As I walked into the rather large restaurant, I was immediately greeted by a couple of friendly hosts who took my name and told me how long the wait would be. One disadvantage of going to a popular restaurant that doesn't take reservations is the wait, which can be up to an hour and a half on busy nights. I went on a Thursday night with my date and we waited for a good half hour. Luckily, there is a bar in the waiting area where I sipped a French Martini ($4.50) as we waited for our table to be called.
The restaurant itself is decorated in a simple, contemporary manner that reflects its classic American cuisine. Diffused lighting created by small, scattered lamps softens the sharp contrast of the dark wooden booths against the white walls and windowsills. Framed works of art add a splash of color to the pale walls. The lull of chatter from the diners is softly harmonized by gentle music playing faintly in the background.
The restaurant boasts both an extensive regular menu and a list of additions that changes daily. These specials include different types of wine, both white and red, as well as chowders of the day and delectable entrées such Blackened Swordfish with Citrus Aioli ($15.95). The swordfish was prepared steak-style, pan-blackened, and dusted with spices, then topped with citrus aioli and served with sour cream and onion-smashed potatoes.
The list of appetizers has an assortment of choices, many of which incorporate seafood with a Cajun touch. One could start with the Freshly Shucked Oysters (MP) or the New Orleans Barbeque Shrimp ($7.50); there are alternatives for seafood loathers such as the Sweet Potato Chips with Spinach Dip ($5.95), a creamy spinach dip served with house-made sweet potato chips. We settled on the ever-popular Gorgonzola Garlic Bread ($3.75), which consisted of two huge slabs of buttery garlic French bread, with Gorgonzola crumbs sprinkled on top as an added twist. We also shared the Pan-blackened Scallops ($6.95), which, true to their word, were lightly dusted with spices and blackened in a white-hot cast-iron skillet. Even though both of our entrees were preceded by a house salad, it was light enough not to fill us up before the main dish.
It is evident that Eastside Grill started off as a steakhouse, as the list of entrees begins with eight different types of steak. But for those who avoid red meat, there are options such as the popular Chicken with a Pignoli Crust ($13.95), Spicy Garlic Shrimp ($14.95) and Maple Soy Lacquered Salmon ($15.95). For vegans, the Roasted Stuffed Pepper with Grilled Portabello ($12.95) provides a burst of vegetarian flavor still following the no-animal-product ethos. After much contemplation, I decided on the Tenderloin, which came in two sizes: the six ounce ($13.95) or the 10 ounce ($17.95). I chose the six ounce so that I'd have room left for dessert. The presentation was very simple, yet appealing; the juicy steak came with a side of garlic mashed potatoes and slightly overcooked steamed broccoli.
My favorite part of the meal was unquestionably dessert. After spending a semester abroad in the country that invented and perfected the chocolate souffle, I have had a hard time finding one outside of France that has lived up to my expectations. Eastside Grill achieved success with its Warm Chocolate Souffle ($4.25), a rich molten chocolate souffle that they topped off with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The frostiness of the ice cream was perfectly juxtaposed against the warmth of the soufflé, which began melting sweetly once my spoon broke into the firm outer crust.
Overall, the laid-back ambiance, complete with the super-friendly service of the hosts and wait-staff, combined with the tasty cuisine rounded out my pleasant experience at Eastside Grill. The food of Eastside Grill may not be elaborate, but it was decidedly good. Word of advice: try to go there on a less busy night, perhaps sometime in the middle of the week. The waiting time will be greatly reduced and you'll spend more time enjoying the selection of dishes and less getting drunk at the bar.