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Riverside Hotel, Fort Lauderdale * Sidewalk dining with the usual crowd pleasers: fresh seafood with Asian accents on the menu, is enlivened by people watching on Las Olas Blvd. and a good wine list from The Grill next door By Jana Soeldner Danger It’s a busy evening on Fort Lauderdale’s tony Las Olas Boulevard. Outside Indigo, located in the historic Riverside Hotel, sidewalk tables are filled with chatting diners watching window-shopping pedestrians stroll by. At the end of January, Paul Muldoon took over as executive chef of all three Riverside Hotel restaurants – Indigo, the casual Brio Mediterranean Bistro, and the pricier and more formal Grill Room. Muldoon, who was formerly executive chef at the Key Largo Grande, has also worked as catering chef at Grosvenor House and restaurant chef at the Coral Beach & Tennis Club in Bermuda. Indigo’s moderately priced menu is a bit limited, but it is varied enough to appeal to a variety of tastes. The main focus is fresh seafood with Asian accents. Most of our dining experience was very good, with just a few uneven areas. Crisp white cloths protected by glass toppers give the long, narrow dining room a dressy-casual ambiance, and faux-finished walls in soft amber tones and candlelit tables lend warmth. It’s a place where you can dress up if you wish, yet feel comfortable in casual attire. Indigo offers several well-chosen wines by the glass, but also shares an extensive wine list with the pricier Grill Room next door, so there is a wide by-the-bottle selection ranging from moderately priced to very expensive international pours. A meal at Indigo begins with a loaf of unmemorable, Italian-style bread, which should have been served warmer than it was. Butter in individually-wrapped packets was more evocative of a cafeteria than a fine-dining experience. But there were better things to come. Appetizers Our favorite dish of the evening was a spring roll ($12.75) filled with wild mushrooms, beef tenderloin, and goal cheese accented with horseradish aiolo. The earthy taste of mushrooms, the rich flavor of the beef, and the succulent goat cheese melded together beautifully, and the crispy spring roll wrapper added interesting texture. The accompanying yams were a sweet foil. The crab cake was also excellent – it was nearly all tender, sweet lump crabmeat, with just enough breading to hold it together, and just enough spiciness to be flavorful but not overpowering. A shrimp cocktail featured very large, plump, and impeccably fresh shellfish cooked just enough so they retained a firm yet tender texture. Fried calamari was fresh and nicely chewy inside, but the breading was not as crisp as it should have been, and the dish arrived lukewarm rather than hot. The portion was generous, however, and there was enough to share. The menu also includes a selection of interesting and varied fresh salads ($7.50-$9.75). Entrees All the main courses we tried were very good, but the grouper ($28) was perhaps the best. As fresh as a shore lunch, the thick filet was topped – not enveloped in – a light crust of coconut and lemon and lime zest. The fish was perfectly cooked to a firm, flaky texture, and the rich yet mild flavor was enhanced but not masked by slightly sweet coconut lime sauce. A medley of large sautéed prawns and scallops ($28) were nicely garlicky, with chilis bringing a hint of spiciness cooled by lime. The shellfish were fresh and flavorful, and the portions were generous. A filet mignon ($34) was a thick slab of tender, perfectly cooked-to-order beef. Complementing it was a Madeira mushroom ragout. Other entrees include grilled miso salmon ($1850); grilled rock lobster with wild mushroom spinach ragout $36); Asiago and pancetta-crusted black bass; grilled ahi tuna ($32.50); grilled sword fish ($24.50); and sauteed yellow tail snapper ($23.50). For those not quite so hungry, there’s a light fare section with grilled chicken breast ($14.50); Angus beef burger ($8.50); and sautéed mussels with mushrooms and tomatoes in green Thai curry sauce. Desserts All deserts are $7.25. A passion fruit crème brûlée was a nice variation on the classic, with the sweet-tangy fruit sauce complementing the sweet crunchy glaze and the smooth creamy interior. Chocolate mousse cake was dark, moist layers of flavorful cake alternated with light chocolate mousse, all drizzled with a sweet raspberry sauce. A cheese plate had several mild, creamy selections, though nothing unusual. Other desserts are apple tart with caramel sauce; bread pudding with bourbon sauce; and key lime pie with strawberry sauce. Indigo offers a stylishly casual ambiance, creative food made with fresh, quality ingredients, and moderate prices. Its location on Las Olas Boulevard adds to the charm, and avid people-watchers will have plenty of entertainment going by outside. |
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