It had been quite some time since I had attended a restaurant opening, so it was a pleasure to attend the grand opening of Double Barrel Steak by David Burke at the exclusive Preserve Sporting Club & Residences in Richmond on March 1.
The fine dining restaurant is at a level of luxury and hospitality many thought didn’t exist anymore. Beginning four or five years ago, and accelerated by the ordeal of the pandemic, there seemed to be a turning away from service.
One veteran Providence restaurateur said recently that while there are many new restaurants opening, very few, if any, were above the level of “grab and go.” There appeared to be an intent to avoid hospitality on any level for reasons that upon further review have little, if anything, to do with cost or other tangible factors. It was as if hospitality had been forgotten.
Steakhouse restaurants have always been known for their style of service. If you recall, there was what we referred to as a “steakhouse stampede” in these parts about 10 years ago. Steakhouses were popping up everywhere between the casinos in Connecticut and downtown Providence, and in many other cities and suburbs. The craze only lasted a few years, but there are some that have withstood the test of time and continue to thrive. Those that have remained open such as Capital Grille still offer a high level of hospitality and an equally high level of expectations.
David Burke Prime continues to successfully serve up a luxury steakhouse experience at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in the Mashantucket section of Ledyard, Conn.
There are many reasons that the steakhouse craze is no longer, one of which may be due to our environment and surroundings. After all, we are the Ocean State. There is still the dramatic “thrill of the hunt” about bringing in a choice centerpiece upon which to dine as opposed to the cultivation of the main event on the sprawling cattle ranch.
One thing we are not in Rhode Island is sprawling. It was evident that this was on the mind of chef Burke as he addressed it in his opening remarks just after the ribbon-cutting in early March at the Preserve.
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GRAND OPENING: Paul Mihailides, left, chairman of the Preserve Sporting Club & Residences in Richmond, and David Burke, executive chef of Double Barrel Steak by David Burke, cut the ribbon on the new restaurant, which opened at the Preserve on March 1.
COURTESY PRESERVE SPORTING CLUB & RESIDENCES[/caption]
Considered a leading pioneer in American cooking, Burke has a menu for Double Barrel Steak by David Burke that showcases modern American steakhouse-inspired cuisine. The menu will feature beef dry aged via Burke’s patented Himalayan salt process. Prime cuts of beef are aged in rooms lined with the famed pink salt that keeps the protein viable while it is bringing about new depth and dimension of flavors.
In a nod to Rhode Island’s “Ocean State” moniker, the restaurant will offer what Burke calls “ocean steaks,” including swordfish, halibut and tuna, which will be served steakhouse style – that is without sauces or other cooking processes that overshadow the bold yet simple taste of wild-caught seafood.
The variety of entrees will include the resurrection of some of Burke’s signature dishes such as swordfish chops – a global sensation when introduced at New York City’s Park Avenue Cafe in the early 1990s. As Burke related during our chat at the restaurant’s opening, he will also serve up lobster dumplings – an elevated Rangoon-style appetizer.
The chef and Paul Mihailides, chairman of the Preserve, are confident that Double Barrel Steak by David Burke will be looked upon as a seafood restaurant, as well as a steakhouse. In homage to the Preserve’s outdoor experiences, game will also play a seasonal role on the menu.
“Dining Out With Bruce Newbury,” syndicated weekly on radio, can be heard in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont and Indiana. Contact Bruce at bruce@brucenewbury.com.
