Simply Outstanding
Written: Dec 23 '05 (Updated Dec 23 '05)
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Pros: Extremely fresh seafood, fair prices, good service
Cons: They were out of one of the beers I wanted
The Bottom Line: Great food at a great price. Much better than the over-priced Bob Chinn's.
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| Saxguy's Full Review: Davis Street Fishmarket |
Tonight, about 6:30 pm, my son was in the basement playing video games with some friends. We had a snack in the refrigerator for them and my wife said “Let’s sneak out for dinner”.
She had the Davis Street Fishmarket in Evanston in mind. I didn’t have to be asked twice. We checked menus and specials online at www.davisstreetfishmarket.com and off we went.
The restaurant is “come as you are”, a decided plus for me. Upon entering, we saw a dining area to our right, with a number of standard dinner tables and a new, very long bar to our left, with booths and tables around the outside. My wife wanted to try the bar tables because she was in her wheelchair and eating at a high table is much easier for her.
The host greeted us and was cordial. He said that we could sit where we wanted because the menu in the bar was the same as the menu in the dining area. We settled in, and then the adventure began.
A waitress brought dinner menus and a wine/beer menu. She also brought warm sourdough bread with regular butter and salmon butter. We settled on a couple of appetizers – fried oysters, mostly for me, and raw oysters, mostly for her. The raw oysters came with seafood sauce with horseradish in the middle; the fried oysters came with tartar sauce and seafood sauce. The raw oysters were very fresh. My wife said they were fresher than the ones in Boston. I didn’t remember that, but I generally don’t like raw oysters yet these were so fresh, I enjoyed them. The fired oysters were tasty, too. The breading was light enough so that the flavor shone through.
I did order a bottle of Tennants and they were out so we switched and shared a bottle of Goose Island Honkers Ale. The waitress explained that they had just installed that long bar I was admiring, and nothing was on tap as yet. When the food arrived, we shared a bottle of Bell’s Amber Ale.
For entrees, she choose grilled Bluefish. She tried to coax the waitress into substituting a small order of a different fish instead of the offered potatos and vegetable medley, but it didn’t work, my wife settling for boiled red potatos and the medley. I ordered the Davis Street Mixed Grill, which featured grilled Swordfish with béarnaise sauce, grilled Mahi-Mahi and Blackened Redfish. I got the vegetable medley and some really tasty homemade tater tots.
Our entrees came within a reasonable amount of time and were done nicely. My entre had three fairly large pieces, considering that there were three included, and were done correctly. I ate the swordfish without the sauce as I prefer it that way. Each piece of fish was flavorful and very fresh. I liked the tater tots, too, and the vegetable medley of mostly carrots and zucchini was fresh and lightly cooked, as I like it.
My wife enjoyed her bluefish, athough she said that the Bluefish she had in Boston was SLIGHTLY fresher. Nevertheless, she enjoyed it greatly.
About this time, I noticed that my son had called my cell, so I went outside to say (ahem) that we were out checking out Christmas decorations and would be home in a while. Hey – the Goose Island bottle did have a Christmas label. When I came back, my wife was ordering a piece of homemade Key Lime Pie, baked fresh daily. I passed, although the waitress said she’d bring an extra fork. My bite was tasty – the crust tasted great and the lime flavor was subtle yet definite. My wife thought the portion a bit small (I didn’t) but enjoyed it.
The waitress and busboy were extremely helpfiul. They cast a watchful eye, without being overbearing and were there to help when my wife dropped her knife and, later, her napkin.
There are sandwiches and lighter fare such as soups available and a lunch menu.
We had great food and a great time with great service. Total with tip was a little less than $92, and that was with 2 drinks, a dessert and an appetizer. I will go here again and I recommend it to you as well.
This has fresher food at lower prices than the over-hyped Bob Chinn’s
5 stars.
Thanks for reading. God bless!
You might be interested in some of my local restaurant and beer reviews:
Bell’s KalamazooStout
Bob Chinn’s Crab House
Sam Adams 2005 Imperial Pilsner
Bell’s 7000 ale
Baltika #6 Russian Beer
Baltika #4 Russian Beer
Ommegang Belgian-style ale with Cherry Lambic
Unibroue Terrible Belgian-style Ale
Zhiguly 9.5 Grand Lithuanian Beer
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Goose Island Demolition Ale
Hackney’s Restaurant in Glenview
Twin Anchors Restaurant in Chicago
Pavilion Restaurant in Chicago
Szechuan East Restaurant in Chicago
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: No
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations Oysters, Mixed grill, Key Lime Pie
Best Suited For: Trendy Crowd
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