A new steakhouse hits West Des Moines this spring. Rendering courtesy of the Idea Collective.
Writer: Karla Walsh
Get ready, West Des Moines: A new, locally owned, one-of-a kind steakhouse and oyster bar is coming to a neighborhood near you. As early as April, you’ll be able to score a seat at Prime & Providence, at 595 S. 60th St.
The P&P team calls it a modern “steakhouse for our generation,” unlike traditional steakhouses you may have visited. So, it’s OK to leave your sports coat or fancy dress at home in the closet.
Chef-owner Dominic Iannarelli, whose resume includes stints at Splash Seafood Bar and Grill, Jethro’s BBQ, the Bacon Box at the Iowa State Fair, 801 Chophouse, and Des Moines Golf and Country Club, is partnering with his pal Cory Gourley to debut what he calls a “fancy, not formal” steakhouse to serve highly curated cuts of beef, seafood and plants — all cooked over a 15-foot open hearth custom-designed by Grills by Demant.
“It’s the live fire cooking that sets us apart,” Iannarelli said. “We firmly believe that all meat is better cooked over charcoal than gas.”
He added that the new restaurant will be the only in Iowa that serves Kobe beef, the prized Japanese import that’s treasured for its rich marbling, buttery texture and decadent flavor.
He also described the shellfish as “second to none in the state,” with both raw and roasted seafood towers, crudos, a variety of oysters, and shellfish salads coming soon.
And the plants? “Side dishes won’t be an afterthought here, and about 80% of them could be vegetarian” Iannerelli said. With fresh local fare from Grade A Gardens, Dogpatch Urban Gardens, Rinehart’s Family Farm and more, you can look forward to seasonal, colorful creations like asparagus with marigold pesto and cured egg yolks, a hearth-roasted beet salad and a mini roasted cauliflower served with a dukkah (a Middle Eastern dip) of rose petals and pistachios.
To wash it all down, you can choose among California and Old World wines, selected by the staff’s Level 2 sommelier, or the bar manager’s plays on classic cocktails. Just be sure to save room for dessert, or what Iannarelli called “the most throwback part of the menu.” Big slabs of chocolate cake, variations on creme brulee, fruit crisps, carrot cake and something off the live fire will all sweeten the deal.
With room for approximately 190 guests in the main dining room, a private dining room and a lounge (decked out with a couple of TVs, if you’d like to catch the game), the staff at Prime & Providence will be at your service from 3 p.m. to close, seven nights a week.
But isn’t 3 p.m. a little early for dinner, you might ask? Maybe, but that’s why there will be a special social hour menu, with crowd pleasers like burgers, meatballs and a lobster-based riff on escargot with raclette that is, all by itself, a good reason to book a reservation.
“As someone who lives and works in West Des Moines, I’m extremely excited to partner with Dom on this project,” Gourley said. “Bringing local culinary talent to the western suburbs is long overdue.”
For updates on the opening date, follow @primeandprovidence on Instagram or keep reading dsmWeekly. We’ll keep you posted.
