Category Archives: Seafood

Smith & Wollensky

Posted on by

**** (4 stars)

In a city almost stuffed to the brim with steakhouses, Smith & Wollensky is one of the better known names. A mini chain (of 9) founded in New York in 1977, it is now owned by Patina Group.

The Chicago location looks and feels fairly venerable, although the interior is certainly modern, and the extensive patio is more light and airy than one associates with steakhouses.

As with all the major steakhouses, prices are high, because prime aged meat ain’t cheap. Lunch is a more economical option, and that’s when I tried it out.

After a nice serving of a complementary bread loaf (topped with herbs) I began with the split pea soup, which was in many way the highlight of the meal. Smooth and delicious, it had a great fresh pea flavor with a hint of smoke. My mother’s specialty was split pea soup, and this was better. High praise indeed.

Next I had the Wollensky salad, a huge serving of crisp lettuce with lardons, mushrooms, and (oddly) cubes of potatoes instead of croutons. I really enjoyed the vinaigrette dressing, and liked the salad enough to take the leftovers with me (which were a lot).

I finished with the steak sandwich, which was served with slaw, a pickle, and a side of fries. The steak was extremely tender and flavorful. I liked the horseradish sauce on the bun. The fries were just all right.

Any of these three courses would have been a complete lunch, making it an affordable option.

Service was very attentive, and there’s a nice view across the river.

Smith & Wollensky
318 N State St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 670-9900
http://www.yelp.com/biz/smith-and-wollensky-chicago

Siena Tavern

Posted on by

**** (4 stars)

Despite its name, Siena Tavern doesn’t really come across as either Italian or a tavern. True, there is a list of pizzas, and they serve drinks, but it seems more like  a Hillstone concept to me.

The decor is open and modern, with a few too many hard surfaces to control the noise level when it’s busy (which seems to be most of the time).

We went for Sunday brunch/lunch, and I was pleased to find that while there were some very tasty looking brunch items, there were also lots of non-breakfast choices.

The chopped salad was an interesting conglomeration of vegetables, cheese and meat, and had enough juice from the artichoke hearts and other veggies that it didn’t really need the accompanying honey mustard dressing, so I’m glad I had that on the side.

The “burnt crust” pepperoni pizza wasn’t quite as charred as I would have liked, but it did have a very thin crust and good flavor.

Service was efficient, a necessity given how busy they were.

I’m not sure what would draw me back for a revisit (maybe some of the breakfast items, which looked really delicious and really bad for you) but my visit was fine.

Siena Tavern
51 W Kinzie St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 595-1322
http://www.yelp.com/biz/siena-tavern-chicago

Taverna Opa

Posted on by

**** (4 stars)

Taverna Opa offers one of the most fun venues at Pointe Orlando. Serving both lunch and dinner, the restaurant has very different atmospheres at day and night.

Lunch is a quiet affair where you can eat outside, inside, and large parties can be accommodated in the spacious back room. At night it transforms into a lively party atmosphere, with much twirling of napkins and shouts of “Opa!”

The menu offers all the Greek standards. The cold appetizer platter is a nice sampling of three dips, and the hot appetizer platter offers delicious wings, lamb ribs, and so-so calamari.

Complementary hummus that you crush yourself is served with very fresh pitas.

The best appetizer is probably the flaming cheese.

The souvlaki is actually a gyro served with fries, and your choice of filling.

Service is friendly and the wine list is extensive.

Taverna Opa
9101 International Dr
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 351-8660
http://www.yelp.com/biz/taverna-opa-orlando-3

Caprino’s Italian

Posted on by

**** (4 stars)

Caprino’s is a much better restaurant than anything that has previously occupied this space. Run by Chef Stefano, who previously had the restaurant at the entrance to Summerport, and also has Stefano’s Grill in Dr Phillip’s Marketplace, Caprino’s strikes a balance between neighborhood Italian restaurant and sports bar.

The space is still the amalgam of Rialto’s ornate fine dining restaurant wrapped around a somewhat incongruous bar dotted with big screen TVs, but this serves the menu well, with its emphasis on combining traditional Italian dishes with sports bar food.

Whether your party wants wings, hoagies, pasta or pizza, there is likely something for everyone. And at the higher end, the beef is reportedly all prime; it and the seafood are butchered on site.

Our server was friendly and well-informed, and the service in general seemed quite polished for a restaurant open less than two months. On a moderately busy Friday night the kitchen was having trouble keeping up, which caused some service issues, but presumably these will be corrected.

The pizza is thin crust and has an authentic Naples taste to it. We tried two specials: the osso buco was heavily over-salted, but the lobster ravioli was well-prepared. Caesar salad is conventional and includes house made croutons.

Desserts are the same offerings as at Stefano’s Grill. The tira misu was generous.

Wine by the glass selections are somewhat limited, but there is a nice list of 29 bottles for $29 each, and also extensive cocktail offerings.

Chef Stefano was circulating throughout the dining room on the night we were there, and his hands on approach has certainly improved the experience at this neighborhood restaurant. So far it’s paying off with increased patronage.

Caprino’s Italian
7782 Winter Garden Vineland Rd
Ste 140
Windermere, FL 34786
(407) 500-3663
http://www.yelp.com/biz/caprinos-italian-windermere

The Oceanaire Seafood Room

Posted on by

***** (5 stars)

They’ve really upped their game at Orlando’s Oceanaire. Years ago this was the sort of place with a tray of condiments including boxes of Old Bay seasoning and oyster crackers sitting in the middle of each table, which made it feel like a New England seafood house on the pier. No more. Now crisp white table cloths and elegant blue candles set the tone for more of a supper club experience.

While there is always a collection of fresh fish, my favorite things about Oceanaire are the starters and the steaks. Lump crabmeat, tuna tartare, and clam chowder are all standouts, and there are also some really nice salads. The steaks are actually better than at the Capital Grille next door.

Service is extremely professional, and wine service is knowledgable, with an extensive list to draw upon. This is my favorite restaurant at Pointe Orlando.

The Oceanaire Seafood Room
9101 International Dr
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 363-4801
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-oceanaire-seafood-room-orlando

Shaw’s Crab House

Posted on by

**** (4 stars)

Shaw’s is a bustling (that’s restaurant speak for noisy), sprawling, traditional red leather booth place that serves shellfish, fish and sushi to a packed house every night. The extensive menu is filled with traditional items and preparations, and waiters sport traditional white jackets, although the service is anything but stiff.

The menu begins with an interesting selection of (yes, traditional) cocktails, and some nicely thought out wine by the glass selections.

The tuna tartare appetizer nicely combined citrus and avocado flavors, and was accompanied by ample dipping chips. Shrimp cocktail was a classic preparation, with good sized shrimp and just the right amount of horseradish.

I particularly enjoyed the Caesar salad, which had a nicely balanced dressing, and thin wafer-like croutons with a lot of flavor.

The Copper River salmon was good, not remarkable, but I really enjoyed the accompanying grilled asparagus. A side of au gratin potatoes was more like a dish of cheese and butter with a trace of potatoes under there, but it was as delicious as it sounds.

Shaw’s is not a great place for quiet conversation, but it works well for a boisterous business dinner, or a group of friends that knows each other well enough that deep conversation isn’t on the agenda.

Shaw’s Crab House
21 E Hubbard St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 527-2722
http://www.yelp.com/biz/shaws-crab-house-chicago

Kasa Restaurant & Bar

Posted on by

***** (5 stars)

Of all the places in Orlando that are trying to be hip and gourmet and eclectic at the same time, I think Kasa succeeds the best. The only downside is that when you take a room full of hip gourmets and place them in a hard surfaced room and fill them with cocktails, things can get VERY LOUD.

Frankly, I was surprised how good the food was here. I honestly think it’s better than the Rusty Spoon or Ceviche, both nearby tapas contenders.

The standout was the Kasa corn, which I wouldn’t have ordered except for the other rave reviews. Small sections of corn on the cob are served on sticks, coated with both spicy and creamy condiments–scrumptious.

Brussels sprouts and bacon were good, not as rich as you’d imagine due to the vinegary base.

Tuna tartare (which is served with plantain chips, NOT tostones) was just good. Ceviche had a nice lime base but was marred by too tough conch; a different shellfish would have been better.

The fondue is more like cream sauce than cheese; the accompanying yucca fries were poofy on the inside and crisp on the outside, and were piping hot.

Cuban mojo ribs were succulent, but much sweeter and wetter than the “dry rub” description led us to expect.

We almost never order dessert, but the raves about the destroyed apple pie with salted caramel ice cream tempted us into trying it. The pie is rolled up and deep fried, then cut into sushi-like slices. It was delicious, but the salted caramel ice cream was the real standout. My wife, who hates desserts, kept going back for more and more of this incredible ice cream, which she described as the best she ever had.

Service was friendly and helpful. The wine list is brief and rather middle brow, but there are plenty of cocktail choices.

Kasa is definitely one of the top foodie destinations in downtown Orlando.

Kasa Restaurant & Bar
183 S Orange Ave
Ste 183
Orlando, FL 32801
(407) 985-5272
http://www.yelp.com/biz/kasa-restaurant-and-bar-orlando

Bonefish Grill

Posted on by

**** (4 stars)

I’ve been to a few different Bonefish locations, and this one is my favorite. There’s a great interior design and very friendly service. Everyone loves the Bang Bang Shrimp appetizer.

I’m really happy they started offering their Sunday brunch again, and that it has lunch items as well as brunch ones. Both are excellent choices. In fact they are currently open every day for lunch, and there are some very reasonably prices and excellent items available.

Bonefish Grill
3279 Daniels Rd,
Ste. 108
Winter Garden, FL 34787
(407) 654-6093
http://www.yelp.com/biz/bonefish-grill-winter-garden

Kabooki Sushi – An Extravaganza

Posted on by

***** (5 stars)

We returned to our favorite sushi place (in the world) for an extravaganza, taking advantage of Dani being in town, and a visit from our friend Pamela from Australia. Truly, there is no better sushi in the world, and no more creative sushi chef than Chef Henry. Every visit offers new and spectacular selections, and this trip was no exception. Each course was accompanied by matching wine.

The kitchen

The kitchen

Tom yum soup with coconut broth, lime and head-on shrimp

Tom yum soup with coconut broth, lime and head-on shrimp

Kanpachi tartare

Kanpachi tartare

Our favorite, maguro truffle

Our favorite, maguro truffle

Sashimi patter featuring whole branzino with a ponzu-based sauce

Sashimi patter featuring whole branzino with a ponzu-based sauce

Kobe beef nigiri with black truffle

Kobe beef nigiri with black truffle

Pork belly with mushrooms

Pork belly with mushrooms

Chef Henry flames the lobster

Chef Henry flames the lobster

Lobster

Lobster

Three layer flan, molten chocolate cake, bread pudding, cappuccino creme brûlée

Three layer flan, molten chocolate cake, bread pudding, cappuccino creme brûlée

What an amazing meal! We’re ready to go back!

 

Kabooki Sushi
3122 E Colonial Dr
Orlando, FL 32803
(407) 228-3839
http://www.yelp.com/biz/kabooki-sushi-orlando

Mingos

Posted on by

*** (3 stars)

This is the third venue I’ve been to in this space, and they don’t seem to be getting any better. I’m not sure what differences account for the emptiness of this place when there are lines on the sidewalk for places across the street.

But clearly one difference is the food quality, which is not improving through the various iterations. On a recent visit we sampled several appetizers that were half price during happy hour, including a very soggy flatbread made with limp naan bread, some mediocre mussels, and a very tasty “pork wing.”

We then preceded to the tomahawk steak for two. This was an excellent and perfectly cooked piece of beef accompanied by average asparagus and almost inedible au gratin potatoes.

I will say, though, that the steak was an excellent deal since it included the sides, two salads and a bottle of low end wine, all for $35 per person. Including additional drinks and all these courses, dinner only totaled $108, so definitely a good deal, mostly due to happy hour pricing.

The irony is that the best things we had were both meat, and this is a seafood restaurant.

There was nothing dreadful about the meal, but also nothing that would draw us back, so I think I’ll wait for the fourth iteration before trying it again.

Mingos
100 S Eola Dr
Ste 105
Orlando, FL 32801
(407) 781-2539
http://www.yelp.com/biz/mingos-orlando