What comes to mind when you think of dapper, dashing, elegant dining? To me, I think of New York Prime. It has been the top steakhouse in Boca Raton for over 20 years and the second you walk in, you can see why. From the moment you step inside, you feel like you’re part of something special – an elite club membership of food. The gentlemen dressed in their suits and ties and ladies in their beautiful cocktail dresses, everyone ready for a magical evening of food and fun. I had the honor of attending the Hudson Whiskey Dinner last week, check out our experience below!

Hudson Whiskey is the first whiskey distillery in New York State since the Prohibition. They have climbed their way up to the top shelf of whiskey since 2001, earning various awards including “Best Artisan Distiller of 2010”. It’s clear why New York Prime & Hudson Whisky combined forces to create a culinary masterpiece!

The evening began with the Hudson Baby Bourbon Old Fashioned. The Baby Bourbon is New York’s first bourbon ever. Its made with 100% Empire State corn, aged in casks ranging from 10 gallons to 53 gallons in size. For me, it was the perfect introduction to aged whiskey. I’m typically not a whiskey drinker myself, but this glass of whiskey warmed me up, I could taste the smokiness and fresh citrus combination from the first sip.

The meal started off with European style handmade bread. My favorite was the raisin, crispy bread because it was sugary and coupled well with the the whiskey. The bread is served with pure, sweet creamed butter. It was a nice way to soak up all the whisky tin my stomach!

The first course was thick cut sizzling bacon. It was exactly what you want bacon to be: smoky, crispy and utterly delicious. I’m usually not a fan of the fat around bacon however I couldn’t help but finish the entire slice, fat and all.

The bacon was paired with Hudson Maple Cask Rye. The biggest difference between the first and second drink, was the thickness of the drink and how much it tasted like maple syrup. It was sweeter than the first but still crisp and refreshing. Hudson Maple Cask Rye is double distilled from locally harvested New York rye. It tastes precisely how it was made, fully aged in charred oak barrels and finished in maple syrup cured whiskey casks.

The second course was a refreshing chopped Italian salad paired with Hudson Manhattan Rye. Made of 100% rye, this drink is quite spicy, smooth and strong. And by strong I mean 92 proof strong. Let’s just say, I had to take it easy on this one.

The third course was the crème de la crème of main courses. It included the infamous 16oz New York Strip with hash browns and creamed spinach. The steak is cooked to any temperature you desire and seasoned exceptionally well – in fact it was so good that I had no need for steak sauce.

The delectable flavor comes from the fact that every steak is aged for a minimum of 4 weeks! Their passion for quality and flavor is clear, New York Prime serve only USDA grade prime for every cut of beef and delivers exactly what they state on their menu, nothing less. The portion was so generous that I had to take more than half of it home. It was my favorite part of the meal and I even enjoyed it the day after!

This meal was paired with the Hudson 4 Grain. The Hudson 4 Grain is a mixture of rich corn, peppery rye, subtle wheat and sweet malted barley. Hence, it wasn’t a surprise that this full-flavored whiskey was paired with this full-flavored meat. Yet another superb combo!

Time for final course, I barely had any room left but I just couldn’t say no to dessert. The fourth course was chocolate cake and it did not disappoint. The cake was rich, moist and the icing had just the right amount of sweetness. Chocolate cake can be hard to do right and I think they did a nice job – it was a pleasantly sweet and topped with large chocolate chips. Every single slice was so large it could feed at least three people; it seems like New York Prime is a very generous restaurant and never wants anyone to leave hungry.

The dessert was paired with the Hudson Single Malt, which is made of 100% whole-ground malted barley that has a depth of flavor and can be enjoyed on its own. It was an impeccable end to a wonderful evening!

All in all, New York Prime is a classy restaurant, full of immaculately prepared food and drinks. The service is superior to typical Boca Raton restaurants plus the ambiance is classy and vibrant. The founder of Tuthilltown Spirits, Ralph Erenzo, greeted every single person enjoying dinner that night. Similarly to the pairings, he was welcoming, engaging and made the evening feel as if you were part of the family. I would absolutely dine at New York Prime again!

 Sheynelle Brown is a contributor for the South Florida Sage. She has a passion for pursuing and achieving her goals – including goals in the kitchen. There isn’t a recipe she won’t attempt at least once or a food she won’t try. She is always on the go, if she isn’t trying different foodie spot in South Florida, she delights in church activities and art museums. Her current project is working on her own lifestyle blog Sheynelle Number Five.

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Disclosure: I received a complimentary tasting at New York Prime. All opinions are my own. All images appearing in this post photographed by Sheynelle Brown.