Dual-concept restaurant dishes up pizzas and top-shelf steaks in Blaine

Longtime Blaine resident Mike Breese has seen his community grow over the years, but not everything has kept pace.

"Blaine's really matured rapidly, but it hasn't grown commercially. You couldn't find a lot of fine dining [steak places] here — you would have to go to Roseville, Minneapolis or Maple Grove."

The developer has teamed up with Jeff Cosgrove to open what they hope is the best of both the casual and fine-dining food worlds. This week, the two-story dual restaurant concept Pizza Pub and Prime rolled out as part of the new National Sports Village, the restaurants, shops and community sports hub next to the National Sports Center.

The first floor is home to Pizza Pub, a family-friendly sports bar with several locations across the state; Prime, a fine-dining seafood and steak place, occupies the second floor. A rooftop patio will host select items from both menus.

In addition to high-ranking USDA-certified angus prime grade steaks (including dry-aging rib-eyes, which greet diners from behind a glass case), Prime hopes to become a destination for sought-after Kobe beef.

Breese said the restaurant received the Golden Bull Kobe Beef Association certification, given to a limited number of retailers that meet strict requirements. The designation allows access to the highly marbleized beef from elite farms in Japan, where cows get sake massages. Breese said Prime is currently the only place in Minnesota with the certification (there are only 32 in the country; the next closest location is in Chicago). "We just got approved so it won't be available right away when we open," he said.

Frank Loprete Jr. is heading both kitchens. The chef, who grew up learning to cook from his Italian family and whose résumé includes Woolley's Steakhouse (now Woolley's Kitchen + Bar) in Bloomington, says he is excited to specialize in what he knows best. "We just want people to have a quality steak done right when they come here," he said, adding that the bone-in, dry-aged rib-eye is among the cuts he's looking forward to serving. "It's my favorite steak. It's got the high-fat content. And when it's dry-aged, it intensifies the flavor while breaking down the muscle fibers."

Breese's business partner has curated the extensive wine list. Cosgrove, a former owner of a St. Paul medical research company, followed his passion for wine and is now a Level 3 certified sommelier. He's partnering with several distributors to get varieties from Argentina, Napa Valley, Italy, Spain and beyond to offer a wide selection of pairings. "Wines are a big focus of what we're doing here," said Cosgrove, who said they'll eventually host wine education events, too.

Breese, whose brother-in-law runs Pizza Pub restaurants throughout the state, has also done his due diligence. Breese worked at the Forest Lake location for two years, with stints as a dishwasher and bartender among other roles. "I wanted to learn everything I could about the business," he said. "It inspired me to open these restaurants."

Pizza Pub and Prime, 2190 105th Av. NE., Blaine, (Pizza Pub 763-330-0390, Prime 763-330-0490), pizzapubprime.com.

Pizza Pub

The vibe: On the first floor, the 212-seat (plus 74 more come patio season) casual Pizza Pub, a family-friendly sports bar, is part of the local chain of restaurants, this one marking its 10th location. There are more than 50 televisions to watch sporting events at booth and table seats as well as an expansive bar area.

Food and drink: The sizable menu includes salads, sandwiches, burgers, pastas, and pizza cut up in Minnesota-style squares. Cocktails, beer and wine. A weekday lunch buffet option of salads, breadsticks and pizza will be added in the future.

Prices: Appetizers $7-$15, pizzas $7-$27, entrees $14-$18, kids menu $8.

Hours: Sun.-Thu. 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-1 a.m.

Prime

The vibe: The 88-seat steak and seafood space on the second floor is filled with warm walnut details, leather banquettes, cream-colored corduroy U-shaped booths, charcoal walls and soft pendants that bounce off blonde brick walls give off a modern industrial vibe. Architect Jeremy Nelson of Little Box in Minneapolis designed the space.

Food and drink: Appetizers include oysters, crabcakes, lobster and watermelon salad, lamb lollipops and Duroc pork belly. Entrees include pasta, crab-crusted sea bass, rosemary chicken and Duroc bone-in pork chop. Steaks include hanger, New York strip, rib-eye, filet mignon and, eventually, Kobe. Cocktails, cordials and a sizable list of wines from around the world.

Prices: Appetizers $10-$28, soups and salads $10-$18, pasta, fish, chicken and chops entrees $26-$54, steaks $45 (hanger steak)-$150 (32 oz. tomahawk rib-eye), sides $12-$16.

Hours: 4-10 p.m. daily.