As campouts and tropical-island luaus demonstrate, humanity’s natural prey tastes best when grilled over humanity’s natural predator, the tree. Savor smoky meats and prove your dominance over the lethal larch with today's deal: for $15, you get $35 worth of island fusion fare at Kota Wood Fire Grill, a newcomer among eateries in Grand Center.

Kota’s menu of cruise-ship-sized portions (half and whole orders available for dinner) starts your Caribbean mouthcation with an order of Kota barbecue-duck and wild-mushroom quesadillas ($9) and some island chicken wings with Jamaican jerk spices ($8) before taking a shortcut to the Pacific with a coconut-curry duck linguini tossed with portobello mushrooms, baby spinach, peppers, and shredded duck (half plate $11, full $15). Although Lycanthropic Americans relish espresso-rubbed beef filet medallions (half plate $15, full $20) smothered in blue-cheese cream and served with fresh asparagus, buttermilk mashed potatoes, and crispy onion straws; herbivores can also savor the smoky, flavorful effects of wood-fire grilling with the cheese-drizzled hickory-fired vegetable orzo (half plate $11, full $15). For something a little closer to home, cubicle-farm escapees can score a Louisiana-style lunch with the N’awlins po’ boy ($9.50), which piles your choice of oyster, shrimp, or catfish into a toasted baguette with remoulade. Neither meal is complete without a dessert of Kota’s specialty milkshakes, so get in your daily recommended dosage of pastel colors with the Miami Vice (strawberry and piña colada with coconut and pineapple, $6) or blow out your stomach’s TV with an Elvis in the House (chocolate-banana shake with Reese's peanut-butter cup pieces, $6).

Kota's across-the-street proximity to the Fox Theater and Theater District surroundings make it an opportune destination before or after showtimes, so plan an evening of entertainment that engages all five senses without interrupting the play to lick Brian Dennehy’s face. Host a beach party in your mouth’s secluded grotto with today’s Groupon to Kota Wood Fire Grill.

Reviews

Kota Wood Fire Grill was featured in Sauce magazine. Yelpers give the restaurant an average of four stars, and over 160 OpenTablers give it an average of four as well. Seventy-two percent of Urbanspooners like it:

• …diners at Grand Center’s new Kota Wood Fire Grill have been relishing a curiously extensive menu of hard milkshakes. – Byron Kerman, Sauce,
• A great dining expirience [sic]. The food was fantastic, the service was great, and the menu offered options for all tastes. – An OpenTable user who dined on 06/25/2010
• Love the roasted edamame and corn side salad - delicious! Fun atmosphere, too – Timex, Urbanspoon
• Pan Fried Chicken was juicy, tender, and very flavorful. I got the 1/2 portion, which was still more than I could eat after app & salad. – Mandy M., Yelp