Small plates at a steakhouse may sound like heresy, but Boka Restaurant Group’s audacious venture with chef-owner Giuseppe Tentori delivers a novel kind of satisfaction. Instead of a meat bacchanal, the Carnivore (above)—the centerpiece of GT Prime’s menu—is a tasting of petite four- or eight-ounce cuts of beef tenderloin, strip loin, venison loin, and American wagyu strip loin. Each is sliced into thin, savory medallions and ID’ed with an adorable little flag stuck in a lemon wedge. Once you get past the cognitive dissonance, what remains is the fascinating chance to compare and contrast top-notch beef in a striking space that’s equal parts rustic log cabin and sweeping, chandelier-lit parlor. In a world of cookie-cutter steakhouses, there’s nothing else remotely like it.

Tip:Ask your server about the hidden messages in the dining room’s photographs. (Hint: One involves eggs bearing the initials of the children of Tentori and fellow owners Kevin Boehm and Rob Katz.)