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EATS AND DRINKS.COM / DALLAS (December, 2002) Think sophisticated steakhouse with seafood. Then, think sleek, suave, sexy surroundings. Add fresh, immaculately prepared food and fabulous service and you have all the ingredients that make Oceanaire Seafood Room one of the best restaurants to hit the Metroplex in ages. Oceanaire Seafood Room is the product of a small, very focused, Minneapolis based restaurant group with successful outlets operating in Seattle, Washington D.C. and the Twin Cities. The Dallas restaurant opened in November 2002 just off the main lobby of the Westin Galleria Hotel in North Dallas. No expense was spared in designing the restaurant — resplendent in comfy, red leather booths, elegant blue neon lighting accents and chrome railings around the mezzanine seating area. Oceanaire has assembled a veteran team and hired a seasoned wait staff to execute the vision. They seem to be pulling it off with aplomb. Several trips for lunch and dinner have provided some of the most enjoyable dining experiences I can recall. Chef Brian Dietz — from Newport’s and Café Pacific — is having a ball with all the menu options he’s able to provide diners. The menu is revised twice daily as new shipments of fresh seafood arrive. That’s in addition to a dozen varieties of oysters from around the world and other fresh shellfish available at the glistening, stainless steel raw bar. An array of outstanding appetizers will get you started in fine fashion. Silken, Tequila cured salmon, with lime wedges and tostados, is delightful. Oysters Rockefeller are comparable to Brennan’s — dee-licious! Jumbo lump crab cakes are a meal in themselves. For main courses, just look for the check marks at the top of the page to know what’s just landed. Bay of Fundy Salmon, Big Eye Tuna, Iceland Arctic Char, Maine Diver Scallops, Hawaiian Opah, and more are available daily. It’s served grilled, broiled or with numerous, tempting specialty preparations. On our most recent visit we had an amazing "Black and Bleu" Swordfish Steak with sweet onion confit and Roquefort Butter and one of the scrumptious, live Maine lobsters — served steamed with drawn butter. You’ll pay $20 a pound, but what a treat. A friend dining the same evening was raving about The Texas Gulf Red Snapper in green peppercorn lobster sauce. Pan-seared Chilean Sea bass with bacon wilted spinach and horseradish brown butter was a highly touted server suggestion. The menu shines. And Chef Dietz is even proud of things on his menu that don’t swim, like the double cut pork chop and the juicy steaks. A word of caution: portions are big, so go easy on the tasty side dishes, like yummy Baked East Texas Sweet Potato, just right hash browns, amazing asparagus stalks and green beans amandine. You’ll want to save room for desserts which include a Baked Alaska my wife nearly swooned over — made with Henry’s Ice Cream, a lip smacking Apple Brown Betty, and the biggest portion of Key Lime Pie I’ve ever seen. The wine list leans white as you would imagine, with wonderful selections from California, France, Australia and New Zealand most prominent. Also, some nicely chosen red selections are available to go with the "not seafood" menu items. About a dozen wines by the glass are poured. Oceanaire Seafood Room is located in the Westin Galleria, but is not associated with the hotel, at LBJ and the Tollway in Dallas. They’re open for lunch weekdays and dinner every night. Call 972-759-BASS for reservations — 759-2277. Just look for the big, blue Marlin on the outside of the Hotel and you’ll know you’ve found Oceanaire, and some of the best seafood, or any food, you’ve ever had. On the KRLD Restaurant Show Review Scale of One to Five Forks — |
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