8 minute read
The Bohlsen Restaurant Group
ISLIP, LONG ISLAND-BASED BOHLSEN RESTAURANT GROUP is first and foremost a family before it is a group of restaurants. Inheriting the helm from previous generations, Michael and Kurt Bohlsen uphold the family traditions of mixing the essential ingredients to any successful restaurant enterprise: service, style, cuisine and a spirit of fun.
If you live in the New York area, odds are you’ve heard of and hopefully enjoyed dining at one of their restaurants—if you haven’t, you need to. The Bohlsen Restaurant Group owns nine of Long Island’s most well-known dining establishments, including Gold Coast harbor-front Prime – An American Kitchen and Bar in Huntington, New York, with a second location across the Long Island Sound in Stamford, Connecticut—you are encouraged to dock and dine); Harbor Club at Prime in Huntington; the vibrant H2O – Seafood & Sushi in Smithtown and East Islip; Monsoon – Asian Kitchen and Lounge in Babylon Village; Tellers – An American Chophouse, Verace – True Italian, and Pizza Parm, all three in the heart of Islip.
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My introduction to the Bohlsen Restaurant Group was with my dad, who was a physician (and the ultimate food connoisseur) who lived in St. James, Long Island. One afternoon when I was visiting, he said, “I want to take you to Teller’s. You will love the steaks, and the ambiance is second to none—it’s housed in an old bank building, and it’s in Islip, we don’t have to drive into Nassau County or the City.” Tellers is not just a Chophouse, it’s an institution. “The steakhouse you can take to the bank,” Tellers delights visually with the original Mosler Vault serving as the wine vault plus an impressive dining room set inside skyhigh ceilings with 25-foot vertical windows. Teller’s features progressive takes on the
lounge, complete with a fireplace and luxurious leather couches, or venture out to the fire pit. Exquisite water views beckon from the Wave Bar or while dining on the covered and seasonally enclosed porch are a perfect backdrop when sipping Prime’s extensive list of refined signature cocktails, a bottle of wine from the 1,000 label wine list or enjoying tastes of perfectly executed modern American cuisine. Prime offers an exceptional raw bar, world-class sushi and USDA Prime 21-day dry aged beef that can be paired with a variety of enhancements as well as both the classic steakhouse side dishes and some fantastic modern creations—all while watching the sunset over the bay. It is truly a spectacular setting that feels like a mini vacation! There is no skipping dessert either, with layered s’mores brownie. Out of the plethora of amazing meals I’ve been privileged to enjoy over the years, two that stand out as among the more memorable and exceptional was with my late father at Teller’s in Islip, and Prime in Huntington.
I’ve enjoyed many meals at H2O – Seafood & Sushi, which showcases seasonal seafood, served with passion and conceived with creativity. The sea dictates what’s on the menu at H2O. Whenever possible, H2O sources local fish and supports local farmers through creative takes in the kitchen. Grab a seat at the expansive gray marble bar while tasting fresh sushi or modern American seafood classics. The sprawling menu not only features treats from the ocean, but also satisfies land lovers with dishes like our flat iron steak with Sriracha butter and onion rings or our pan-roasted chicken with cornbread stuffing. Shareable desserts like the donuts with coffee pot du crème make indulging almost impossible to avoid. Cleverly designed with an upscale New England feel, you’ll feel right at home in this warm and inviting space. Weekly specials provide opportunities to taste the eclectic menu, from Lobster Monday to Surf & Turf Sunday. Wednesday Night Wine Dinners showcase curated pairings of wine carefully selected to enhance each course. H2O was recently voted #1 Overall Seafood Restaurant in the New York Area on OpenTable.
classics, but lets the traditional Chophousefare take center stage, with USDA PRIME,21-day dry aged beef as the cornerstone.The Gold Bar pays homage to classic barsof years past. Enjoy lunch in Tellers’ diningroom, the cozy fireplace lounge or at thebustling bar. My next experience (with mydad) was at Prime in Huntington. Our friendshad a boat and we enjoyed a breezy afternoonon Long Island Sound, headed pastOyster Bay and Cold Spring Harbor to dockthe boat and enjoy one of Long Island’s mostexceptional dining experiences.
Designed to reflect the look of a classicboathouse along the Charles River in Boston,Prime’s multi-level visual expanse is just thebeginning of this destination experience.Whether you arrive by boat or car, prepareto be wowed! Dedicated to the expressionof modern American cuisine, Prime is theflagship of the Bohlsen Restaurant Group. Acustom designed glass wall in the center ofthe main dining room is an artistic balance tothe shimmering Huntington Harbor just outside.Spend an afternoon in the comfy wood
Michael Bohlsen: In His Prime
A fusion of classic Italian cuisine with modern sensibilities, Islip’s Verace effortlessly combines fresh local ingredients into new interpretations of traditional Italian dishes. The intimate setting pivots around an exposed Woodstone oven, creating an Old World sense of warmth. Dine outdoors in the cobblestone marketplace-style space with a relaxing water pool and hanging, glimmering lights. Start with a selection of meats and cheeses, sliced on our century-old Berkel slicer or a flatbread pizza straight from the Woodstone oven. Delight in house-made pastas, hand selected 21-day dry aged USDA Certified Black Angus NY Tuscan-style strip steak or classic chicken parmigiana as your entrée. Select one of ten wines by the glass or by the carafe from sustainable wine barrels. Verace proudly employs a technologically advanced barrel system in an effort to reduce environmental impact by eliminating the waste of bottles and corks.
Which takes us now to their newest restaurant, Prime – An American Kitchen and Bar in Stamford, Connecticut. Venü’s Tracey Thomas and Cindy Clarke checked out the view and the fare recently while dining with owner Michael Bohlsen; see what they saw, sipped, sampled and savored below! ¨
WHEN THE OWNER IS IN THE HOUSE, it’s pretty much guaranteed that the staff will step up to the plate with every intention of hitting a home run. But when Venü sat down to dinner with the delightfully down to earth Michael Bohlsen at his restaurant Prime – An American Kitchen and Bar in Stamford recently, they hit it out of the park.
That’s what they strive for every night, Michael told us, explaining that for everyone he works with, it’s all about serving up the perfect guest experience, soup to nuts – or in Prime’s case, sushi to steaks and then some. That’s what makes their restaurants so delectably different. They’re family-owned, customer focused and uniquely dedicated to their craft across the board. And Michael truly is at home there, welcoming his customers with the warmth and hospitality you would extend to guests at your party. Which is how he feels when people choose to spend their nights out at his family’s restaurants. It’s an honor and a responsibility he takes to heart.
Growing up in the waterside town of East Islip, New York, he and his brother Kurt cut their teeth in the business as boys. His grandparents were restaurateurs, as are his parents who amassed some 50 Arby’s restaurants across Long Island before they sold them and opened up their first casual eatery, Beachside Café, in 1983. Their foray into fine dining debuted with Tellers in 1999 and hasn’t ended yet. He told us that the family is always
on hand to make sure everything is running smoothly in each of theirnine restaurants but they’re hands off when it comes to the expertiseof their chefs, gems all. Like Prime Stamford’s executive chef JulioGenao, they know their way around the kitchen and it shows.
We sipped and sampled the chef’s selections with awed appreciationand not a little drooling. Imagine, if you can, being wined anddined in a window-walled dining room overlooking a yacht-gracedharbor, moon romantically spotlighting the water from on high, whilea flotilla of starters shamelessly flirts with your appetite, winning yourheart with every bite. Resistance is futile here no matter what yourwell-intentioned diet may dictate. As we succumbed to the culinarycharms in front of us, Michael joined in, clearly rating the quality,presentation, flavor and taste. His smile, quietly confident, hinted athis insistence for palate perfection.
We coyly made some girly remarks about not always eating thismuch, adding that we didn’t want to miss the opportunity to at leastsample what we were being served, but our delirium gave us away.After savoring our amuse bouche, a silver spoonful of duck prosciuttowith kumquat, we dove into gnocchi clouds drizzled with white trufflesauce, caramelized figs and prosciutto with almonds and goat cheese,Green Lotus orbs of spicy tuna, lump crab, and Asian pear ingeniously
wrapped in avocado slices and tempura crunch, Stamford Landing consisting of shrimp tempura, avocado, topped with spicy tuna, mayo and eel sauce, and their signature Miso Brûlée roll (lobster, avocado, yellowtail, togarashi, and miso brûlée.)
Sheepishly, we looked across the table at Michael. A true pro, and obviously familiar with patrons who can’t resist indulging, he gently said that dining out is not the time to deny yourselves from enjoying the food, adding that if you must skimp on something, skip the cocktails and wine. Ahh, that’s not so easy here either. With more than 750 wine labels in an illuminated glass cellar and a rapturous pairing of wine with each course, prosecco and pinot noir for us, we were hopelessly lost in a kind of gourmet/wine connoisseur fog that took over any semblance of restraint.
We finished the evening with entrees of our choosing – the Scottish salmon, wild caught and citrus glazed, was a reverie of healthy eating and happiness for me, Market Fish of the Day for Tracey, and the Delmonico steak Michael ordered was a steakhouse classic with scene-stealing sides – and didn’t even try to feign fullness when the desserts came. After all, who can turn down housemade cheesecake, mini lemon tarts and a warm brownie s’mores sundae that will make you want more! Michael and his family sure know how to host a dinner party where the guests don’t want to leave.
We can’t wait to come back to Stamford this summer, prime time when boats of all make and model will make their way across Long Island Sound from one ideally located Prime restaurant to its mirrored twin on the waterfront in Huntington! Bon voyage and bon appetit!
Opened in the summer of 2016 Prime – An American Kitchen and Bar is located at 78 Southfield Avenue in Stamford, Connecticut, overlooking the docks and mouth of the Rippowam River as it flows into the Long Island Sound. Its menu is both innovative and classic, featuring seasonally sourced foods and prime dining fare, including a curated raw bar, world-class sushi and USDA Prime 21-day dry aged beef paired with enhancements as well as classic steakhouse side dishes and fantastic modern creations.
By Fred Bollaci and Cindy Clarke
