Tres chic boutique redux

Saturday night I met my friend Todd and his beau Jeffrey over at the recently opened Primehouse Steakhouse at the James Hotel. I was excited to be going there as I thought maybe it would have the vibe of an exclusive space that only these types of places deliver.

The hostess originally sat the three of us in an more than ample banquette facing the street. Jeffrey later commented that he thought possibly his could have been because we were three attractive men. Which was true and people are drawn to beauty right?

The banquette was humorous as it wasn't designed for a small group and the view from the window was of a green Marshalls awning, which brought the vibe down a lot. Some type of window treatment to obscure his would not have been a bad thing.

I don't know if the restaurant space is not complete yet as there was a wall of bamboo trees against the far wall which did compliment the golden hued rice paper adorning the walls. Unfortunately the rest of the space was stark. This was not a minimalist kind of stark mind you,
but the kind of generic feel that accompanies the multitude of conference rooms that larger hotels have and outfit with chairs and tables for wedding parties or corporate events. The room's low ceiling, somewhat unsubtle lighting was a contributing factor too.

The food and the company were quite good. Although I was a bit surprised by their rather underwhelming dessert menu. A cheesecake lollipop tree, donuts or a plate of warm cookies? I came to eat a steak, not have a story read to me and a nap on a mat afterward.

Primehouse’s claim to fame is prime beef that is dry aged in their own “salt caves” located in the basement of the hotel.Our server was attentive and polite and when we left, the manager and hostess asked if we had enjoyed our meal.

I certainly don't mean to be a snob, but I think I was expecting a bit more atmosphere other than red leather table covers. They have only been open few weeks so certainly there is room for improvement.