MENU DOESN'T SHELL SHORT.Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic Seeing a daily printed menu today is so rare it seems almost odd. But McCormick & Schmick's restaurants do it. And it makes sense. The 67-unit seafood chain has opened its first Valley location in Burbank in the former Dalt's space up the road from NBC NBC in full National Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. commercial broadcasting company. It was formed in 1926 by RCA Corp., General Electric Co. (GE), and Westinghouse and was the first U.S. company to operate a broadcast network. , Arnie Morton's and French 75. Rather than presenting a blackboard featuring its daily fresh fish selection and array of dishes, it smartly presents them on a long sheet menu headed by today's date with a convenient listing of its available wines overleaf o·ver·leaf adv. On the other side of the page or leaf. overleaf Adverb on the other side of the page Adv. 1. . Two dinner visits a week apart denoted the same 30 listings of fresh fish and shellfish at the top of the page. And there were no obvious changes in the appetizer, raw bar, soup and salad and grilled fish items. But under the seafood specialties grouping, South African black ruff sea bass on the earlier menu had been replaced by Uku Hawaiian snapper snapper, name for members of the Lutianidae, a family of spiny-finned food and game fishes found chiefly in tropical coastal waters. Snappers are carnivorous, active, and voracious, with large mouths and sharp teeth. Most species travel in dense schools. . Also, stuffed lobster was added to the list of classics, and three meat dishes had been pulled on the later menu. Additionally, a 2-pound lobster ($43.80) listed on the earlier menu's shellfish specialties segment moved up to a 3-pound offering a week later, which made it $21.90 higher. No doubt about it, with or without the changes, this menu allows plenty of seafood choices -- about as many as you'll find anywhere. Noticing its oyster selection, it wasn't too tough a decision at the first visit to opt for a starter sampler of the six different ones listed (Fanny Bay, Kumamoto, Hama Hama, Luna, Malpeque and Blue Point, $20.80 per dozen). Nicely presented, such an array of oysters is a rare find in a Valley restaurant, only equaled by King's Fish House in Calabasas. The kitchen here makes a tasty corn and seafood chowder chowder, stew of fish or shellfish with potatoes, onions, and pork (usually salt pork), thickened with crumbled hard bread. The name chowder seems to have originated from the French word chaudière (cup $4.95, bowl $5.95) and both the soup and steamed Manila clams in a white wine and garlic broth ($9.70) provide alternative starters worth trying. Recommended entrees are the fat and sweet New Bedford New Bedford, city (1990 pop. 99,922), seat of Bristol co., SE Mass., at the mouth of the Acushnet River on Buzzard's Bay; settled 1640, set off from Dartmouth 1787, inc. as a city 1847. sea scallops from Massachusetts ($23.90), pesto-crusted Lake Superior, Mich., whitefish whitefish: see salmon. whitefish Any of several silvery food fishes (family Salmonidae, or Coregonidae), inhabiting cold northern lakes of Europe, Asia, and North America. ($18.95) and the stuffed Maine lobster ($28.95). The scallops arrive nicely grilled, accompanied by firm julienned vegetables, a potato cake Potato cakes may refer to different preparations of potatoes. In the U.S., the term commonly refers to a patty of hashed potatoes, a kind of hash brown. These are available pre-made and frozen in supermarkets and are sold by Arby's restaurants. and daubs of curry oil. The golden-eye whitefish comes forth lightly cooked, allowing for a quickly seared sear 1 v. seared, sear·ing, sears v.tr. 1. To char, scorch, or burn the surface of with or as if with a hot instrument. See Synonyms at burn1. 2. filet of moist inner flesh. It rests on a mound of garlic mashed potatoes n. pl. 1. Potatoes which have been boiled and mashed to a pulpy consistency, usu. with sparing addition of milk, salt, butter, or other flavoring. It is a popular accompaniment to a meat course [U.S., 1900's], providing bulk and calories to a meal. . The attractive, red-shelled lobster served with rice features a mixture of tail meat mixed with Dungeness crab Dungeness crab Edible crab (Cancer magister) found along the Pacific coast from Alaska to lower California, one of the coast's largest and most important commercial crabs. The male is 7–9 in. (18–23 cm) wide and 4–5 in. (10–13 cm) long. , bay shrimp and melted brie cheese. But there's also plenty of fresh lobster left to pry from the shell and dip into the drawn butter. Desserts here are ordered from a sample tray. One time we picked a pretty good chocolate-crusted cannoli ($6.75). But at the last visit, a pyramid-shaped chocolate creation ($7.25) that was called tiramisu tir·a·mi·su n. A dessert of cake infused with a liquid such as coffee or rum, layered with a rich cheese filling, and topped with grated chocolate. but seemed more like a mousse didn't elicit much praise. But at McCormick & Schmick's, there's always that oyster selection from the daily fresh list that does. McCORMICK & SCHMICK'S Food: Three stars - Service: Three and one half stars - Wine: Two and one half stars Where: 3500 W. Olive Ave., Burbank. Phone: (818) 260-0505. Meals/hours: Open for lunch, dinner and snacks from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. weekdays, for dinner and snacks from 4 to 11 p.m. Saturdays and 4 to 10 p.m. Sunday. Food type: Seafood. Cost: Starters from $4 to $14, entrees from $15 to $36, desserts from $6 to $8. Special $1.95 menu (nine items) during happy hours, from 3 to 6:30 p.m. and 9 to 11 p.m. nightly except Saturday and Sunday. Credit cards: All major. Patio dining: Two patios open and operating. Parking/valet: In front of building (on Riverside Drive by valet ($3). Self-parking in garage (validated). Full bar: Yes. Wine/Corkage: Fairly large selection, mostly familiar labels, listed on back of menu. Twenty-six wines by the glass ($5.75 to $14) have no vintage dates, 111 by the bottle ($25 to $195) are vintage-dated. No bargains. Strong markups. Corkage cork·age n. A charge exacted at a restaurant for every bottle of liquor served that was not bought on the premises. corkage Noun a charge made at a restaurant for serving wine bought elsewhere : $15. Music/entertainment: No. Takeout/delivery: Yes on takeout. No on delivery. Reservations: Suggested. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Executive Chef Ray Hayes presides over the new McCormick & Schmick's seafood restaurant in Burbank. Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer |
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