Searsucker: Fun for the Young, But Not the Fabric of Fine Dining

We recently celebrated Kristina’s 26th birthday at Searsucker. This was our first visit.

We have long been Brian Malarkey fans, both through his cookbooks and his success at Oceanaire, a favorite seafood destination for the our family and site of Kristina’s  25th birthday celebration. Our visit to Searsucker started with some great drinks, like the “Dirty Girl”, a gin and cucumber cocktail with a spicy twist, and incredible cheese popovers. Our appetizers included the octopus with saffron aioli, brie with blackberry preserves, shrimp with bacon grits, artichoke hearts prepared as a dip with greyere cheese: all fascinating presentations and flavorful palate teasers.

Our entrees included the local halibut; whole chicken with “peas and carrots” smoked corn; filet with lobster butter and cognac; tuna with proscuitto, basil and a balsamic glaze and the scallops “baja”.  Kristina had to send back the scallops as they were very “rubbery” and were a huge disappointment to the birthday girl. The entrees were generally good, but each arrived at our table individually. Entree prices ranged from $22 to $35, but sides added another $7 to $9 each, which made the entire main course somewhat pricey. The atmosphere, best described as a Hotel “W” clone, was cold and noisy – interesting in theory, but not in the reality of supporting a cozy dining experience that cushions conversation and provides soft lighting. The younger members of our party are ready to return for the “hip” atmosphere, but Gary and I value ambiance as much as the food when we treat ourselves to fine dining and we need a softer, quieter environment with enough lighting to read the menu.