Posted Fri, Jul. 26, 2002
quick bites
A good catch
THE CUISINE: Mediterranean
THE HITS: First, kudos to our
waiter, who was attentive without being overbearing. We began with
the mixed appetizer plate ($14.95 for two), featuring fresh jumbo
shrimp sautéed in lemon-Dijon sauce; meaty and juicy wood-roasted
portobello mushrooms; and smoked salmon bruschetta with roma
tomatoes, mozzarella and a drizzle of dill pesto, a combination
that appealed enormously to both my dining companion and me,
though neither of us has salmon-loving palates.
The Mediterranean salad (small, $6)
is a perfect mélange of romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers,
black olives, peppers and goat cheese in a herbed red-wine
vinaigrette; the blue cheese salad (small, $7) was equally tasty
and featured grilled artichokes, tomatoes, sugar and spice
walnuts, and, of course, blue cheese, all on a bed of lettuce.
We
could have (and probably should have) stopped eating right there
and jumped straight to dessert, a rich toasted-hazelnut brownie
with white chocolate gelato ($5) and fresh strawberries served on
angel cake that was light - but perhaps too light to hold the
berries massed on it with maple sour cream sauce ($5). Also worth
noting is a nice wine list, if a bit pricey.
THE
MISSES: Entrees were good, but not exceptional. My friend had the
mixed seafood grill ($14.95) with trout, halibut and shrimp, while
I tried to tackle paella ($16.95). While the dish featured tender
roasted chicken, spicy sausage and fresh shellfish, it was
drenched in a rich tomato saffron sauce that, by this point in the
dinner, was simply too much.
Ambience
was generally pleasant, though my dining companion threatened to
shoot the piano player and aptly noted that the downside of having
a great restaurant at the corner of a busy parking lot is that
there's not a whole lot of view to admire.
THE
PARKING: Shouldn't be a problem. The restaurant is perched at the
end of a Tom Thumb strip center parking lot.
THE
DETAILS: Open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Friday; 5 p.m.-midnight
Saturday. Full bar; smoking at bar; major credit cards; wheelchair
accessible.
- Catherine
Newton
