Raising the Steaks at Vero Prime

Take a classic American steak house and add the flair of a beloved Italian restaurant. That’s the recipe Roger Lenzi has used at Vero Prime. As owner of the restaurant and driving culinary force behind it, Lenzi brings experience and enthusiasm to his work.

The Chicago native began his career working with a restaurant group that owned a wide variety of establishments—“everything from nouveau French to hamburger joints,” he says. Eventually, Lenzi and his wife moved to Tampa, opening a restaurant there and eventually selling it for their move to Vero Beach, where they made their mark with the Italian restaurant Avanzare.

Although Avanzare itself is no more, some of its most popular menu items have been incorporated into Vero Prime, bringing Italian flair (“classic Italian, not Italian-American,” Lenzi notes) to the steak house.

Lenzi’s enthusiastic style is illustrated by a story from the Avanzare days when he approached a table of regular customers who would never order anything except veal piccata. So eager was Lenzi to broaden their tastes, he told them that if they tried something else from the menu and didn’t like it, he would personally make them a reservation at a competitor’s restaurant and buy their first drinks. The pitch worked; they each tried something different and discovered a new favorite. After that, however, their new favorite became—that’s right—the only thing they would ever order. Lenzi laughs at the recollection.

Steak house secrets at Vero Prime include dry aging, along with the use of hickory wood for the grill. “Hickory has good flavor without too much smoke, and it burns hot,” Lenzi explains. “Then we use chunk salt and pepper, and we keep it simple.”

Finding top-quality beef in the first place is key. “We’ve settled on certified Angus,” he says. If the beef does not meet with his approval, he will send it back to the distributor. “In a Cryovac, it’s hard to tell with the marbling. Sometimes a company lets us have a sample and asks, ‘How did you like it?’ and I tell them, ‘Well, we didn’t.’” The rigorous tasting process ensures the quality of Vero Prime’s steaks.

Lenzi enjoys fostering a collaborative and creative atmosphere. “Our kitchen staff are not factory workers,” he says. He wants them to be involved and to offer recipe ideas. Besides, he says wryly of himself: “You hit your 70s and you slow down a little.” But there’s no sign of that in his energetic persona as he talks about his restaurant.

Appetizer: Italian Tuna Tartare

This appetizer represents the Italian side of the Vero Prime menu—the legacy of Avanzare.

Serves 2

• 7 oz. sushi-grade yellowfin tuna
• 3 tsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 1 tsp. capers
• 1/2 tsp. flake salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tbsp. chives, finely chopped
• 4 slices sourdough baguette

Dice the tuna into half-inch pieces. Place in a glass bowl along with 2 tsp. of the olive oil. Thoroughly coat the tuna with the olive oil.

In a separate bowl, combine lemon juice, lemon zest, capers, salt, pepper, and half of the chives. Mix well.

Combine with the tuna and mix well.

Place in a shallow serving bowl. Top with the remaining chives and the remaining teaspoon of olive oil. Lightly toast the slices of sourdough baguette and serve them on the side.

Entrée: Tomahawk Steak

This recipe introduces you to the steak house secrets—at least some of them—of Vero Prime. It reflects Lenzi’s appreciation for well-marbleized steaks and simple yet flavorful preparation.

Serves 2

• 1 tomahawk steak, 36–40 oz.
• 2 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp. corn oil
• 4 sprigs thyme, chopped
• 1 sprig rosemary, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped

Season the steak with salt and pepper and let rest for half an hour.

Heat the corn oil in a large cast-iron skillet. Add the steak and cook at high heat for approximately 5 minutes, until it is blackened on the bottom.

Turn the steak and add the butter. Add the garlic and herbs. Continue to cook 5–7 minutes longer, until the steak is medium rare.

Dessert: Crème Brûlée

The classic French dessert can be made without using a kitchen torch. Roger Lenzi reveals how!

Serves 4

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 5 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups water

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place cream in a saucepan. Add vanilla bean and salt. Simmer over a low heat until slightly hot; then remove from heat and allow to sit for a few minutes. Remove and discard the vanilla bean.

Meanwhile, put the egg yolks in a bowl, add 1/2 cup of sugar and beat together. Stir in 1/4 of the vanilla cream. Pour this mixture into the saucepan with the rest of the vanilla cream and stir together.

Pour the mixture into four 6-ounce ramekins. Place the ramekins in a baking dish. Boil the water and pour into the baking dish until it is halfway up the sides of the ramekins; discard any excess water.

Place in oven and bake 30–40 minutes; it should be settled but still jiggle slightly in the center. Allow to cool completely, then refrigerate for several hours.

Use the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar to top each ramekin with a thin layer of sugar. Place the ramekins in a broiler with the rack placed 2–3 inches from the heat source. Cook until the sugar melts and browns (or even blackens), approximately 5 minutes. Serve within 2 hours of broiling.