Purdue has hired a new AD in Tommy McClelland and one of the things that he was brought in to do was raise money. Not just money either but MONEY. As in, turn on the money fountain and make it run 24×7 type of money. Will he reach that goal? It’s too early to say, but one of the assets on Purdue’s campus that I expect him to take advantage of is the new steakhouse, Boilerhouse Prime. Now, you’re probably thinking to yourself, yeah Ledman that’s great and all, but what does this have to do with Hammer
and Rails? To be honest, that’s a good question. Here’s my answer, with the football season starting Friday Purdue will see an influx of a huge number of visitors who will be looking for some food and some of you might be looking for what can only be described as a rather fancy meal. So, here’s what I’ve done for you. I went to Boilerhouse Prime to have a meal for myself and decided I’d write about it for you. (This article is not in any way funded by Boilerhouse Prime or part of any sort of sponsorship deal with them. I received no money or any sort of compensation for this article I just thought this would be a refreshing change of pace from looking at an Indiana State team that Purdue should be able to take down with ease.)
First off, it’s a beautiful place right off the golf course. Golf isn’t my thing, but if you’re into that you can go play 9 or 18 holes and then head right to the restaurant. I went to dinner with my wife and we had a reservation so we didn’t take any time at the bar beforehand. However, it looked like there were plenty of folks working the bar if you wanted to imbibe a beverage before you went to your table. As we headed to our table it was hard not to notice all the Purdue memorabilia on the walls obviously heavily focused on golf, again, it’s on a golf course. It was fun to see the old pictures and the old pieces on the wall. All presented very beautifully in lovely frames. Very classy. Our waitress came over and introduced herself and was as nice as could be. Exactly what you’d expect from a classy place like this. My wife and I put in our order for a bottle of wine and an appetizer of Truffle Honey Burrata. Was it delicious? It sure was, the apricot agrodolce (yes, I had to google this in the restaurant to see what it was) is basically a sweet and sour type sauce was very good and the accompanying bread (described as rustic for some reason) had a nice crunch that contrasted with the creaminess of the burrata. An excellent way to start a meal. If I were to order again though I’d maybe look to the Oven Roasted Waygu Meatball just because I love a good meatball.
We actually were attending for our anniversary so they offered us a picture that they then printed out and put in a cardstock frame with their logo on it. My wife and I gladly accepted and they took a nice photo for us while we clinked our glasses in celebration of 14 years of marraige. A very nice touch that truly makes you feel special. I would imagine that if Tommy McClelland brings you in you’ll get offered a lovely picture for your trouble. It was time to order and for my wife it was the Roasted Australian Lamb. For me it was the Classic Oscar. As my wife and I chatted they brought us out some fresh rolls and maybe this is the Indiana in me coming out but the rolls were perhaps the best part of the meal. Now, I know that sounds crazy when I paid $89 for my entree but I swear that’s not a slight on the entree it’s high praise for the bread. The bread had a nice amount of salt on top and the butter was fresh, creamy, and full of flavor. My wife and I couldn’t get enough of these things. We devoured them.
The entrees came and I loved the filet with the truffle bearnaise. It paired very well together. The asparagus was, well, asparagus so there’s not much to write about there. I will say I wish there was a bit more crab with the meal but what I did have was good. My wife had actually never had lamb but took a chance on it here. She enjoyed the breading on it and thought it was flavorful but there was too much fat on it for her taste. I will note that she HATES fatty food so that’s maybe more a her issue than a restaurant issue though so your mileage may vary. We also ordered a side of mac and cheese for the table (no lobster as lobster is simply a butter delivery system and not good: fight me). We snacked on that in between bites of our main course and were both pleased. It could have had a sharper cheese but overall a very good side.
Finally, we thought the meal was over but our waitress came over and informed us that since it was our anniversary they were offering us a free dessert. If you know me at all you know I’m not going to turn down dessert ever. (True story I was once late coming home to my wife because the event I was at brought out dessert, little did I know my wife was about to tell me she was pregnant and had gotten me ice cream and a special spooon to announce it. She was not pleased.) So I went with the tableside Baked Alaska. The staff came right to the table, lit the rum on fire, and made the Baked Alaska right next to us at the table. I have to say it was a fun experience. Having never had Baked Alaska before it was absolutely worth it. Though, if I return I think I’d go for the creme brulee instead. It’s just a more classic dessert and one that I personally believe is better than Baked Alaska. I didn’t expect to taste the char of the marshmallow quite so much. Still good, but a different flavor than I expected.
So overall what did I think? Well, it was very expensive (minus the bottle of wine and tip you could basically calculate what I paid based on my article here). I’m a guy who generally is happy with a burger and fries or some pizza so this was honestly a bit out of my comfort zone. Any restaurant where I have to google some ingredients gives me a bit of a twitchy feeling. However, this was my anniversary and we wanted somewhere fancy. It was a great night with great service from everyone we interacted with. I would imagine that a number of big donors will greatly enjoy this experience. For me, the food was delicious, the staff was wonderful, and the overall experience was one of the best I’ve had. That being said, the price was, well the price, so it’s definitely not an everyday stop but if you’re looking for a one of a kind experience in the greater Lafayette area it’s hard to beat Boilerhouse prime. So Tommy, I hope you take great advantage of the opportunities here and turn those big donors upside down by their ankles after feeding them a fantastic steak and wowing them with a tableside baked Alaska.
