Mattison's Restaurants, Grill, Steakhouse & Catering in Sarasota, Siesta Key, Longboat Key and Bradenton, Wedding Caterer

Sarasota Herald Tribune's Ticket on April 1, 2005 Review of Mattison's Siesta Grille
Classic and exotic are served side-by-side at Siesta Grille
BY JACK D. WINNER
CORRESPONDENT

REVIEW
Mattison's Siesta Grille
1256 Old Stickney Point Road, Siesta Key. Barrier-free access. Most major credit cards accepted. Open 4 to 10 p.m. Sun.-Thurs. and 4 to 11 p.m.
Fri.-Sat.
Call 941.349-2800.

Mattison's Siesta Grille on Siesta Key serves Pan Roasted Rack of Baby Lamb with a mint, tomato and lemon confiture and Mediterranean risotto.

With his Siesta Grille, local dynamo Paul Mattison has added yet another restaurant to his growing operation. Like its sister City Grille, Siesta Grille offers casual indoor and outdoor dining and a Mediterranean- oriented menu seasoned with a strong dash of fusion. On a recent Wednesday, a convivial group gathered at the bar made conversation difficult, so we opted for an outdoor table on the covered terrace.

Bread brought to the table by our server was soft-crusted and bland, but the pungent olive and caper tapenade more than made up for it.

Appetizers at Siesta Grille combine familiar dishes with more exotic variations. Conservative diners will thus relax to see the Oysters Rockefeller ($9.95) and Classic Shrimp Cocktail ($12.95), while those looking for something different may try the Escargot with Shiitake Mushrooms and Crusty Bread ($9.95), the Flash Fried Sushi & Seared Sashimi ($12.95) or Duck and Mango Spring Rolls ($10.95). The Classic Shrimp Cocktail is not quite classic, as the shrimp arrive fanned out on a plate rather than in the traditional stemmed glass. The plump and tasty shrimp came with a "spicy
tomato-lemongrass granita" (pretty much your standard cocktail sauce), and a more interesting wasabi dip. This creamy concoction uses the Japanese horseradish to good effect, creating an intensely spicy but refined sauce. Siesta Grill's escargots receive a much lighter treatment than the
traditional bourguignon. Yes, there is garlic, but it doesn¹t overwhelm the snails. The mushrooms also add a new dimension. These were wonderfully fresh, pleasantly chewy, and floated along with the snails in an understated sauce that didn't obscure their taste.

The Basil Pesto Crusted Trout ($19.95), on the other hand, would benefit from some understatement. With a sauce of tomatoes, capers, and lemon, plus the pesto, the trout's delicious but delicate flavor was lost. The Pan Roasted Pacific Halibut ($24.95) fared better. The straightforward presentation of a sizable chunk of fish cooked so that it was firm but
retained its moisture allowed the slightly sweet, low-key flavor of the halibut to stand on its own.

Actually, what drew me to the dish was more the fennel and potato salad that came with it. This turned out to be a gratifying accompaniment. The fennel crunched satisfyingly as I bit into it, and its slight licorice taste arrived as a pleasant aftertaste absorbed by the potatoes. For the
land-minded, Siesta Grille offers a Dry-Rubbed Boneless Rib-Eye ($28.95) Dry-Aged Filet Mignon ($29.95), and Pan Roasted Rack of Baby Lamb ($27.95). After several recent disappointments with chocolate desserts, my spirit was revived by Siesta Grille's Chocolate Flourless Espresso Torte ($6.95). It achieved a light texture without surrendering its deep chocolate essence. Tahitian Crème Brûlée ($6.95) couldn't quite match up to the torte. The crème itself was good but the whipped cream was redundant and the berries just didn't work.

Mattison's Siesta Grille carries a small selection of reasonably priced, mostly American wines.
Service that evening was competent if somewhat pokey at times, and as mentioned above, if you are looking for conversation, you should probably dine on the terrace.