Andiamo Amalfi! Review – Prossimo Ristorante By Michael P. Taubman

By Michael P. Taubman

We find ourselves at the Amalfi coast of Italy as we continue our virtual travel experience through our taste buds. Truth be told, this was a second visit for me and my wife, having dined here once before in 2019 shortly after it opened. We didn’t have the full dining experience that time sitting at the bar, so we were eager to come back for a taste of Italy. The menu changed since 2019, and Prossimo no longer had the dinner for two menu item that we enjoyed on our first visit, which allowed you to sample multiple dishes from each category in a prix fixe fashion. Now, Prossimo’s menu presents every dish à la carte like many high-end dining experiences in Tulsa, which tends to have a corollary effect of higher menu prices. Prossimo has taken precautions for your safety, installing decorative barriers between tables that give your experience peace of mind for your health and a more privacy for dining. We were joined by another couple of friends for an early dinner at 5:30 p.m. right after work on a Friday, meeting at their bar before being seated. Prossimo has created a beautiful, deep bar that runs nearly the full depth of the building from 15th Street to the back of their building. It’s dark hued wood shelves are stacked high with wines and spirits. My wife had a glass of the Lamole Di Lamole 2013 Chianti Classico on their menu that she really enjoyed, only to discover they ran out when we wanted to order a bottle for the four of us at the table thirty minutes later.

Prossimo’s sommelier came over to deliver the bad news. He presented an alternative, the Fattoria Di Sammontana 2018 Chianti, after an explanation about the restaurant’s selection process for its cellar and a brief history of pre- and post-fascist Italian vintners of Chianti’s. History lesson aside, the Fattoria Chianti was a delicious accompaniment to the meal, and all of us commented on how we liked this Chianti. Sadly, we requested a second bottle, only to be told that it, too, was no longer available. The Lamole is a menu item, so it was a little surprising to run out of a listed item, but more shocking that the Fattoria they offered as their alternative (and not listed on their menu) would run out this early in the same night. Our meal started off on the Aperitivo menu with a half charcuterie board and their house made breads. The olive tapenade was flavorful, but the garlic paste was overwhelming – use sparingly unless you’re trying to rapidly lower your blood pressure. For the Insalata course, we ordered the Caesar salad and the heirloom tomatoes with olive oil and sea salt, while our companions had the Caesar salad with grilled chicken and minestrone soup. After a small palate cleanser of sorbet that was refreshing, the meal came. My Spaghetti with Sunday Gravy came with an full Italian sausage and two meatballs that were the size of racquetballs. The Sunday Gravy was hearty with chunks of tomato and rich with flavors of sweet basil and oregano. The portion size was enough to make two meals, so half of this went home with me, which I never enjoyed again due to having a 17 year-old son who raids our refrigerator (when I asked him where my leftovers went, he reported that he enjoyed it as well). My wife liked her Salmon with Orzo and Sea Beans, and her portion was a perfect size for a single meal.

However, Prossimo’s signature Il Vero Alfredo made tableside was appealing in appearance only, described by our dining companion as “lukewarm al dente noodles”. The presentation began with the cart holding the large wheel of parmesan which the sous chef proceeded to ignite, then scrape down the center of the parmesan wheel into a bowl that was presumed at this point to be a buttery mix of melted parmesan from the heat of the alcohol flame. As they twirled the noodles in the blue flaming cheese, the anticipation built at the table. Sadly, the result was a very underwhelming meal for this selection, especially for the price, and, as some might say in Oklahoma, it was all hat and no cattle in this dish.