Prime Provisions, Average Service
We had a good intimate turnout of 5 for Steak Night at Prime & Provisions with Cizzle, Zee German, Glick and Don in attendance.
I arrived closer to dinner time than a host should but was still plenty of time to have a drink before dinner.
We were seated late for dinner and didn’t get fully seated until 8:20 or so.
The waitress came over and we had a nice witty banter. Her attitude was gruff which was frankly appreciated. However, it was clear she was watching too many tables and was not terribly attentive to us, not a disaster, but not good.
We considered getting the shrimp appetizer but we couldn’t quite figure out how many people a 1/2 lb shrimp could feed, which drew some playful mocking from our waitress.
The apps we did have were great. We had the thick cut bacon and the tuna tartare. Thick cut bacon has become a staple of steak houses, but P&P does it right. These apps were quickly scarfed down.
It’s worth noting all the food the whole evening was quickly scarfed down upon arrival. I don’t know if that speaks to me under ordering or the high quality of the food, probably both.
Here’s a link to a crudely drawn rendition of the eating at our table:
We ended up having the Porterhouse for 4, which was just terrific with the Filet on one side and the Strip on the other. The sides also didn’t disappoint with the Sprouts, Corn and Fries. The sprouts had bacon in them which was great, but may lead to a dose of heart attacks after the bacon apps as well.
They undercook the steak at P&P and bring it out on a sizzling plate so it cooks more. After the plate had gone cold, I asked for another hot plate. The waitress was visibly annoyed and this likely happened in the kitchen.
The deserts and port wine may have been the best part. The apple pie and bread pudding were spectacular. Zee German was upset we didn’t get the Carrot Cake which is probably equally good.
During the evening the topics ranged from sports, including the disappointing Cubs and the suddenly exciting Bears, to spirited analysis regarding the trial of former police officer Jason Van Dyke including re-enactments by Mssrs Cole and Glick.
Cigars outside were cancelled due to the length of the meal. A few of us had some nightcaps at The Rock thereafter.
The food was spectacular, but the service a little less so. All in all, a great steak night.
Filed under: General
3 Responses to “Prime Provisions, Average Service”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Arriving a touch on the later side than is normal for my German promptness was disappointing but I was encouraged to see Don “Return to Excellence” Cole and Cizzle locking down the back corner of the bar with Obans in hand. I ordered a brown liquor and settled in. The bartender was borderline inattentive or just distracted. I was even more surprised to find out there were actually two of them working, they just happen to look identical to me. When the bar tab arrived I pointed out that I had not been charged. I still have no idea why I did this. Anyways, typically a bartender would just wave it off and make the patron content. Not this pair of jokers, the dbag took the tab back, but my drink on there, and didnt even make mention of my honesty. Our host Conway took exception with the delay on getting us seated, agreed on this point. This isn’t Nam, there are reservations for a reason.
Our corner booth was fitting for the next mayoral candidate Conway to survey his fiefdom. Our waitress came in hot with the banter and I was optimistic my opinion of the service thus far was changing. Crash and burn. She was more interested in the other tables than continuing the dialogue. Her service continued to deteriorate throughout the meal which also included long intervals between service. That likely explains the speed with which we did consume anything tat arrived. i think the steak for 4 was a miscue, arriving pre sliced and on the sizzling hot plates left it irregular in temperature. Next time around I will stick to one steak for one man. Sides were indeed good, but I would have liked to have some traditional mashy p’s as well as the aforementioned carrot cake, but alas I was not the host. The desserts stole the show nonetheless in my opinion at least.
P&P delivers a solid meal but the service distracts from the overall experience starting with the bartenders and ending with the bitchy, over extended waitress.
Had been a while since our last visit – which also coincided with Shawn Mar(ryman)ion’s birthday. Alas no celebrity sightings this night – save for Australia’s newest speaking sensation.
Rick was not present so we can’t discuss the David Pumpkins suit am sure he would have been wearing in honor of Halloween. However, in rick’s honor we decided to split one huge porterhouse for the table. I can only imagine how pleased he would have been by that decision.
Steak was solid as were sides. I’m not a huge fan of this under cooking the steak to have it cook more on the hot plate when served – feels like we got a rawer version.
Enjoyed the banter with Don as we discussed both Kavanaugh and the McDonald trial. Am glad the city did not burn down due to the verdicts.
Service was commented on – we were at times treated like the neglected step child in the corner. Meal went considerably longer due to that.
Overall -8 (minus a half point for the service)
Happy 40th to Kid Ray. Conway had ordered a dessert in his honor but he was protecting his dignity in Italy. (We think)
Man, what an awesome experience! Perhaps it was the events of the day, but by far one of my most memorable dinners with this crew. Lively conversations with real talk! Oh yeah, about that dinner? It was ok. I’m happy I got to know P&P as something other than a mediocre lunch spot to take interviewees.