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HH Prime

Right out of the box, I will share that I am a sucker for a great steak. Steak is my thing. Apparently always has been. My dad used to tell me that as a child, I’d eat my steak and then finish anyone else’s at the dinner table. So no secret that all these years later, few things make me happier than a perfectly cut and cooked New York Strip. I’ve made it a point to eat at some of the best steakhouses in America. Yes, a good bit of them are in New York City, but I’ve had the pleasure of slicing into a nice piece of goodness from Miami to Seattle to Los Angeles and many spots in between. I just love them that much. So imagine my surprise when I get an invite to taste a newly developed menu at a steakhouse on Hilton Head Island. No shortage of eats on the island, so any chance to try a good meal is always welcome. A great steak? Doubly so.

Crab Cake HHI PrimeHH Prime inside the Omni Hotel on Hilton Head Island has rolled out a new menu and a new approach. You need to make a point to try this hidden gem.

I’d stayed at the Omni before. Very much enjoyed that stay, but it was a quick overnight. I didn’t really have time to have a drink on property, much less enjoy a meal, but upon entering this beautiful space right in the middle of the property, I wish I hadn’t waited so long to have a taste. There are a good bit of windows at this restaurant, all looking out on the hotel’s courtyard. The back of the bar, which sits in the middle? All glass as well. The view from the inside is wonderful. The pool is in the distance and if you arch your neck enough, maybe you can see the ocean. Regardless of whether you can see it or not, it’s there. A few hundred feet away. The beautiful beaches of Hilton Head Island. If that doesn’t get you out here, the food absolutely should.

My invitation to sample a few bites at HH Prime last month was met with tremendous excitement. I thought I’d meet the guys in the kitchen, have an informal chat, take a few bites of some dishes, and call it a day. I had no idea I’d be sitting down to a full blown four course meal, but I was glad I was. Of course I was, right?

Chef de Cuisine Jonas Bowman and Executive Sous Chef Scott Bodkin are the two guys behind these fantastic flavors. It’s a classic steakhouse, with a few Southern twists. Easy to do of course, when your background is in Louisville, Kentucky. You may not know it, but Louisville has a good bit of a foodie vibe going on there and these guys have brought some of that Southern magic to the Carolina coast.

For starters, there was the Apple Pie Salad. Yes, apple pie salad. Made with a perfectly flaky phyllo crust, aged Gouda, candied pecans, and a lip-smacking cinnamon apple vinaigrette. I’d never seen anything like that before. It was fabulous. We sampled a couple of different starters like their Jumbo Lump Crab Cake with dill mustard aioli, and “Steak and Egg” Carpaccio (quail egg, goat cheese, bacon, and béarnaise). All of it a welcome change from the shrimp cocktails and other traditional starters you find at a classic steakhouse. But on to the main event.

Ribeye HHI PrimeI saw the cut of beef while we were enjoying the starters and I had seen the menu. These are serious cuts they offer at HH Prime. You can do a 7 ounce Filet or you can swing for the fences with a 20 ounce bone-in Ribeye. Of course, within a couple of minutes, the Ribeye was sitting in front of me, perfectly cooked, basted with their special “beef butter, and every bite tender and delicious. As were the Yukon Gold Potatoes and the Truffle Parmesan French Fries.

I visited HH Prime for the food obviously, but what I was most impressed with was the approach to food by Chefs Jonas and Scott. It would be easy to take some great cuts of beef and surround it with some creamed spinach, potatoes, blue cheese crusts, Caesar salads, and call it a day. There are some places like Keens, Old Homestead or even Peter Luger than can get away with that. I enjoy that on occasion, but some of my favorite steakhouse experiences lately have been those like the Strip House, BOA in Los Angeles or Red in Miami that are taking some time to offer a steakhouse experience with some outside the box steakhouse flavors. HH Prime is absolutely in that category and very much worth a visit to Palmetto Dunes if you haven’t been out there lately. Just don’t let the guard gate spook you. You’ll be waved right in if you are headed to the resort for dinner. And you should be. I am absolutely looking forward to a return visit for a fabulous dinner with an equally fabulous view.

See you on TV.

Jesse

 

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