The Sea by Alexander's Steakhouse
By
Carol & Joe Davis
Dining Detectives
We
have dined at Alexander's Steakhouse
in San Francisco many times and always enjoyed the steaks and
prime rib. They recently opened a seafood restaurant called The
Sea by Alexander's Steakhouse in Palo Alto which features
fresh sustainable seafood and wild fish with seasonal, quality
ingredients prepared with a Japanese flair. It was a rainy and
windy night, the creeks in Palo Alto rose above their banks and
Highway 101 was flooded but that didn't deter us or about a hundred
other diners. We arrived early for our dinner reservation and
decided to have cocktails in their Sea Bar which
was inviting and stylish with a white Caesarstone bar top and
comfortable white leather barstools. The Perry Nice cocktail
made with Reyka Vodka, Pur Williams pear liqueur, lemon, Asian
pear and cherry bitters was excellent and the Desert Blossom
made with Herencia Blanco Tequila, aperol, grapefruit, blood orange
and agave was interesting but actually a bit too sweet for our
taste.
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We
moved to the main dining room where we sat overlooking the exhibition
kitchen. The tables were well spaced and we settled in and reviewed
the predominately seafood menu. We are always appreciative when
the Chef sends out a small taste or Amuse as it is known.
The Braised Octopus was very flavorful and gave us a
taste of what was to come. The Sea offers both cold and
hot Appetizers. We enjoyed Oysters on the half shell. The Fisher
Island, Kumamoto and Barnstable oysters were all cold and extremely
fresh. The Dungeness Crab Salad with purple rice, blood
orange, ginger crème fraiche and chia seeds was also excellent.
The Lobster Risotto made with tarragon, lemon, parmesan
and lobster jus was very mild not to interfere with the subtle
flavor of the lobster. Next we were served another Amuse.
This was a Live Maine Scallop stuffed with black truffle.
Quite a treat indeed! There are Entrees from both the Land (Non
Sea food eaters will enjoy Steaks, Chops and Duck) and The
Sea which we thought was more appropriate this evening.
The
Butter Poached Wild Maine Lobster which was served with
kabocha squash, heirloom beets, spinach and horseradish was beautifully
plated and a generous portion. Poached lobster is slightly less
tender than the traditional preparation but the flavor was perfect
and a lovely alternative. The wild Seared John Dory from
New Zealand was delicious and very healthy. It was served with
peas, Meyer lemons, shimeji mushrooms, carrots, dried bell peppers,
smoked salt and potatoes. Definitely try the Sides. We loved both
the Wild Mushrooms with parsley and garlic and the Seasonal
Vegetables which included Brussels sprouts cooked in garlic butter.
The
Sea has an International Wine List with over 300 vintages
and 17 by the glass that are served in Riedel wine Glasses. We
enjoyed the 2011 Alexander's Steakhouse Urziger Wurtzgarten
Kabinett Reisling from Mosel Germany and the 2011 Jorge
Ordonez botani Moscatel from Malaga Spain with our starters
and the 2010 Oakwild Ranch Toboni Vineyard Russian River Pinot
Noir with our entrees.
We
saved room for Dessert and highly recommend the Pucker Up
which made with yazu, pate sucre, huckleberry, crème fraiche
and meringue. It was just delightful. A perfect finish to our
dinner was Columbian Decaf served on a lovely silver tray in a
stylish silver pot.
The
Sea by Alexander's Steakhouse serves dinner seven nights
a week has a fun bar area, outdoor patio seating and private dining
rooms available. It fits perfectly in Palo Alto with its upscale
décor, professional service and predominately fresh seafood
menu featuring seasonal, wild and sustainable ingredients. Executive
Chef Yu Min Lin brings a wealth of experience.
He was trained in Japanese, French and California Cuisine, garnered
2 Michelin Stars at Providence in Los Angeles and defeated Chef
Masaharu Morimoto in a Food Network Iron Chef America Challenge.
Look for an 8 course tasting menu and special dining events in
the near future.
The
Sea by Alexander's Steakhouse
(Next to Dinah's Garden Hotel)
4269 El Camino Real
Palo Alto, CA. 94306
650-213-1111
www.TheSeaUsa.com