Prime Italian

A solid foundation can give you the confidence to totally screw around -- if it weren't for your girlfriend's adoration, you would have never found the courage to ask out your secretary. For bold experimentation sensibly anchored around steak, check out Prime 112's kid brother, Prime Italian.

Fusing modern decor with masculine touches (black patent leather booths, dark chiseled hardwood floors, neat gray brick columns), PI starts with nine P-112 cuts of cow, then ventures Italian with over-the-top, glamorously sourced dishes you might call Bionic Boot. Hearty creativity's found in everything from brick oven pizza (blackened ribeye w/ pineapple and asiago; Maine lobster w/ fontina and grilled scallions) to pasta (penne with Kobe meatloaf & applewood smoked bacon), to a dish of fried risotto spheres stuffed with Kobe bolognaise, peas, and bufala mozzarella, dubbed "Czar Balls" (oddly, not served cold and shriveled). Weightier experiments include softball-sized Kobe meatballs stuffed with sausage and ricotta; a prosciutto plate with honeycrisp apples, dolce gorgonzola, and toasted walnuts; and a mini Philly cheesesteak boasting A5 Kobe doused in truffled provolone cream (apparently somebody beats The Wiz).

PI's bar slings an extensive martini list, including shaved Italian-ice-tinis in lemon, cherry, blood orange and pomegranate, and the loaded "Dirty Italian": gin and vodka, shaken and served with olives stuffed with citrus, parmesan, and sopressata -- because it takes a solid core to diddle gin and vodka.