Prime One Twelve

Description:

• Part of the ever-expanding culinary empire of Nemo, Big Pink, and Shoji Sushi, Prime One Twelve is the media darling of the exclusive group of restaurants in the hot South of Fifth Street area of South Beach, ranking near the top of the list of highest grossing restaurants in the entire country in 2007. A celebrity-saturated sleek steakhouse ambience and bustling bar (complete with dried strips of bacon in lieu of nuts) play second fiddle to the beef, which is arguably the best in the entire city. The 12-ounce filet mignon is seared to perfection and can be enhanced with optional dipping sauces (for a price) -- truffle, garlic herb, foie gras, and chipotle. The 22-ounce bone-in rib-eye is fabulous, as is the gigantic 48-ounce porterhouse. Prime One Twelve also features a Kobe beef hot dog ($20) and a Kobe burger, a $30 version of sheer ecstasy, although fries are extra at $8, as are all the side dishes (the broccoli rabe sautéed in garlic is outstanding, as are the scalloped potatoes) -- typical in a steakhouse, but the prices here are hefty. A powerhouse crowd gathers here for lunch and dinner, and reservations are rarer than the yellowfin tuna tartare appetizer, but should you be lucky enough to score such a "prime" reservation, take it without hesitation.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Very Highly Recommended 2010