Publication Date: Friday, June 17, 2005
Prime prices
Prime prices
(June 17, 2005) Henry' s Prime Steakhouse serves up expensive yet tasty dishes
by Dale F. Bentson
The owners of Henry's Prime Steakhouse have decided to reinvent their business, segueing from fish to red meat.
The Menlo Park steakhouse opened last November in the space formerly occupied by Bluewater Grill. The interior has been done over and enhanced. White enameled walls, contemporary art and handsome carpeting separate three serene dining areas from the cozy bar and open kitchen.
Tables have been spaced to ensure intelligible table conversation without shouting. White tablecloths, sparkling wine glasses and wood-handled steak knives adorn inviting tables. It is a polished improvement without being pretentious.
The menu is reminiscent of old time steak- and chophouses in New York, Detroit and Chicago with big slabs of meat, huge salads and side dishes intended for sharing.
Yet, there is a Jekyll-and-Hyde quality to Henry's that is vexing. On a Tuesday visit the service was so amateurish that I nearly burst out laughing at one point and was ready to lecture the server on another occasion.
When I am at least twice the age of the waiter I do not take pleasure in being referred to as "guys." "How you guys doin' tonight?" "Anything from the bar, guys?" "Ya wanna order somethin', guys?" I expect that kind of familiarity at Chevy's or Chili's, but certainly not from an ostensibly upscale eatery. "Sir" and "Madam" -- even "folks" -- are appropriate forms of address. It was not intentional rudeness, rather a lack of training in dining room etiquette.
On a Thursday visit, the service was good; on Saturday it was excellent. One evening the white wine was way too cold. Air conditioning blew unpleasant currents of chilled air over our table, which contrasted from a previous visit when the room was unpleasantly warm and the red wine even warmer.
All this might not matter, except that the prices at Henry's are stratospheric. One dinner for two -- appetizers, the two least expensive steaks, one shared side dish, a bottle of pinot noir and no dessert -- still set me back $150 before tip. For that kind of pricing my expectation level is considerable.
For starters, the prawn cocktail ($13) consisted of five, wonderfully meaty jumbo crustaceans -- the kind they used to serve at country clubs when you were a kid. Seared ahi ($12) was excellent, accompanied with avocado horseradish sauce. Deep-fried calamari ($10) was fresh, delicate and served with a slightly tangy chipotle remoulade dipping sauce.
Chopped salad ($7) was a perfect combination of lettuce, hard-boiled egg, tomatoes and avocado cast in house-made mayonnaise. The wedge of iceberg lettuce ($7) topped with Maytag blue cheese dressing offered no surprises.
Henry's beef is excellent. All certified U.S.D.A prime, the grain-fed beef is aged up to 28 days. The kitchen features a special broiler that sears meat at 1,800 degrees, sealing in juices and flavor.
The 22 oz. bone-in rib eye ($36) was buttery tender, juicy and large enough to take half home. It was a magnificent steak. A 10 oz. top sirloin ($22) was first-rate, albeit overcooked from what I ordered.
Sadly, the petit cut filet ($28 ) was not browned, had no fat and possessed little flavor. Inexplicably, two hours after opening on a Saturday night, Henry's was sold out of prime rib. How could this be when it was touted as the special of the weekend? When available, the prime rib is offered in three cuts: 8 oz. ($22), 12 oz. ($26) and 16 oz. ($30).
There are three sauces available for beef entrees: horseradish cream, creamy Gorgonzola and bearnaise. Only on one occasion were the sauces brought to the table -- or even mentioned by the waiter.
There are other meat choices as well. The double cut pork chop ($22) was juicy and lean, cooked with roasted garlic and shallots, in a pan reduction sauce. Free range chicken ($18) and Australian rack of lamb ($32) are also available.
Chilean sea bass ($22) was outstanding. The thick filet was awash in tarragon beurre blanc sauce. The wild king salmon filet ($21) was a generous chunk of perfectly grilled pink meat drizzled with creamy dill sauce.
Entrees come with no accompaniments (save for a wedge of tomato), necessitating additional investment in side dishes. This is how the tab really starts to mount up. Most of the side dishes are large enough to be shared, although the french fries ($6) were barely adequate for two. A large baked potato will set you back $6.
Cream spinach ($8) reminded me too much of Stouffer's and the asparagus ($8), while good, was barely cooked. The enticing scalloped potatoes ($7) were drenched in cream, making it a delicious, billion-calorie side dish. Sauteed vegetables ($7) were fresh and crisp.
For dessert, the blueberry crumble ($7) was a disaster. The gelled blueberry mush had a soggy covering -- not the crumbly topping it was supposed to have. It was served with excessively gummy and overly vanilla-y ice cream. The waiter comped the dessert.
Key lime pie ($7) did not fare much better. The tiny wedge's crust had absorbed a metallic taste from overly long refrigeration in its pan. The wedge was so small, I thought they could easily cut 16 pieces from that one pie, giving it a value of $112. It was topped with a healthy dollop of whipped cream, but even that had been dispensed by some contraption that aerated the cream to a near non-physical state, robbing it of both flavor and texture.
Best of the desserts was the Tiramisu espresso cheese cake ($8), but still hardly worth the extra calories after a fat-laden meal.
Red wine is generally best served at room temperature, but the dining room one evening was too warm and the pinot noir even warmer. The fine red wine, served at that temperature, tasted flat and flabby and its bouquet was diffuse and unfocused. The warmth made the alcohol content seem higher than it really was. Ideally, the wine should have been between 62 and 67 degrees. The $63 Chalone Pinot Noir was not ruined, but it certainly did not show at its best.
White wine should be served between 55 to 60 degrees. Over-chilled white wine looses complexity and intensity, as was the case with the Thomas Fogarty Chardonnay ($46). We were halfway through our meal before the wine came to a suitable temperature.
Wine prices are whopping at Henry's -- with markups three to four times over wholesale. That discourages ordering a second bottle, except for a special occasion. Too bad, because the wine list at Henry's is really above-average. Happily, nearly two-dozen wines are available by the glass, ($5-$13.50). Corkage fee is $10.
Happy hour is from 5- 6 p.m. nightly, with scaled-back appetizers available at the bar from 5 -7 p.m. A new Sunday prix-fixe dinner has just been instituted. For a flat $25, dinner includes a 10 oz. prime rib, salad, side dish and a scoop of sorbet. Good thing Father's Day falls on a Sunday.
Reservations: yes
Credit cards: yes
Parking: rear lot
Alcohol: full bar
Children: yes
Outdoor dining: no
Party and banquet facilities: yes
Noise level: low
Bathroom cleanliness: excellent
Henry's Prime Steakhouse, 888 El Camino Real, Menlo Park; (650) 323-2540; www.henryssteakhouse.com
Hours: Dinner Sunday-Thursday 5-9:30 p.m.; Friday-Saturday 5-10 p.m.
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