above: Servers deliver steaks cooked exactly to the guest’s order. Starters include the bountiful lobster and colossal lump crab cocktails presented in spectacular fashion.
Photography by Venera Alexandrova
A warm, airy popover with a pat of sea-salted butter and a crisp white napkin—this welcoming gesture sets the tone for the hospitality, quality and indulgence at Roots Ocean Prime. Since opening in late April at the site of the old Melting Pot, Roots Ocean Prime has been drawing regulars off the train for appetizers at the bar, well-heeled friends for dinner at the high-topped tables up front and celebrating families at the big, curved booths in the dining room. This marks the first venture in Connecticut for the Harvest Restaurant Group, a family-owned New Jersey restaurant group started in 1996 that now boasts 14 restaurants, including another Roots Ocean Prime in Princeton.
A comfortable seat at the bar is the natural place to start your evening with a drink or even settle in for a meal. There’s something special about this bar—intentionally designed with no television to foster conviviality. The murals painted above the bar are a conversational starting point, depicting famous figures with Connecticut ties—from the coach of UConn basketball team to P.T. Barnum. The bartenders are friendly and well-informed about the drinks and food menus. The Blackberry spicy margarita was well balanced and well poured. Local Norwalk Spacecat Brewery’s IPA was on tap. The wine list is large and covers Old- and new-world wines by the glass and bottle.
Before moving to a booth in the dining room, we discussed the various steaks’ cuts and aging process with the bartender. He advised us on how to order to get the perfect doneness we desired. We decided on the 20-ounce, double-thick, bone-in, dry-aged cowboy steak (essentially a Tomahawk with the bone cut shorter, or an old-school Delmonico).
Desserts are made in-house, including the key lime pie and Celebration Sundae.
We started with a luxurious colossal crab cocktail. The half-lemon capped to hold back seeds was a gracious touch. We squeezed the juice over the large, tender pieces of crab lump meat. They tasted clean and sweet. Of the accompanying sauces, we preferred the spicier mustard to the traditional cocktail sauce.
Spotting Dover sole on a menu is rare, so we had to order it. We reveled in the delicacy, which is shipped from England and served as a tender, seared filet beneath a buttery sauce. Our dry-aged cowboy steak, seasoned with just salt and pepper, was seared at a high temperature and topped with butter. It was cooked to the exact temperature we’d ordered. Steak with this much flavor hardly needs additional sauces, but it’s part of the experience, so we chose the au poivre over the richer hollandaise. Potato gratin (there’s also a choice of whipped or a colossal baked potato) was excellent, the thinly sliced potatoes baked into a rich cake. Creamed spinach under a cheesy crust was standard. A pile of grilled asparagus was also showered with cheese. Servings are generous, and we took home plenty of leftovers.
Murals feature notable people with Connecticut connections, including Martha Stewart and Meg Ryan (right).
The pastry chef bakes desserts in-house every day, and they are standouts. The butter cake is a Roots Ocean Prime specialty. It’s an impressive sight: tall, round and golden. A lighter take on pound cake, it’s perfectly accompanied by a special blueberry sauce featuring big, ripe berries carefully simmered to remain whole. The cheesecake is another winner; the large, shareable wedge boasts a light, fluffy New York-style texture with a buttery graham cracker crust. I can guarantee that if this is in your refrigerator, you will not be able to resist a slice for breakfast.
While Roots Ocean Prime maintains an upscale atmosphere in its dining room, complete with a dress code (no tank tops, caps, shorts), and a menu featuring indulgences such as Beef Wellington and filet mignon Oscar-style, it also aims to be a welcoming neighborhood hangout. Sure enough, regulars are tucking into the chicken parm three times a week, or simply settling into the bar for a comforting bowl of French onion soup.
ROOTS OCEAN PRIME
14 Grove Street, Darien
rootssteakhouse.com