Prime Blue Grille opened less than a month ago and already has a buzz. Photo by Andrew Meade

Another steak house? Well, yes and no. Yes, Prime Blue Grille is a steak house filled with thick cuts of meat and fresh seafood. But Prime Blue Grille doesn’t look like your typical steak house. There’s no heavy “gentleman’s club” feel, no dark woods and deep burgundy. Rather, Blue is a bright, light contemporary stop with a fabulous view of Biscayne Bay, dual-level seating indoors and patio dining. Blue doesn’t actually taste like most other steak houses either, because its meats are all-natural, hormone-free prime and its seafood is all wild caught. That’s two feathers in the caps of the three former Smith & Wollensky executives who created Prime Blue Grille. Another is the knowledge that they have imparted to their wait staff. Our superb waiter, Mario, broke down the various cuts of beef for us before we ever placed our order.

Selecting starters was difficult, since there was the raw bar, about a dozen appetizers, four salads and even a handful of pizzas to choose from. The Crab Cake ($14.50) was practically all Maryland lump crab, lightly breaded and browned. Executive Chef Tindaro LoSurdo hails from New England, where crab cakes are usually served with corn chowder. His spin was to serve his over a sweet and crunchy creamed corn, adding two new dimensions to an old favorite. Wood Grilled Point Judith Calamari ($12.50) were impressive (in both size and tenderness) slices in a lemon vinaigrette. LoSurdo may have lived in Boston, but his Sicilian heritage shone through in this dish, as he blended the squid with a tart fennel and orange salad. “We always do fennel with grilled seafood,” he explained. To bring South Florida into the mix, he also added chorizo, which gave the calamari a light bite. A future signature dish was the Black Bean Scallops ($13.50). These New Bedford jumbo sea scallops were tender and sweet, and the fermented black bean sauce actually added a slight citrusy tang. A bit of sliced jicama gave the dish a crunch. The most fun was the Smoked Tomato Soup ($7). We weren’t prepared to take the menu literally when it stated that the soup included a sharp cheddar grilled cheese. Actually, it was Mom’s after-school lunch of soup and grilled cheese sandwich. Of course, Mom never smoked her tomatoes in a wood-burning stove to give her soup a smoky, woodsy flavor. Nor did she kick it up with a little thyme and garlic.

Both the steaks and grilled seafood can be ordered with a gorgonzola crust ($3), a crabmeat Oscar style ($8) or with truffle butter ($3), but we chose to savor our all-natural choices au naturel. Mario was quick to remind us that the rib eye ($39.50) has the most flavor and marbling of all the beef cuts, and bone-in it’s even richer. The 20-ounce serving matched its billing, grilled to perfection with just a little salt and pepper seasoning. The hearty, eight-chop Rack of Lamb ($35) offered a hint of Morocco, as LoSurdo mixed mint directly into his gremolata. Perhaps it was the hormone-free history of the lamb or the mint infusion, but there was no gamey taste. Just pure pleasure. None of the fish selections were farm raised. The wild-caught, wood-fire grilled Chilean Sea Bass ($29.50) was buttery and flaky even though we thought its thickness would give the chef a difficult time. The Veal Chop ($38) is the rib eye of veal, of course with a lighter flavor than the steak. To that lightness, LoSurdo added a balsamic glaze which gave the tender meat an added sweetness.

Each dish comes with a choice of garnish, ranging from caramelized cippolini onions to roasted corn to wild mushrooms. Two of our garnishes arrived on the wrong plates and, before we could even say anything, an observant server noticed the error, whisked the dishes away and made the correction.

There were more than 20 side dishes ($8.50 each) on the menu. The roasted Swiss chard arrived with its long purple stalks joined with thin-sliced chorizo. The gnocchi was sadly overcooked and pasty. But we enjoyed the hash browns with their blend of scallions, Vidalias and shallots.

Desserts ($7.50 each) included a fascinating take on key lime. A light key lime mousse was stuffed into sugar cookie cannoli tubes and dusted with toasted coconut.

Considering Prime Blue Grille quietly opened only two weeks ago, it was impressive that all 275 of its seats were filled. And soon its charcuterie is scheduled to open, where its prime meats and fresh fish will be available for home consumption. Yet another thing that makes this restaurant more than just another steak house.

Prime Blue Grille   ADDRESS: 315 S. Biscayne Blvd., Miami PHONE: 305-358-5900 HOURS: Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday 11:30 a.m. to midnight; Saturday 5 p.m. to midnight; Sunday 4 to 10 p.m. RESERVATIONS: Requested FOOD: Steak and seafood SERVICE: Skilled PRICES: Appetizers $7 to $15; entrées $20 to $72 WINES: Handsome list of domestic and international labels ATMOSPHERE: Bright, light and contemporary CREDIT CARDS: All