KO Prime

We go here for special occasions normally, but with a $ 20 gift card we got to enjoy a more casual night out last night — truly it was one of the best restaurant experiences in Boston so far (been here 4 years).
Since we couldn’t decide on the appetizers vs the sides we just decided we would just turn it into a tapas night and have a whole bunch of sides and apps! Great idea, and each dish had a unique, but not overly complicated twist to it. The meat plate had boar and venison slices — that were great tasting and not something I’ve ever even heard of, and the simplest veggies were so fresh and well cooked, covered lightly with sauces to complement the flavor… I just don’t get how veggies can taste so good! Overall great meal, great service, and the mood lighting is perfect for those of us who care to see just the food and people we’re with.

Sadly, I just noticed that KO Prime has closed. It was a great space whose views overlooking the Granary Burial Ground on a snowy winter’s night were unparalleled in the city. And in the summertime it was a welcome oasis one story above the hustle and bustle of Tremont Street.
The food was usually excellent, too. Enjoyed some great steaks here along with romances and celebrations over the years that KO Prime was open.
Hope a replacement is coming soon.

What a great place… as is typical of a Kimpton Hotel restaurant. The décor is very cool and chic. The food was delicious. Our group enjoyed charcuterie, calamari and bone marrow for appetizers, steaks with just about all of the sides for our entrees and a few desserts. Absolutely everything was delicious! I had to give this place 4 stars though as our server really didn’t have much personality and seemed bothered by his tables… quite shocking for a high end restaurant in a Kimpton, but maybe we caught him on an off night. By the way, the cocktails were fantastic too — you can’t go wrong!

Their menu changes everyday, and we were sorta looking forward to all-​you-​can-​eat prime rib eye but i guess it either ended or hasn’t started yet. Oh well, time to review.
Starter:
Bone marrow with corned beef tongue chunks — Ive had better (moos bone marrow butter) while my boyfriend loves sel del la ter better.
Entrée:
Rib eye chop 30 oZ — Great flavor but not tender enough. The rib eye my boyfriend made me was more tender.
Sides:
Brussel sprouts with maple bacon butter — Overall good flavor cuz of the butter
Asparagus with holladas sauce — Sauce was good but asparagus was overcooked
Overall the service was good but she could’ve been better. She was more attentive to the table next to us, maybe because we were a bit under dressed. The businessman next to us had complimentary appetizer which was supposedly their specialty, way to make us feel appreciated.
Besides that, she offered everything my boyfriend wanted to the other table instead. She barely spoke to us, besides taking our order and making sure the food was ok. On top of that, she only left the dessert/​drink menu which only had a tea selection so we got the check to grab coffee at a café. She not only offered the specials, and small talk, she also offered coffee to them which we were unaware they served.

You know what you’re getting yourself into when you go to a spot with four dollar signs. it’s pricey. I went for a friend’s bday party… the décor is very nice. Very posh and modern. exactly what I expected. The dining area is upstairs while their lounge (which isn’t a lounge. it’s a hotel area) is downstairs.
I did like my experience there. I just think the food makes it worthwhile. but let me delve a little deeper.
What really dissapointed me is the service. It was relatively slow… they never asked us how things tasted. the appetizers took a while to come out. and I had to flag people down multiple times to get things. We were right next to the hostess station. so it was surprising how bad it was.
I think the food ranges from 2 to 4 stars… some stuff is really REALLY good. Some stuff is really okay or bad.
Bone Marrow — It is exactly what it sounds like. bone marrow. Yum! I wanted to love it. I liked it. It was very very rich. so very oily… but I guess I was sad there wasn’t any overall taste to it really. I did LOVE the bread (they toast it really perfectly) and I liked the eggplant thing they serve it with.
Foie Gras — Delicious. fantastic. I thought it was done so well. I would highly recommend getting this. The almonds or nuts they serve with it were just okay. but the foie gras was phenomenal.
Asparagus — Typically I am not wowed with asparagus… this was actually really good. Tender. fresh. tasty.
Lobster Risotto — Bad… it just tasted awful. Over cooked. no flavor. no lobster meat really. Totally skip it.
Skirt Steak — Tasted tender and pretty good. I don’t know if it’s the best steak I have ever had. but it was good.
Flat Iron Steak — This wasn’t as good as the skirt steak… it was good. but not as good.
The Malbec tasted good… I didn’t really like the cab that we ordered for the table. The bar seemed cute as well. not too many people were there.
They charged us a $ 5/​person cake cutting fee. we brought our own. It was reasonable for such a nice restaurant…
I can see why the place is luke warm with most people here. I think if you just order the good stuff. you should be fine.

4 stars for food — most of it was very filling and delicious. 5 stars for attentive service — our waiter was great about hurrying things along when we told him we were trying to catch a movie, and even gave us a free side when we asked for one. 3 stars for atmosphere — I like low lighting in restaurants as much as the next person, but I found myself having to squint a little to see my food. The view of the cemetery across the street was eerily pretty, though.
I’m no math whiz, but I do know that averages out to a solid 4 stars.
KO Prime was the fourth stop on the Ken Oringer restaurant tour that David C. and I have embarked on. We’ve been to Clio, La Verdad, and Toro thus far, and out of those, I’d say KO comes in a pretty close second after Toro.
I enjoyed almost everything we tried. After a yummy amuse bouche came a roasted baby beet salad with crispy herbed goat cheese, candied pistachios, pickled red onions, and fresh horseradish. I couldn’t really taste the horseradish, but the chunk of fried goat cheese was the highlight of the dish anyway. The heaping bowl of butternut squash soup that followed was too sweet, but that was quickly forgotten once the appetizer course came out. The escargot with its mouthwatering carrot purée was absolutely delicious, and that’s coming from someone who isn’t a big fan of escargot.
And now, the main course — a grilled skirt steak with a pommes purée (KO does like its purees!) and a tasty mushroom ragout. The steak was perfectly cooked, tender, and not too chewy, and the mushrooms were the perfect accompaniment. Our server also brought us a side of short rib mac and cheese, on the house. It was so cheesy and rich that you probably could make an entire meal out of it and leave feeling full.
Dessert wasn’t included in our voucher deal, but we decided to go for it anyway. But, as in many cases in the past, the dessert failed to live up to the rest of the meal. I got the oreo ice cream, which came with a homemade stuffed oreo and «cold chocolate soup,» which I’m pretty sure was just melted chocolate ice cream. But hey, it’s chocolate, so I still managed to enjoy it.
By the end of the meal, I was so full that walking the short distance to the movie theater was quite the challenge. I left KO Prime a few pounds heavier than I was when I got there, but it was worth it.

I’m feeling a little lazy after a particularly gluttonous meal at KO Prime, so you can feel free to defer to Andrea B. for the details. Not all of our food was stellar, but the meal as a whole was largely satisfying.
I do want to give a special shout out to our waiter, and all the workers, really, who made us feel appreciated from start to finish. I haven’t been taken that good care of at a restaurant in a long time.

I had an exceptional dinner last night at KO Prime.
Ambience is nice enough, with the best perk being that you’re very well spread out in the dining room so you can easily have your own conversations without hearing others or being heard.
The drinks were pretty great. My dining partner and I stuck with vodka based drinks, and were especially fond of the Lime Germain. Drinks are on the pricy side, but they were potent. *
Food was across the board good, with some exceptional offerings. We started with calamari which I thought was just OK. The yuzu aoili was nice, but I don’t get what all the fuss is about. We each had the filet and they were both delectable and cooked perfectly. We had waaayyyy too many sides. The best was the ginger brocollini and the short rib mac and cheese. My guy liked the giant shrimp but I thought the sauce they were in was overpowering and avoided indulging. The onion rings were again good, but nothing exceptional. Spaetzle was nice and it was refreshing to see something different on a steakhouse menu. *For dessert we ordered drinks so I’m not sure what category to drop this sentence into. It was a champagne and berry drink with coconut sorbet float. My word that was exceptional and a perfect way to end the meal.
Service was great the whole night. Our server started off a little over eager, but once he realized the pace at which we were trying to enjoy ourselves things went smoothly. He was personable, but not overbearing and had some solid suggestions.
This is not the best steakhouse in Boston, but all in all a restaurant absolutely worth trying for yourself.

KO, what can I say? Your bar food at $ 5 is tempting and delicious. Your bar drinks, on the other hand, while cheaper than the drinks you can get in the dining room, are also weak sauce. But enough about the bar…
There are some truly great things about KO Prime: 1. The amuse bouche is just downright fun. 2. Delicious complimentary bread of assorted styles, length, textures. 3. The Assiette of Charcuterie (House Cured Meats and Pates) is HUGE and amazing! 4. The Broccolini with Ginger/​Golden Soy Glaze side and Spaetzle, Herbs Fines, Parmesan side. 5. They do a great steak IF you order it right.
Order steaks as follows:
Do NOT let them tell you to get in rare or medium rare. They say it has the best flavor this way and that’s how it should be served. WRONG! It comes out super tough and chewy. It literally is like chewing on a piece of uncooked meat. KO errs on the side of undercooking, so get it medium, and it will be perfect.
The more expensive steaks are indeed better, but not out-​of-​this-​world better, so you can rest assured you’re getting pink cow gold with any steak here. As long as you order medium!

The corn chowder on the Restaurant Week menu is what lured me in… well, that plus the pork belly.
Yes, this is a Restaurant Week review.
They started us off with a basket of 2 bread types and softened butter. I like bread, but the ones here were only okay — I didn’t long for a refill of the basket.
The Grilled Sweet Corn Soup — Vidalia Onion Jam, Freeze Dried Corn Kernels was a tad disappointing. It wasn’t corn sweet, and I didn’t care for the freeze dried kernels. The presentation was nice though — they present the bowl of jam and kernels and pour the hot soup in — and I liked the oval shape of the soup spoon and the flavor of the onion jam.
For entrees, we tried two:
. Spice Rubbed Petite Filet of Beef — Summer Vegetable Succotash
. Slow Roasted BBQ Berkshire Pork Belly — Griddled Corn Bread, Collard Greens
The beef plate was tender but a touch spicy for my taste. The Pork Belly arrived with a tough crispy skin and tender meat, but it fought all too well against the knife provided by the staff. They really need to sharpen their cutlery.
We also had a side of Short Rib Mac & Cheese $ 11 which arrived piping hot and nicely presented in an individual cast iron pot — plenty for sharing. It was okay, but I preferred the mac & cheese I had enjoyed recently at Parish Café. Maybe we should have tried the Spaetzle instead.
Neither dessert
. Lemon Verbena and Mixed Berry Shortcake, Buttermilk Biscuit, Limoncello Whipped Cream
. Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream Bar with Chocolate «Magic Shell» Dark Cherry Sauce, Candied Almonds
were outstanding, and the ice cream bar was a softened ice cream coated with a thick coat of chocolate. It would have been better served more frozen, but I liked the sliced nuts.
For those unable to handle the stairs, please use the hotel elevator. Also, there was a nice spacious private room for 12 across from the bar area.

Ended up being a great back-​up reservation since the first choice was already booked.
Valet was not there when we arrived so parking was a hassle.
Contemporary and chic restaurant with a very open dining room. Ambiance is very romantic. Great for a date night and celebrating a Special Occasion.
Short Rib Mac and Cheese and Asparagus was great… Steaks were amazing-​tender and flavorful.

We came here on a whim last night, after having read the glowing reviews on Unilocal.All of the acclaim was truly deserved. The staff was incredibly welcoming despite not having reservations on a Saturday night and quickly seated us at a corner table with sofa styled seating, complete with pillows.
The décor was sharp and contemporary with accents of black leather and polished silver chairs. Dim lighting and soft jazz overhead gave it a romantic ambiance to balance the masculine setting.
Not able to appreciate the taste, I don’t consume great quantities of alcohol. I prefer cocktails that mask the piquancy of liquor, so the waiter, Steven, recommended their signature martini «The Pear». The drink makeup consisted of pear infused vodka and white grape juice, garnished with a red grape. It was phenomenal. They carry an extensive list of top-​of-​the-​line spirits including Dom Perignon and Louis Roederer’s Cristal.
Steven also recommended KO’s twist on the Tom Collins — appropriately named a Blueberry Collins. He stated if it didn’t satisfy my palate, he would switch it out for The Pear at no cost.
The menu is àla carte, appearing minimalistic yet riddled with choices to appeal to a myriad of preferences. It was pleasant surprise to find spätzle as an
entremet. I ordered the filet mignon medium well with the spätzle and my husband ordered the New York Strip steak prepared medium.
During our wait for the food to arrive at our table, the chef gave us a sample of tuna tartare served on a Chinese soup spoon garnished with coconut. I didn’t personally taste this appetizer due to my distaste for fish, however, my husband stated it had a creamy texture, the tuna itself void of a strong «fishy flavor», and the seasonings were a perfectly balanced enhancement.
The steaks were presented beautifully and cooked to perfection. Both steaks had a soft, tender texture and a robust flavor. My husband’s New York Strip was incredibly tender leading me to steal a few bites when he went to the men’s room! No need to add any condiments, i.e. Worcestershire or A-​1 sauces! The spätzle was crunchy with a rich buttery flavor. Quite possibly, it was the best spätzle I’ve tasted, and I’ve been to Germany!
We were given their daily dessert menu — all of the descriptions had me salivating, however I was craving Crème Bruleè. Alas, it was not on the menu, and I expressed my mock disappointment to our waiter. He immediately offered to inquire as if it might be available despite not making a presence on the menu. It was and presented to us on a large plate with «Happy Anniversary» written in chocolate sauce below. The Crème Bruleè was an amazing texture with notes of sweet cream and vanilla bean. The burnt sugar was burnt just enough, sometimes it can be exposed to the butane torch too long and can have that unpleasant, charred taste. KO has it down.
As we tallied the docket, Steven again wished us a happy anniversary and presented us with a card. As we left, I opened the card and it was signed by every employee wishing us anniversary sentiments as well as a $ 20 gift certificate to use towards our next visit. It was an incredible gesture, that complete strangers would sign a card for people they didn’t even know.
KO will not only be an anniversary destination, but a birthday, date night, or just-​because night!

Hotel patron here. Stayed at the Nine Zero for three nights, and now that I think about it, I totally should have checked KO Prime and tried to become mayor or something. Didn’t capitalize on the perfect opportunity, oh well.
This review is for the bar/​lounge and for their breakfast. Too bad I didn’t get to try the dinner or lunch, but since I was staying here I had the breakfast three times out of convenience and had a good time in their bar/​lounge one evening.
Breakfast: pretty good selection of breakfast items. Good coffee. I enjoyed their take on eggs benedict with a layer of spinach in the middle. Their continental breakfast also featured some tasty granola and a good assortment of fruit. Others enjoyed the egg frittata, french toast, and buttermilk pancakes. Service was good: all hands on deck appeared to be seasoned veterans who knew their stuff.
Bar: they make some pretty stiff drinks and are generous with their pouring. Their Lagavulin 16 was smoother than usual, if that’s even possible. We were some giggling-​giddy campers. Certainly helped that their snack menu (served til 11) was awesome too. We ordered up some tater tots, delicous poutine, and spicy fried chicken thighs. Waitress was really cool. Good times.
The lounge at night is quite nice. A bit dark, but nice. Music’s not too loud, so it’s suited for normal level conversation. During the morning the restaurant is a lot brighter inside, but the space plays equally well to daylight.

For some reason I decided to go to KO Prime on a Thursday night even though I wrote off Ken Oringer after visits to Toro, Coppa and Clio. The place was really dead except the bar was buzzing at 10p when I left. The vibe of the restaurant was swanky complete with lounge music. I felt like I was in a hotel restaurant lounge in New York city, except the clientele was unmistakably Bostonian.
They had a pork nose to tail dinner going on the night I decided to stop in Wanting to try a bit of everything II ordered one item off the special menu and the rest from the regular menu. The turnip soup was very nice and the presentation was so of the moment; the both being poured at the table. Foie gras two way had mixed results. On one hand the seared foie worked perfectly with the lentils and orange. On the other the fois sausage had he texture if a packages and ready to eat bratwurst. The favor was not their either.
The filet was cooked perfectly but the chef could have seasoned it more aggressively. The main disappointment was the porchetta from the special menu. This dish should have been great and could have been if the skin were crispy. A crispy skin would have replaced the unpleasant texture of wet pork fat.
The side potato au gratin was awesome. The brussel sprouts had an unpleasant taste for me but my friend liked them.
I’d like to give KO Prime one more chance before writing it and Mr Oringer off for good.

I prefer my steakhouses in the classic style, but if you prefer your beef served up in the ultra lounge style, KO Prime would be the place to go.
I’ve been there twice now, and each time I walked away feeling like this place deserves a B+. I only give As to the steakhouses that leave me feeling so full and satisfied that I don’t care about the bill. KO Prime fell short in that regard the two times I’ve been there, but I’m not going to knock them for it. It’s still a very nice steakhouse.
The service is crisp and friendly, able to make wine recommendations and quick with witty asides delivered in inoffensive tones. It goes well with the ambiance — hip, chic and a little too dark to feel absolutely comfortable.
I was pleased with the food — an exceedingly buttery duck’s egg served in its own shell, a filet mignon with a bright chimichurri, a flavorful short rib mac and cheese that was a bit lacking on the short rib part, and some caramel ice cream served over crumbled buttercrunch. Regardless of your taste or perceived hipness level, you will get a good meal here. Be warmed, though, that the plating may be just distracting enough to unsettle the old school steakhouse-​and-​cigar crowd. But for the kids out there that like their meat cooked properly, this may be your place.

Where shall I begin? The best steak house in Boston, hands down. Yep, that’s how I’ll start. They have a few different steaks to choose from. I’ve had them all and love them all. But if I had to pick just one, bring a friend, or go hungry, and order the porter house for two. Best thing ever. Try the shrimp cocktail ceviche style for an appetizer. Have anything w/​mushrooms. The short rib mac and cheese, it’s no joke. Any seasonal risotto. All the potatoes are a must if you have enough people otherwise definitely do the fingerling potato purée.
I should say the 9 times out of every 10 I eat there, which happens often, I sit in the bar area. I’ve become close with every single person that works there. Ask them for their opinion and you’ll be sorted out. Hanging out with them in the bar area is just as enjoyable as the food is. They always bring the fun. The last couple times I’ve eaten in the dining room, I’ve sat in the private dining area with large parties. Get a group together and get taken care of like nothing else you’ve experienced.
Lastly, I’d like to say thanks to everyone there. The food is great, but I wouldn’t go back as often as I do if it weren’t for all of you.

A super-​chic and darkly lit steakhouse, this is the perfect place to take your carnivorous date (if you don’t mind shelling out a few $$$). The steaks are juicy and well-​cooked, and portions are generous. Service is attentive and friendly. For drinks, I recommend the Blueberry Collins.
And for dessert, the pumpkin cake is divine perfection. Moist and sweet with an amazing light, creamy filling. My pumpkin-​hating boyfriend practically snorted it down, it was that good.

Totally unplanned. Pulled out Unilocal to see what’s around after we felt very lost from reading the sign «Closed for Private Event» at Marliave.
We strolled up the illuminated stairs to realize that the restaurant is pretty much dead. We decided to hang out at the bar and grab some snacks. They have a bar menu between 4 – 7 and 9 – 11; but we ended up ordering apps from the main menu.
Beef Tartare (roasted jalapeño aioli) was very tasty. I love raw beef! It came with fried quail egg which was raw in the middle — nice touch. I squeezed fresh lime juice on the tartare which made it more delightful. I stacked the tartare on the fried skin and topped it off with what seems like cranberry compote. It was a nice blend of texture and flavor that kept my mouth watering for more.
Roasted Bone Marrow was a random thought. See something unique and strange — might as well order it! I’ve only cooked bone marrow in soup, never heard of roasting it before. This turned out to be my favorite of the evening. It came out with 3 cuts of bone. I should call myself Wilma while holding the bone and scooping out the marrow. The marrow itself has a very bold taste which went well with the beef tongue marlamade. I didn’t really care for the citris parsley salad. Stacking them on the toasted bread sure filled up my tummy!
Fricassee of Escargot was my choice. I was interested on how you can fricassee with escargot. It turns out that I enjoyed complimenting items much more than the escargot itself. The escargots were too earthy. Thumbelina Carrots, Mushrooms, Salsify and Brioche surely made up for the dissatisfying taste of the escargot.
Crispy Fried Calamari was the worst dish of the evening. It was chewy and tasted like old oil. I have no idea what they used as batter recipe, but the calamari tasted minty. Whatever it was, it was too overpowering. I had no problem imagining that i was chewing a spearmint gum as i was chewing the calamari.
As for the bartenders, there were attentive and friendly. They deserve a star for their service.

What can I say, I’m an objective grader and for a pricey steakhouse, I was looking forward to 5 different aspects and the restaurant delivered on exactly 3 of them:
The 3 stars:
1) décor/​ambiance — greatly decorated, I can imagine coming her to lounge with friends during happy hour or maybe… prime rib night? :)
2) bone marrow — I’ve been wanting to try this for FOREVER, so I’m glad that not only did I get to try it finally, but that it was here because there’s was bomb. I’m not sure what to compare it with, but I’ll definitely be ordering in the future at other restaurants, and if they are not good I will be quite sad. The presentation was amazing (check out the pictures) and there was so much that I almost felt full after this lone appetizer.
3) foie gras — haven’t had any seared foie gras in a while so had the craving for it. Didn’t feel the appetite to order this and the bone marrow appetizer, so instead had it on top of a burger. While I normally wouldn’t order a burger at a steak restaurant for dinner, couldn’t resist the temptation! Great on top of the burger and overall really enjoyed it!
The 2 non-​stars:
4) mac n’ cheese — I am like the mac n cheese man. i will order it wherever I go whenever. I should have taken it as a hint when the waitress did not mention it when i asked for her favorite sides, but gave in anyways. I like the pasta they used (not the typical macaroni) but the short ribs felt more like salt ribs. Overall, not a fan of the cheese they used and thought the entire side was too overpowering. mac n cheese fail since i was looking forward to it so much.
5) the steak — the ultimate test? the steak. Have no idea why I ordered the flat iron. I am normally a ribeye guy. But i felt adventurous, cool, also wasn’t that hungry to chow down on a massive piece of meat. Since it was a bit more expensive than some of their other cuts, figured the quality or taste would shine through, but overall felt lacking.
Other tidbits:
–I like the little sampler/​appetizer they bring you at the beginning. The ones that were going out all looked different
–the dessert was great! one of the guys persuaded us to get it and it was the best choice we made… some weird pistachio dessert which i can’t even remember the name of
:)

KO Prime is a gorgeous downtown steak house with a dimly lit, sexy interior. Right off the bat our coats, soaked umbrellas, and bags were wisked away to the coat room by the hostess. We were seated in an intimate corner with a silhouette view of the kitchen.
For starters we got the Green Goddess salad, spaetzle, and BBQ ribs. To say that they were delicious would be an understatement. The salad was well dressed and had pickles in it! Yum! The spaetzle was rich, crispy, and buttery. The ribs were fall-​off-​the-​bone tender and tasty to boot.
For dinner I got the salmon which came with edamame. The plate was swiped with a marmalade type sauce which was spicy and citrusey, it paired wonderfully. The edamame was tender and buttery.
For dessert was the caramel apple tart — a warm tart covered in apple and cinnamon, topped with vanilla bean ice cream, and an apple chip. Caramel sauced was drizzled on the plate. It melted in my mouth. See picture!
The service was impeccable, our waiter attentive and pleasant — the whole experience was really great. Just be prepared to spend a lot, dinner for two was around $ 200.