Thursday, July 15, 2010

(Premium) Chain-O-Rama: McCormick & Schmick's

Well, this is a bit tardy, but from the idea wondering about premium chains, back on July 5th, the Better Half and I used a nice thank you gift card and went to McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant.

Located at a hotel (hyatt? hilton?... I forget) at Illinois and Market, it is nicely decored in dark wood and some really nice stained glass. The wait staff is professional, and it was a really tasty meal. We started with a lobster tempura roll that was really well done. The seafood chowder was rich, peppery and a nice touch of sweet from the corn.

The Better Half had one of the lobster specials, and it came with Israeli couscous. I'd not had Israeli couscous, and I can't say I'd like to have it again. Just too slimy. Kind of like the big tapioca balls in bubble tea.

I had some fantastic scallops. I can't say what is perfectly prepared or not, but... man, these were fantastic... what with the low light and my aversion to bringing out a camera that needs a flash, I just ditched pix for the utensils and got eating. And, the scallops came on a really nice bed of risotto. I usually am only so-so about risotto, but I liked this as it had a bit of a "crust" and liked the bit of texture than the mushy quality that risotto usually seems to be served as (now, does that mean it was burnt?... don't know... but, it was really nice).

We took home the seasonal dessert special - blueberry cheesecake - and for an appetizer, a salad, a cup of chowder, and two entrees and a dessert, it came in at just under $100. Yeah, that's a lot for two people in my book, especially if you aren't even drinking any wine, but... for a nice outing as a change of pace, it seemed like a worthwhile spend.

It was a really nice meal, well prepared, very tasty. I've been to McCormicks & Schmick's at lunch, and find the lunch menu is actually pretty nice. I just finished a combo from Pita Pit that cost me over $9, so spending $12-$15 at MSSR seems like a worthy outing.....

The verdict: 4.5 belly rubs out of 5 - professional, well done, great flavors.

Below is from the bathroom....

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