RESTAURANT REVIEW By Doug Dickson
OCEAN PRIME
5455 East High Street, Phoenix, AZ 85054
Executive Chef Jagger Griffin, General Manager Tony McMahon
Mon. – Thurs. 5 -10 pm • Fri. – Sat. 5 – 11 pm • Sun. – 5 – 9 pm
Ocean Prime is the swanky steak and seafood hot spot on High Street from renowned restaurateur Cameron Mitchell. Named “Best Seafood” by Arizona Foothills magazine, AZ Business magazine and North Valley magazine, Ocean Prime delivers an extraordinary experience to guests. Located on High Street across the street from the J.W. Marriott Resort, it’s the perfect choice for cocktails or an indulgent dinner, any day of the week. Stunning settings and a vibrant energy, an impressive menu of seafood and prime cuts of steak, signature cocktails, a Wine Spectator-honored wine list and truly genuine hospitality make Ocean Prime is an ideal place to socialize, talk business, celebrate, and indulge.
For larger parties, the restaurant features three stunning private dining rooms for guests to enjoy: The Prime Room 1 seats up to 10 guests and the Prime Room 2 seats up to 12 guests; both Prime Rooms may be combined to accommodate up to 24 guests. Ocean Prime also offers a beautiful, intimate private room called The Club Room, seating up to 40 guests. With more than half of the seafood entrees priced above $30, it isn’t cheap, but our group of taste testers felt the quality justified paying just a bit more. Most of the entrees are served a la carte, so side dishes are almost a necessity. Fortunately, side dishes are large enough to share between two. While we tasted most of the menu items, here were our group’s consensus favorites.
Surf and Turf Appetizer
Sea Scallops, Slow Braised Short Ribs. Delicious appetizer that was a favorite of many. Small serving size that would have been improved with a larger portion of short ribs.
Ahi Tuna Tartare Appetizer
Fresh ahi tuna served with avocado, ginger ponzu and sesame seeds. Delightful in taste, freshness and texture.
Crisp Wedge of Iceberg Salad
Beautiful salad with red onions, smoked bacon, grape tomatoes, bleu cheese and a cabernet buttermilk dressing. The perfect start to a great meal.
Jumbo Lump Crab Cake Appetizer
A two-layer seafood composition, set on a pool of ginger ponzu sauce on a soft avocado base. Excellent flavor with flakey consistency. Served with sweet corn cream.
Mary’s Free Range Chicken
Moist, tender and flavorful. This meal could feed two people. Chicken with ratatouille, lemon and pan jus.
Chilean Sea Bass
Light fish with a succulent flavor without being too flakey. Glazed carrots and whipped potato perfection served with champagne truffle sauce.
King Salmon
Delicately cooked to perfection. Flavorful, melt in your mouth deliciousness. Served with Brussels sprouts, quinoa, almonds, red peppers and lemon.
Ribeye Steak
Ribeye Steak Prime cuts of beef broiled at 1,200 degrees with a beautiful charred crust and an optional Béarnaise sauce on the side. Perfectly cooked to a proper medium rare, these steaks were juicy, tender and delicious.
Crème Brûlée
Made in a dish that was too deep. Tasty, but the texture as was too liquid.
Ten Layer Carrot Cake
Delicious and moist, but a little heavy on pineapple. Just the right amount of sweetness with a perfect balance of cream cheese. Awesome presentation. Serves at least two.
