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Sarasota Herald Tribune
April 1996
Word of Mouth...The Hillview Grill
by Barbara Peters Smith
Success hasn't spoiled the Hillview Grill.
The spiffed-up and roomier after-the-fire version of this
popular restaurant obviously has prospered, thanks partly to its
location a stethoscope's throw from Sarasota Memorial Hospital,
but also to an unparalleled expertise in preparing delectable
grilled seafood. And if there's a better place in Southwest
Florida to get genuine, mmm-mmmm, talk-about good Creole
cooking, I haven't found it yet.
The reassuring news — for those locals who liked the old,
funky Hillview Grill, but may have shied away from the imposing
new storefront — is that inside you'll find the same
comforting combination of outstanding food and wine with
friendly, casual and highly competent service. There's something
so charming about the understated tone that prevails: the menu's
factual and informative, the servers are prompt but
almost-offhand; they bring you all these fabulous dishes, then
stand back modestly, with knowing smiles, while exquisitely
complicated flavor sensations rearrange all the fibers of your
being. It's no big deal, the Hillvew Grill seems to be telling
you. It's just good food; we do it all the time.
The décor is also no big deal. It's handsome and a bit spare,
without calling much attention to itself, employing some decent
art prints and the kind of colors you see in a high-ranking
professional's office — maybe that's a subliminal appeal to
all the doctors in the area.
Specials are always worth a try here. If you're lunching, the
daily quiche ($4.75) should be sampled for its incomparable,
melt-in-your-mouth crust. Some regular patrons prefer the
salads, and the Three-Salad Sampler ($6.25) is a viable
option—although I've found myself nibbling around the edges of
the black bean-and-rice concoction; it's almost too zesty for
thorough consumption.
If you like raking your taste buds over the coals, though, I'd
urge you to torture yourself with the Barbeque Shrimp ($5.45), a
dinner appetizer straight out of New Orleans. Sweet curls of
grilled shrimp, encrusted in blackened spices, encrusted in
blackened spices and dripping with a garlicky beer sauce,
deliver tiny punches of pleasure and pain that average out just
about right when you have a cold drink handy.
The house salad is a visual delight of greens, reds and yellows,
and is offered with a fine choice of dressings, including a
raspberry vinaigrette that I wouldn't mind drinking straight.
But even better is the cheesy Caesar, which you can order alone
or with your entrée.
When Crawfish Etouffee ($11.00) was offered as a special on a
recent evening, I just had to have it, even if it meant forgoing
my favorite dinner entrée, the Alaskan Barbeque Salmon
($15.25). I wasn't sorry; the crayfish were a briny delight, and
the caramel-brown sauce, with just the right touch of tomato,
was a glorious match for perfectly steamed long-grain rice. The
Hillview Grill's usual twist on Cajun is to make such standards
as Jambalaya ($11.25) with pasta rather than rice, which is in
some ways the best of both worlds. But it was a joy to polish
off this classic etouffee, knowing it was the way a good
Louisiana mother would want it to be made.
We also tried some entrees from the grill: the Pine Island
chicken ($9.75), with deftly seared-in-juices that escape on
contact with a tomato salsa; and the Roast Pork Tenderloin
($11.95), basking in a lovely, lemony Bearnaise. I did return to
sample the grilled salmon ($8.50) at lunch), and found it just
as heavenly as I'd remembered, falling apart at the touch of a
fork tine, and almost creamy in texture.
You should save room for dessert ($3.50). There's a brownie
chocolate cake, and sometimes kid-pleasing Snickers Pie that is
subtle enough to intrigue adults as well. Your best bet, though,
is a a almond-and-raspberry pastry known as a Bakewell Tart, a
homey, soothing nod to good old Devonshire after all these
tantalizing Caribbean-style flavors.
Which goes to prove, I suppose, that the Hillview Grill will
venture just about anywhere in the world to fix you something
good to eat. It's no big deal.
Callout-
"Without callling attention to itself, this local favorite
continues to serve exquisitely flavored dishes."
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