Prime Steakhouse in Huntington rolls out raw bar and updated look

After a round-the-clock, five-day renovation, Huntington’s Prime: An American Kitchen & Bar is to reopen Friday with an updated look and a prominent new raw bar to bolster an expanded selection of oysters and other shellfish.

“We’re a waterfront restaurant, and oysters have become an important part of what we’re doing,” said Michael Bohlsen, co-founder of Prime’s parent company, the Bohlsen Restaurant Group. “Our reaction to the increasing demand of oysters is to feed it, both literally and figuratively.”

The raw bar, now part of the Wave Bar, does not have seats — instead, it is a front-and-center display and shucking station for an expanded array of oysters and clams from Long Island and around the country. (Oyster consultant and champion shucker Patrick McMurray is advising Prime on sourcing). “It’s a working oyster bar,” Bohlsen said. “We’ll use the space for a couple of weeks before we really launch it.”

By the time that official launch arrives in early May, Prime will be offering six to eight oyster selections daily, up from four, as well as seasonal raw and chilled items like local razor clams.

A team has worked day and night during Prime’s five-day closure to shift the interior look of the steakhouse, the first major renovation since Prime opened 10 years ago. New floors, banquettes, cushioned bar stools and chairs, lighting and accents throughout the space were mostly made by American artisans and craftspeople.

Prime was named one of Newsday’s top 100 restaurants for 2017.

Prime Restaurant, 117 N. New York Ave., Huntington. 631-385-1515, restaurantprime.com