When do you celebrate special occasions? It seems like most people wait until prime time (7-9 PM) on Friday and Saturday nights and make reservations at their favorite restaurants accordingly. However, I've found that it pays to remember that just like trying to fly out of the airport between 3-6 PM on Friday afternoons before a Monday holiday, everyone else is trying to do the same thing at the same time and therefore chaos may ensue. So, why not try to plan your celebration a little earlier, say 6:30, or better still, on a weeknight? That way, you're much less likely to encounter the "churn and burn" syndrome that can overtake even the best and most gracious of establishments at peak times. So it was that when my lovely wife the Rock Star and myself had just such an occasion to celebrate this past week, we made plans accordingly and drove to Coast Global Seafood in the burgeoning Shops at Legacy one recent Monday eve.
The interior of Coast Global Seafood is soft whites and beige, with touches of wood and splashes of color. Art work, glass fixtures, and what appears to be a large reddish screen of plankton run amok dominate the dining rooms. Whether you choose to sit inside or out, please do yourself a favor and make sure that you get a great view of the Bellagio-style fountain in the center of Legacy's drive. Just like Old Faithful or the real Bellagio in Las Vegas, this fountain is guaranteed to perform on cue, delighting children and adults alike who it seems are always gathered nearby to watch.
Some of us with long memories and longer lifespans may remember when it was virtually impossible to get good, fresh seafood in Dallas. That has changed in the last few years with the proliferation of sushi bars and the demand for something other than fried shellfish. Our delightful waitress steered us toward the Daily Excursion special on the menu, a three course prix fixe bargain that is only available during the week. (Herein lies another advantage of off-peak dining: Better prices.) My lovely bride decided to begin her repast with the Creamy Green Chili Crab Dip. Excellent balance of flavors with just a touch of spice, although the accompanying tortilla chips tasted somewhat stale. I started with the Creamy Shrimp Bisque, with chive creme fraiche, so it was quite the creamy beginning for me as well. Again, a very good soup, but it could have used a bit of heat to offset the silken texture, and I was beginning to worry that maybe this was just another very good establishment in a city that needs great ones. However, the best was yet to come. My entree was the dish that helped set Julia Child's feet firmly planted on the road to greatness: Atlantic Lemon Sole Meuniere, here prepared with Meyer lemon and French butter sauce and served with fingerling potatoes. Each bite of this sweet silken seafood reminded me why this dish has stood the test of time for decades and made me understand what the hype for this place was all about. My wife had the Roasted Halibut atop sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, and smoked bacon. This dish succeeds when the fish is fresh, and roasting it brought out all the cakelike texture and flavor for which halibut is famous. In short, she adored it. For dessert, she was glad she had chosen to end with a simple Mixed Berry Cobbler with vanilla ice cream, which brought her back down to earth nicely. I concluded with chocolate, specifically the Chocolate-Espresso Profiteroles, an ice-cream-filled cream puff that deftly wove cocoa and hazelnut tastes into a satisfying concluding tapestry of flavor.
Our waitress enthusiastically assisted us throughout the evening, helping to steer us toward the Hess Sauvignon Blanc and the Elsa Bianchi Malbec which became our partners for the night's feasting. Website is http://www.coastglobalseafood.com/, where you will notice that they've recently expanded their hours to include lunch.
Overall, we concluded that Coast Global Seafood is indeed worthy of special occasion status, whether you chose to dine during quiet weeknight or more lively weekend evenings. Set sail on your own excursion soon, and remember:
LIFE IS TOO SHORT FOR MEDIOCRE FOOD!!!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment