Regatta Seafood Grille-Lexington, Kentucky

March 6, 2010- Regatta Seafood Grille is located in Lexington Green Shopping Center near Fayette Mall, the University of Kentucky, and Nicholasville Road. Offering classic seafood fare, Regatta has been a locally-owned staple of the Lexington community for many years. The menu is diverse, but true to the theme of a classic Atlantic Yacht and Boating restaurant. Located near a small lake, the restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating (during appropriate seasons, of course). The menu accommodates lunch and dinner and on weekends during the late spring, summer, and early fall, live bands usually perform on the lakeside patio. This restaurant is quite special to us because it’s where we had our first date more than two years ago! Every time we go, we’re greeted with a familiar menu and with new special treats!

FOOD: (21 out of 25 points)

We ordered one appetizer and one entrée to share this evening. Our appetizer was breaded and fried zucchini slices with shredded Parmesan cheese. The zucchini was served with a spicy dill sauce. Our entrée was called the “Captain’s Combo.” We had several options to choose from, but we decided on the crab cake (served with a fried green tomato) and the salmon with a side of mashed potatoes. Most entrees—including ours—come with bottomless house salad and bread. We ordered sweet iced tea and water to drink but upon the waiter’s suggestion, I tried the blueberry pomegranate iced tea. I did not care for it and exchanged it for the standard sweet tea.

The appetizer was served piping hot and was absolutely delicious! The presentation was exquisite! Our only disappointment was that the zucchini was a bit mushy in the middle, leading us to believe that the zucchini was a bit old. In order to remain crispy, zucchini must be served fresh.

Our entrée, as we mentioned, was the “Captain’s Combo.” Like the appetizer, it came out piping hot and was plated very well! As we mentioned, we split the appetizer. While many restaurants will bring out the whole entrée on one plate with an extra plate, the kitchen staff separated our entrée for us, which was delightful! It was perfectly portioned and separated. It was garnished with a lemon and fresh herbs.

The crab cake was exquisite! It was fluffy, packed with excellent flavor, and as all crab cakes should be, it was more crab and less cake! The fried green tomato was a flavorful complement to the crab cake. The mashed potatoes were absolutely fantastic! We agree that they were perhaps the best side dish we’ve had in a very long time! The salmon was good, but we feel that it may have been cooked at too high of a temperature. We recognize that salmon is among the most difficult fish to cook, but our filet was a bit charred on the outside and the center was a bit mushy. If the salmon had been grilled at a slightly lower temperature, the consistency would have been flaky and delicious throughout, cooking evenly and keeping its flavor and moisture!

VALUE: (24 out of 25 points)

The total cost of the meal was about $32. For that price, we got one glass of sweet tea, unlimited salad and bread, an appetizer, and an entrée of crab cake and salmon. For a meal of this size at a restaurant of this quality, we felt as though we got a very good deal. We both left feeling very satisfied!

SERVICE: (21 out of 25 points)

There was a 35-minute wait for dinner, which we spent in Joseph-Beth Booksellers, browsing. When we entered the restaurant to be seated, the host was waiting to show us to our table. Our waiter was very polite, but did not return to check on the table once our appetizer and drinks came out. We had to wait for several minutes before finally asking another server for a different drink when we decided the blueberry pomegranate tea was not for us. However, our server was very knowledgeable of the menu and did not charge us for our beverages.

It also bears mentioning that the server took our bread plates and salad plates, but brought more bread and salad to the table, with no place to put them. We had to ask another server to bring plates to the table.

AMBIANCE: (23 out of 25 points)

We had one of the best tables in the restaurant! However, the view of the lake was obscured by construction going on outside on the patio. For such a crowded restaurant, we were able to talk at a relatively comfortable volume and felt as though our table provided us with an appropriate amount of privacy, allowing for a better dining experience.

The restaurant is also very beautiful and carefully provides a nautical theme without coming off as cheesy or cheap.

OVERALL SCORE: B+ (89 out of 100 points)

Regatta remains a very special place in our hearts and we very much enjoyed our culinary experience! We will be back!

Check out Regatta on the web at: www.regattaseafood.com