carrot Cake is a
succulent, sweet treat swiped with a citrus cream cheese icing and
drizzled with pineapple syrup.
First and
foremost, however, you gotta pick your potion. The dining room offers a view of
the 240-bottle
wine list (a Wine Spectator winner, three years and running.) As for the
cocktails, each are infused with Prohibition-era pizazz and mixed tableside,
adding an unexpected flair to the already stellar service. My favorite was the
Whiskey Clover, a fragrant concoction of Gentleman’s Jack shaken with honey
water and a splash of lemon juice.
A perfect
fit for Atlanta’s fascination with art of dining, Ocean Prime
seamlessly blends boutique tastes with the heirloom hospitality of days gone
by. Inside, the masculine mainstays of quilted leather, chiseled stone and rich
woods are tempered with rosy lighting, white linen service and the supple
curvature of hand-blown glass – all nods to the feminine influence typically
missing from a steakhouse. Combined with live piano music, wrap-around bar and
cozy firepits, this supper club offers a fabulous, lounge-like atmosphere that’s
at once welcoming and aloof.
Put simply,
I’m headed back – and soon!
P.S. Make
reservations online and be sure to ask for Morgan. A master mixer and conversationalist,
her conspiratorial grin and infectious laugh will have you lingering for “maybe
just one more round.”
