In this brave new era of X-treme cuisine, even a delicacy previously known only to a small band of Himalayan goat farmers could easily become a menu must-have. Feeding that frenzy are restaurateurs constantly in search of the next big trend, stimulating our taste buds with the latest in über-exotic ingredients, and our eyeballs with the showiest in award-winning decor.

Thankfully, one local landmark is confidently going against the grain, staking its reputation on the tried and true steakhouse formula. “Not another one,” you may utter with a yawn and a roll of the eyes. But when it’s one of Toronto’s old-school purveyors of luxury, you just know it will be done right.

It took guts for the Windsor Arms Hotel to admit defeat and shut down dinner service in The Courtyard Café. In its place, one of the most gorgeous dining rooms in town has been relegated to serving only breakfast, lunch and brunch and hosting receptions. But Prime, tucked in the less grand lounge where Club 22 presides, is more than just another pricey watering hole for the restless foodie elite.

If there is anything to complain about, it’s certainly not the food. Yes, the redesign is a bit clumsy and hodgepodge, and the staff, although extremely accommodating, do at times cross the line between arm’s length professionalism and being your BFF.  Prime is pricey, yet what they offer gratis (a caprese-style salad plate with slabs of buffalo mozzarella, tomato, pickled artichokes and fiery peppers alongside a mountain of fresh-baked bread and exquisite potato-onion rolls) really adds up to overall great value.

Plus, executive chef Stephen Ricci (formerly of Prego) created a carte that, though not bleeding-edge, is smart. Any perceived lack of culinary vision is more than made up for by the kitchen’s finesse. Japanese elements like tuna sashimi with soba noodles ($19) and rustic Italian classics such as house-made tagliatelle with a simply stunning Bolognese sauce ($14 for half order, $24 for full) are welcome choices that confidently compete among the giant slabs of high-­quality meat. Old standards, such as oysters Rockefeller get tweaked; fried oysters with lobster Béarnaise ($12 for four, $22 for eight) are a crispy, creamy loin-tingling explosion of joy.

But at these prices, the meat had better be prime. Jump-started in an 1800-degree broiler and finished off on the grill, a 10oz flat iron steak ($25) is smoky, juicy and dissolve-in-your-mouth tender — it’s almost inconceivable that it’s a shoulder cut. Equally flawless is the 14oz lamb T-bone ($42). Ricci’s team does Coleridge Farms proud by transforming their double rib-loin chop (cote d’agneau, en français) into a magnificent saliva-inducing wonder. Complimentary drool-buckets would have been nice. But having the guts to let a milky Wagyu (American Kobe) beef burger ($27) moo all for itself — minus the expensive cheeses and truffled toppings that usually top this gourmet fast food (and provide a rationale for the typically exorbitant prices) — is a most impressive message.

Where so many fail to do sides that warrant more than a mere sigh, Prime’s ride sidecar with class. A hillock of double smoked grilled strip bacon ($8) is beyond outstanding; polenta ($7) is rife with gorgeous Parmigiano; and panko-crusted onion rings ($10) and french fries ($6) are, what else can we say, divine — and well worth the foreshortened lifespan.

Desserts, too, dazzle. A lacquered candy box ($13) filled with house-made white and dark truffles, nostalgic jellies, mini chocolate mousse and sponge cake rolls (a.k.a. chocolate sushi) are rainbows past pots of gold, and a selection of sorbets and ice creams ($11) is a perfectly refreshing way to end this too-­generously portioned meal.

In a gastronomic landscape of molecular-this and sous-vide that, Prime brings you back to a time when doing it right was the standard and fleeting trends were frowned on in favour of treating classic luxury with the respect it deserves.
EMAIL LETTERS@EYEWEEKLY.COM