The Simple Trick For Telling If A Seafood Meal Will Be Any Good At A Steakhouse

Just to address the elephant in the room, there are plenty of reasons why a person might wind up at a steakhouse in want of something other than the headlining protein. Maybe they don't eat red meat, maybe they just aren't in the mood for beef, or maybe the whole outing, for them, is more about the company than whatever's on the menu. And even if they aren't going to indulge in a chateaubriand or a filet mignon, one would expect the alternatives to be on par with those cuts. But sometimes, you don't really know what's going to be great until it's on the plate in front of you.

However, there is one hint that's more likely than most to indicate the seriousness of a steakhouse's fish. If a restaurant serves a show-stopping seafood tower — that tiered homage to Poseidon and all of his delectable subjects — it likely has a good aquaculture connection. See, you can't skimp on a seafood tower. Its oysters, clams, lobster, shrimp, and crudo must all be of notable quality to display to guests. Nobody would bother arranging it on multi-level beds of ice otherwise. Its presence alone is evidence of respectable marine product sourcing, as well as a fair prediction that said provider will be selling good salmon, branzino, or whatever the catch of the day may be, as well.

Some restaurants, whether they're specifically of the bovine persuasion or not, will flaunt that they have a catch of the day, so feel free to dive in whenever it's advertised. Many restaurants in coastal cities will boast locally sourced seafood. Identifying an item's provenance or harvesting practice (wild versus farmed, for example) on the menu also indicates that someone in the kitchen is paying attention, and that care should extend to the preparation as well.

You can also scan actual restaurant reviews for information about which spots are actually reeling 'em in and which are gutting little more than a vacuum pack. You'll be in good shape if your steakhouse avoids common seafood restaurant red flags, such as having mostly fried fish or drowning it in sauce. When in doubt, try asking your server for some guidance — someone who samples more of the menu's fare than most will probably steer you in the right direction, even if that ends up being a detour to the chicken.