There is a delicious new restaurant in SoMa/South Beach!

Having clients at The Infinity, I decided to be among the first to dine at the newly opened restaurant, Prospect. Located on the ground floor of The Infinity Towers, this is the second restaurant from chef Nancy Oakes and the owners of Boulevard. They have successfully combined the same formula of elegant service, a delectable, simple menu and a cool location.

Prospect offers a convenient destination for those in the SoMa, South Beach and financial districts, as well as those seeking a new destination in the Embarcadero gourmet scene. We entered through massive wooden Wizard of Oz-ish doors leading into the restaurant, which by 8pm was almost at capacity. While waiting for my clients, I took a few pictures of the bar/waiting area, which has a quiet, modern and sexy look.

The décor is “Manhattan”-esque with rustic wood, dark chocolate flooring, a high ceiling with soft-white paint and stone wall accents. There is local, large-scale, artwork sparsely placed throughout. Opposite is a wall of windows, refreshingly able to capture the activity of the outside neighborhood. As I expected, the clientele was an eclectic mix, which is a great representation of the community.

The restaurant keeps a theme of embracing local ingredients. We started with a beet salad and soft shell crab appetizer, which was delicious. One of our favorite starters was the Green Goddess salad with an avocado dressing.

Our table of four ordered the whole wheat crepes of ricotta, nettles and roasted mushrooms (delicate and light); the Wagyu bavette (which is American-style, Kobe beef cheeks and was YUM!); the organic chicken breast with morel mushrooms (tender and melt in your mouth); and the petrale sole (not spectacular but good). The bavette was everyone’s favorite, with the chicken in second. We enjoyed our meal with two bottles of 2006 French white wine from the Bourgogne region (white burgundy variety).

Here is a sample of their current menu.

What would a restaurant review be without details of dessert?! I chose the chocolate orbit cake with mojito granita (a light, salty ice). It was a unique pairing I am still thinking about a week later (what every pastry chef hopes for, so mission accomplished). My husband ordered the eclair strawberries, which were varietal and more unusual than you’d think, but each perfect in taste.

What’s more, the service was attentive without being obnoxious (which is important within the first few days and difficult to accomplish).

My experience was that the portions were small and the price was expensive, but the fresh ingredients, simple menu and service were wonderful. My evening at Prospect was positive, and I’d highly recommend it to anyone. It is an exciting addition to SoMa/South Beach real estate.

If you have any questions or are interested in The Infinity and or this area, please contact me.