In this week's Scene,
Carrington Foxvisits
Kayne Prime, the burnished new steakhouse that caps Chris Hyndman's ambitious M Street dining district in The Gulch. A taste:
With steaks starting at $24 for a 10-ounce skirt and topping out at $59 for a sirloin sampler, we did not complete an exhaustive survey, but our 6-ounce petite filet ($30) was excellent by all accounts. Cooked under an infrared broiler between 1,200 and 1,600 degrees and finished on a Spanish-style flat-top grill, the plump puck emerged juicy, delicately crisped but without grill marks, tender enough to cut with a fork, and salted to mouthwatering perfection. Meanwhile, diners at the table next to us couldn't stop praising the so-called Progression of New York Sirloin, a trio of 3.5 ounces each of USDA Prime and American and Australian Wagyu, cooked in the sous-vide style. ... In such a palace of protein, we'd expect herbivores to get short shrift. On the contrary, it was in the Green Plate Special where we saw some of Chef Robbie Wilson's most creative and seasonal flair. The four-course presentation opened with blistered grapes atop a cool cloud of ricotta with honey and black pepper, followed by three snack-size squares with fried layers of bread and potato shreds, topped with molten gruyere, reminiscent of latkes. The third course was the unexpected standout in our meal. Wilson's preparation of shredded kale studded with chewy currants and pine nuts and tossed with lemon juice, olive oil and parmesan was stunning in its balanced simplicity. But it was also showstopping in its price tag. As a standalone starter, the kale cost $13. Meanwhile, the Green Plate Special, which culminated in a bowl of pasta with tomatoes, spinach and parmesan, was $38 — a steep price tag for grapes, latkes, kale slaw and noodles.
