Thursday, April 03, 2008
Where to fly for dinner
Larry Bly
Larry Bly runs an ad agency and does freelance writing in the Roanoke area.
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I recently flew back from St. Petersburg/Sarasota, Fla., and boy, are my arms tired!
OK, sorry, I just had to get that out of the way.
But seriously, folks, now that you can fly to St. Pete on Alliant Airlines cheaply and quickly -- with a tail wind we made it in an hour and ten minutes recently -- you can enjoy restaurants galore that you couldn't before. By the way, this might be the only restaurant reviews with the term "tail wind."
Anyway, I did indeed recently enjoy a few of the finest restaurants of Florida. This one in downtown Sarasota -- 5ONE6BURNS (as in 516 Burns Lane, its address) -- is at the top of my list.
Located in an old house on a quiet side street, 5ONE6BURNS is winner in every respect. No wonder a recent Wednesday night found people both inside and out on the veranda, with a line waiting to get in. We were seated fairly quickly at a corner dining room table and served drinks in a timely manner. The friendly wait staff is first-class, with more than one attending our table's needs.
The prices are moderate and the menu is upscale: everything from a divine mussels in white wine sauce and citrus butter sauce (appetizer) to an entrée of grilled wild salmon. We found our meal somewhere in between, trying out more than a dozen dishes between four of us. I, of course, have dibs on a few bites of everyone's food in return for their opinions.
I started with the soup of the day, a Louisiana gumbo, brimming with small shrimp and all manner of crab meat and other delights from the sea, plus the obligatory andouille sausage. This one was a perfect blend of flavors and a hearty portion as well.
A soft shell crab appetizer proved to be fried perfection, with a marvelous citrus dill sauce all around it, placed on top of grilled tomatoes and served with watercress, lemon and oregano. The citrus dill sauce complemented the crab without overpowering it.
One of the few disappointments of the evening was a side of fried green tomatoes. It was dry, overcooked, overbreaded.
For an entrée, I selected the baby back ribs at the suggestion of our wait-person, who said something like "When in Rome, do as the Romans." I have no idea what this had to do with choosing baby back ribs, but it sounded pretty authoritative, so I ordered it immediately. I was not disappointed. It was a perfect-sized rack, featured a slightly sweet, but not overly sweet, sauce. Nor was it drowning in the sauce, as often is the case. The meat was falling off the bone tender with a nice smoky flavor and it was served with an absolutely sinful white macaroni and cheese and a homemade, rough-cut and delicious coleslaw.
Another fellow diner ordered the seared scallops, which were huge white mounds of meat, served with succotash of fresh corn, cherry tomatoes, pancetta, peas, arugula, swimming in a light pan sauce. All of that for less than $24 -- and another happy customer.
One fellow diner went for one of the half dozen "announced" evening specials: a huge porterhouse steak. This kitchen knows how to fix meat to order, so my friend's attempt to second-guess a medium-rare by asking for it rare backfired. He had to send it back. Not the kitchen's fault, but his in ordering it rare. They were very happy to oblige and did so expeditiously.
By the end of the meal, I was certain that my friend, Sam, had developed a fifth stomach. Exactly where all of this steer went to is beyond me.
We also tried a side of sweet corn fritters served in a pool of smoked jalapeno sour cream. That was among our favorites for the evening.
Other appetizers included shrimp and grits (grilled smoky with citrus grits), sweet onion tart (caramelized onions, puff pastry, goat cheese, balsamic drizzle), and four excellent salads.
Additional dinner listings included: vegetable risotto, grilled salmon "nicoise," fried catfish, grilled pork chop, pan roasted duck breast, Gulf shrimp with mussels, filet, roasted chicken, fried chicken, and a wood fired pizza (available Wednesday and Sundays only).
We rounded out this orgy of eating by sharing a single piece of homemade pecan pie with a light cream topping. This one would give some of New Orleans' pies a good run.
The wine list is exceptional. We chose a hearty cabernet in the moderate range -- $50 --and the wait staff can easily give sensible suggestions. There is full bar service as well; my friends starting out with draft Blue Moon beers.
In reviewing my bill, I noticed something called a "sub-up" charge. I have no idea what it is, but it was only $2, so who cares? And besides, they could have hit me with a $5 "sharing charge" (yes, it's true) for tasting each other's appetizers. But they kindly they did not.
I think "sub-up" charges may be finding their way on many restaurant and bar menus these days, what with the wildly fluctuating food and drink costs that restaurants have to endure. A friend recently became upset when charged an extra $5 for putting a teaspoon of olive juice into a martini to make it a "dirty martini" at a downtown Roanoke eatery.
No matter, nothing could possibly detract from the lovely evening and exceptional dining we enjoyed at 5ONE6BURNS. Chef Seth Groseclose has a winning way in the kitchen.
5ONE6BURNS
516 Burns Lane
Sarasota, Fla. 34236
(941) 906-1884
