Prime 44 West at The Greenbrier – America’s Resort, White Sulphur Springs, WV, USA

We had a fabulous dinner at Prime 44 West at The Greenbrier® – America’s Resort located in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Prime 44 West is an upscale steakhouse named for native West Virginian Jerry West, who played at West Virginia University and also played, and later coached, the Los Angeles Lakers, part of the National Association of Basketball league, where he won a total of 10 championships;  impeccable service matches the high profile cuisine. Sous Chef Meredith Flavin is the talent in the kitchen.

During our stay at The Greenbrier® – America’s Resort in early February 2016, we had dinner at Prime 44 West, where the restaurant’s décor is a tribute to its namesake, Jerry West, who proudly wore the number 44 jersey during his years playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. Dark wood walls act as the perfect backdrop for framed number 44 Los Angeles Lakers jerseys, Jerry West portraits, Lakers memorabilia, and piped in music add to the restaurant’s ambience.

Prime 44 West

Chandeliers with red mini-lampshades softly illuminate the dining room, dark brown leather nail head chairs flank tables draped with pristine white linens and accessorized with black napkins, red water glasses and square red oil burning candle holders. Impeccable and attentive service by the Prime West 44 team ensured guest satisfaction.

Chef Meredith Flavin

To begin our dining experience, our server Leslie brought us a basket filled with a selection of bacon rolls, sourdough rolls, and owner Jim Justice’s wife, Cathy Justice’s (Best of Show) Blue Ribbon Cornbread (see recipe below), which were light, moist, and tasty while we perused the menu.

Sautéed Escargot 

For our starters, we had the Oysters Rockefeller made with creamed spinach, Pernod, and panko breads crumbs, and the Sautéed Escargot with black garlic butter sauce, trumpet mushrooms, wilted leeks and toasted sourdough crostini (Chef Meredith Flavin graciously shares her escargot recipe in the Chefs’ Recipes section). Both starters were richly decadent and perfect as an introduction to the Prime 44 West classic style.

Oysters Rockerfeller

We continued with Karen’s Caesar named for Jerry West’s wife, which uses her Caesar salad recipe which adds chives and sea salt to the classic preparation, and was prepared tableside. Hearts of romaine lettuce were tossed with a blend of garlic, anchovy paste, Worcestershire sauce, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, egg yolk, chives, sea salt, and imported Parmesan, plated then topped with anchovies, croutons, and extra shaved Parmesan. Delicious!

Creating Caesar Salad

Karen’s Caesar Salad

The menu has a nice selection of land and sea dishes to appeal to diverse palates, and we selected one entrée from each category. The Pan Seared Bay of Fundy Salmon was perfectly prepared and presented on an inviting bed of blue crab, mashed purple potatoes, asparagus and a beurre blanc sauce.

Pan Seared Bay of Fundy Salmon

From the Land section of the menu, we had the Wagyu Filet Mignon, which was a tasty trio cooked to order with each filet topped with a different sauce: Béarnaise, Au Poivre, and a Blue Cheese Crust for a truly decadent dining experience, especially when paired with a bottle of Owen Roe Ex Umbris 2012 Syrah, 14.1% alcohol, from Columbia Valley, Washington with its heady aromas of leather, tobacco, and dark ripe fruit on the nose, with a lingering finish on the palate.

Wagyu Filet Mignon Trio

For side courses, we had the Lobster Mashed Potatoes, featured on The Food Network’s "The Best Thing I Ever Ate," and the Grilled Chef’s Garden Vegetables, served in small black cast iron skillets. The lobster mashed potatoes was deliciously indulgent, and the grilled vegetables were an attractive and colorful mélange of sliced eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini, red bell pepper, and asparagus, drizzled with a balsamic vinegar reduction. Generously portioned, the sides were meant to be shared. 

Grilled Vegetables

We ended our dining experience with the Sticky Toffee Pudding dessert a sinfully rich confection served with warm caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream, and garnished with a thin wedge of dark chocolate. As the restaurant likes to finish in a big way, one dessert, two spoons, was perfect. 

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Prime 44 West graciously shares owner Jim Justice’s wife,
Cathy Justice’s (Best of Show) Blue Ribbon Cornbread Recipe

Cathy Justice’s (Best of Show) Blue Ribbon Cornbread Recipe

Ingredients

Method: Heat oven to 425° F. Prepare an 8-inch by 8-inch oiled pan.

Mix all dry ingredients. Add liquids. Stir softly to mix. Bake for 30 minutes.

After dinner we had the pleasure of meeting with Sous Chef Meredith Flavin who brings her classic training and inspirations to Prime 44 West. 

Read the Chefs’ Recipes section for the interview with Chef Meredith Flavin who graciously shares her recipes for Sautéed Escargot with Black Garlic Butter, and Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras, to provide an inspired taste of the restaurant until you can dine at Prime 44 West.

Edward F. Nesa, Chef Meredith Flavin, Debra C. Argen

Read about our stay at The Greenbrier® – America’s Resort in the Hotels and Resorts section, about our dining experience at The Forum in the Restaurants section, and about our Off-Road Driving experience in the Adventures section. 

Prime 44 West is open for Dinner Monday through Thursday from 6:00 pm until 9:00 pm, and on Friday and Saturday from 6:00 pm until 10:00 pm. Contact the restaurant for reservations or information.

The restaurant has a dress code: Business casual attire, jackets are suggested for gentlemen. If denim is your preference, well-kept denim in a dark shade is theirs. Men’s hats ands baseball caps are not permitted. Children ages 10 and older are required to wear attire similar to that of adults.

Prime 44 West
The Greenbrier® – America’s Resort
300 West Main Street
White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia 24986
United States
Telephone:       +1-855-729-3778 (option 1)
Website:           www.Greenbrier.com
Facebook:         www.facebook.com/TheGreenbrier
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Follow The Greenbrier® – America’s Resort on facebook at www.facebook.com/TheGreenbrier

By Amtrak (www.Amtrak.com): The White Sulphur Springs train station (WSS) is conveniently located next to The Greenbrier’s Christmas Shop at The Depot! Amtrak offers regular train service to The Greenbrier from major cities including Washington, D.C., New York City and Chicago. Guests of The Greenbrier taking Amtrak to White Sulphur Springs can enjoy a 15% discount with promo code: V739. Amtrak also offers a comfortable Business Class car and a Sleeping Car on the Cardinal line.

Amtrak
White Sulphur Springs Station
315 West Main Street
White Sulphur Springs, WV 24986
Station Code: WSS
15% Discount Promo Code: V739
Website:           www.Amtrak.com

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