On a chilly night last week, we found ourselves craving steak – so we headed to Vero Prime, the chophouse on 21st Street.
Warmly greeted at the door, our party of three was quickly ushered to a comfortable booth. Vero Prime has the right atmosphere for a steak house – dark and hushed, black ceilings, burnt sienna walls, a lot of brick. Everything about it says steak. And as we ordered a bottle of wine, we were thinking steak, steak, steak.
Then we glanced at the list of the evening’s specials. My husband was the first to fall off the steak wagon. He spotted the pan seared calves liver ($20). “I’ve got to try that,” he said. My eyes then drifted down to the prime pot roast ($20). Haven’t had pot roast for a long time, I thought.
Our companion at that point decided she might as well order from the special menu as well. She went for the filet risotto ($28).
Before getting to these, however, we started with appetizers.
On this visit, I began with the house salad ($7), my husband ordered the French onion soup ($7) and our companion opted for the soup of the day, a beef and vegetable soup.
My salad was a nice array of greens with goat cheese, candied walnuts, onion, and tomato in a tomato and balsamic vinaigrette dressing, and only a $3.50 add-on when ordered with dinner. On previous visits, we have tried both the fire grilled Caesar and the romaine wedge salad with creamy blue dressing. All excellent.
The onion soup was a very nice rendition of this classic French dish, and the hearty beef and vegetable soup – also only a $3.50 add on with dinner – was just the thing for a Vero winter night.
Then came the main courses. Ever have a dinner when all the entrées turned out to be exactly the right choice? This was one of those nights.
My pot roast, slow braised with fingerling potatoes, carrots and gravy, was perfection. My husband said his calves liver, tender and topped with caramelized onions and double smoked bacon, was the best he had encountered in at least a decade. And our companion raved over her porcini mushroom-infused risotto, topped with pan-seared filet medallions in a light beef broth.
None of this, of course, is to suggest you shouldn’t order Vero Prime’s featured steaks. On previous visits, we have had the prime bone-in ribeye, and the 12-ounce dry-aged strip. Both were tender and very flavorful pieces of beef.
A big plus for Vero Prime is you also get a choice of two steakhouse sides with your entrée at no additional charge. Check the price of the sides and salads at the big city steakhouses, where a single veggie can run into the teens, and you quickly realize that what you are getting here is quite a bargain.
For dessert on this most recent visit, we enjoyed a slice of caramel cheesecake ($8).
Vero Prime has an impressive selection of wines that are very well priced. On this evening, we enjoyed a Super Tuscan ($37). Dinner for two with a modest bottle of wine could range from $90 to $150 before tip.
Restaurateur Roger Lenzi has produced a dining experience that while not quite big-time steakhouse, is better than previous steakhouse efforts in Vero, and is presented at an attractive price point.
Whether you are in the mood for steak, or wind up ordering something else, Vero Prime is delivering tastes and dining deals that are hard to beat.
I welcome your comments, and encourage you to send feedback to me at [email protected].
The reviewer dines anonymously at restaurants at the expense of Vero Beach 32963.
