Hook some good bargains at new Bonefish Grill

By LEN LEAR

I don't know how on earth they are going to fill most of their 215 seats on weeknights, but the new Bonefish Grill, which opened last month in a shopping center at 1015 Easton Rd. (Route 611, one half-mile south of the Turnpike's Willow Grove exit) in Willow Grove definitely offers excellent fresh seafood extrees for about half the price of comparable dinners at Striped Bass.

For example, for $14.50 you can get a beautiful piece of Atlantic salmon, seasoned and cooked over a wood-burning grill and served with a choice of lemon butter sauce, lime tomato garlic sauce, warm mango salsa or pan-Asian style. All entrees are also served with a house or Caesar salad, fresh vegetables and side dish like garlic mashed potatoes, potatoes au gratin or angel hair pasta with marinana sauce.

The most expensive menu entree, meat or seafood, is the Chilean sea bass at $19.50. I thought that might be fairly expensive until I went shopping a few days later in a gourmet food market in Lafayette Hill and noticed that a pound of Chilean sea bass, already cooked, was selling for $15! It made me wonder how Bonefish Grill can even make a profit on such an item. I guess they better sell a lot of cocktails.

Although I was not familiar with it before, Bonefish Grill is a chain, connected with Outback Steakhouse, with 52 restaurants, mostly in Ohio, Indiana and Alabama. The chain was started in St. Petersburg, Florida, in 2000 by two veteran restaurateurs. The new Bonefish Grill, located in a building that formerly housed a Halloween store and then an Eckard Pharmacy, is referred to as "polished casual" by owner Mark Oppen.

"We will always offer some seafood specials," he said, "like grouper and tilefish, that you generally will not be able to get elsewhere in Philadelphia area restaurants."

Every day Bonefish Grill offers a variety of at least eight fresh fish entrees to choose from. In addition to the four sauces mentioned earlier, a customer may choose from many toppings to go with the grilled fish. Of course, many professional chefs and gourmands would reject the notion that you need any "toppings" on fresh seafood, that they merely cover up the fish's natural juices; however, the toppings are optional, and it's definitely fun to experiment with such choices as a creamy thermidor sauce with sweet lobster chunks, finished with sherry; garlic breadcrumbs grilled and topped with artichoke hearts, basil and lemon butter; mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes in a spicy sauce; macadamia nuts and a pineapple rum sauce; and shrimp in a classic spicy Creole sauce. There are also a half-dozen chicken, pork and beef entrees, but ordering meat at Bonefish Grill is like going to an ice cream store that offers 56 flavors and ordering vanilla.

Although the entrees offer enough food for the average NFL defensive lineman, there are some very tasty appetizers, soups and salads. A cup of steaming corn chowder with lump crab meat ($4.90) was just glorious. Desserts such as chocolate macadamia nut brownie cake served with raspberry sauce, vanilla ice cream and fresh whipped cream ($4.70) and deep dish key lime pie with graham cracker and roasted pecan crust ($4.70) are available. (We were too stuffed to try any.)

The interior's modernistic design features lots of dark wood and hand-blown glass amber lamps. There are three community tables located in the bar area, but if you hate cigarette smoke, this area should be avoided like a TV "Swift Boat" commercial.

There are lots of interesting fruity martinis available like the one with vodka, peach schnapps and orange juice ($6.50); or with vodka, Cointreau, lime and cranberry juice ($6.90). For more information, call 215-659-5854 or visit www.bonefishgrill.com