The Scene
More sedate than sports-fan central Harry Caray's, handsome furnishings with subtle nautical references, an entry waterwall, leather chairs and plush booths and vintage-inspired lighting create a plesant if slightly snoozy hotel-dining atmosphere. Lakefront murals and WWII-era swing and standards add time-warp whimsy. Service is friendly if not quite solid on some basics.
The Food
The seafood-centric menu of classic, creative and Asian-inspired preps is reprinted daily with fresh flown-in selections. Pristine regional oysters are iced-down with cocktail and mignonette sauces. Fried rock shrimp, a tad limp and low on flavor, is saved by a zesty spice kick and Thai coconut dipping sauce. Generous lobster boil is a purist's delight: Whole lobster, clams, shrimp, mussels, new potatoes and corn, each perfectly cooked and juicy-tender. Conversely, cioppino is skimpy on seafood and oddly unbalanced in heavy tomato "broth" resembling pasta sauce. Banana cream pie and warm buttered rum chocolate pudding cake are decadent denouements.
Hits
Holy Cow! What a spectacular selection of ultra-fresh seafood.
Misses
The staid setting is luxurious but you can't help but feeling you're in a suburban hotel.