When Max Gill and Grill moved into its current location—a building constructed in the early 1900s—it joined a neighborhood institution. The building was originally home to a marine-themed tavern, a popular spot in the Washington Park neighborhood. The restaurant's throwback decor is in keeping with the spirit of the building, while also evoking seafood shack that was plucked right from the beaches of Key West. Today, the restaurant’s rustic, waterfront feel creates the ideal atmosphere in which to bring a homesick pirate, or enjoy blackened ahi tuna burgers and Alaska king crabs. You can even build your own seafood dishes and customize it right down to the cooking technique, such as pan-roasted, grilled, or blackened.
Canopy Grill deals swiftly with hunger and thirst, defeating them with lunch and dinner menus that feature American fare dunked in a tasty pot of tropics. Begin your munch session by chowing on the cravo, a deep-fried avocado half stuffed with crabmeat, peppers, and onions ($9 for lunch, $9.50 for dinner).
For The Creek Seafood Grill owners Paul Stickler and Erin Abromeit, the menu was of the utmost importance. That's because the pair aren't just owners, but lauded chefs in their own right. They put together their years of experience—Paul was operations chef for McCormick’s Fish House and Erin is an award-winning pastry chef—to create artfully paired flavors, such as the shrimp served with Andouille sausage and cheddar grits. They specialize in seafood, with larger portions of favorites such as Cajun-seared tuna steaks and small plates of mix-and-match fare such as P.E.I. mussels steamed in craft beer. Unlike a movie about sharks in tuxedos, the restaurant even has less formal fish options. They incorporate oysters into po' boys and toss shrimp into bowls of penne in a tomato-basil sauce.
A grill roars at 725 degrees Fahrenheit, the all-natural mesquite wood charcoal igniting flames that tenderly kiss the fresh cuts of meat and seafood. This centuries-old practice remains preserved in Mesquite Grill Steak & Seafood, owned since 1988 by Robert and Wendy Zamani. The couple are now celebrating the restaurant's 25th anniversary, as well as its 2012 designation as a Top Rated Restaurant by Restaurant.com. Chefs flash grill entrees such as tenderloin until they are deemed worthy to join optional supplements of fried shrimp, lobster tail, or king-crab legs on diners' plates. At lunchtime, the chefs slip grilled specialties such as hand-patted burger meat, gyros, and calamari steak between two slices of bread.
As the smells of grilled salmon, grouper, and clam chowder waft into the dining space, an air of New England emanates from the walls, which are dotted with seaside paintings, ship nets and rigging, and a colossal stuffed marlin that offers menu suggestions to picky eaters. Mesquite Grill Steak & Seafood also showcases Wendy's own hand-painted glassware, which customers can purchase, including wineglasses, decanters, and candleholders, all adorned with nontoxic paints.
Though lunchtime showcases classic Mexican dishes such as flautas, enchiladas, and quesadillas, Las Brisas' dinner menu features a whole new level of inspiration and taste. For more than two decades, the kitchen—under the direction of Chef Ricardo—has churned out inventive Latin-fusion cuisine that draws on flavors from the Mexican coast, as well as Spain, the Caribbean, and the Mediterranean. He concocts a cavalcade of entrees, ranging from swordfish enchiladas to saffron-infused Spanish paella and fresh Mediterranean salmon. Friday and Saturday nights are as special as a puppy’s first words, with his crew flooding the dining room with the smoky aromas of slow-roasted baby-back ribs and succulent Spanish prime rib. Though many of their menu items are wheat-free by nature, Las Brisas caters to dietary restrictions with a special gluten-free menu that's available upon request.