Cuisine Review

Outside it is still a bit hot and the humidity can be high. However, on a few October days we get a slight breeze and a dry day. This was the case on the first of October. I recently went on a sailing trip on the tall ship Joshua, which I highly recommend.

We left out of Dog River Marina. I had not thought about the Grand Mariner restaurant, located just west of the Dog River Bridge in ages. My family used to eat there a great deal when I was growing up, especially when I was in high school. Their oversized deck sits right on the water, affording a pleasant view of ships coming in at night, and after dark, lights glowing on the water. They are only open for dinner, yet serve seven nights a week.

I took another friend who had not been in years back the other night, along with a newbie. There was a table at the edge of the deck away from the other tables, which are all spaced out nicely. The breeze was blowing and we were in no hurry on a Monday evening.

Almost all of the tables were filled out on the deck with a few inside. Our waitress told us that Saturday and Friday are both their big nights. During the week it is slightly less crowded and would be a great place to take children. There are several po-boy sandwiches from a burger, to shrimp, fish or oysters that come with fries. From the appetizers, we chose the West Indies salad and some fried onion rings.

The West Indies salad was a big hit. The lump crabmeat contained large flakes of meat and was piled like a volcano rising out of the marinade. One said it tasted just like his grandfather’s old-school recipe. When I told people I was going, or had gone to the Mariner, their first question was “do they still have that fantastic orange colored batter?” Yes they do, soaked in milk and covered with the lightest, crispiest batter ever. A pile of rings came on a platter, and while not piping hot, they were eaten quickly. They even bring some ranch dressing on the side.

The Mariner is an old-school place, a throwback to the ‘70s. The nautical theme is ever present, the waitresses not fussy but friendly and proud to work there. And our favorite was the woven basket of crackers with plenty of Captain’s Wafers and whipped Land O’Lakes spread. Why do restaurants not do this anymore? I guess our desire for upscale has eroded this snack. My parents always warned me not to fill up on crackers and butter, but I always did so anyway.

All entrees come with a salad and choice of baked potato, new potatoes or some sort of vegetable. Why get a vegetable when you can have new potatoes soaked in melted butter or a baked potato with sour cream? The salads are old-school as well, torn brisk fresh leaves with a cucumber and nice red tomato wedge. The dressings are Kraft tasting, but I loved my Italian. The blue cheese was not a favorite of the other two.

The meal was paced slowly, which allowed us to enjoy the evening, and one of us enjoyed a nice glass (or two) of Merlot. The wine selection is updated with some nice by-the-glass choices, and they have a full bar inside. Beyond the deck, they also have a covered deck area that can be used for private dinners and parties.

Seafood takes up pretty much the entire menu but for a few steaks. It has been many years ago, but I do remember having a steak there once and it being of pretty good quality. I would not drive down for the steak, but when paired with their crab claws this could make for a great meal.

There are platters of every type – fried shrimp, crab claws, King Crab legs, fried catfish, flounder and oysters. One of us got the platter with two choices and selected the crab claws and shrimp. The crab claws here are locally famous and are worthy of their reputation. Meaty and coated with just enough of the mellow batter, this generous portion was delicious. The shrimp on the other hand were kind of on the small side, and looked fairly limp on the plate. He said they were just OK, which was a surprise.

I could not decide between the flounder, fried or broiled or what really caught my eye, the flounder Florentine. They also serve a crab Florentine. A large fresh piece of flounder is baked in a casserole dish on top of spinach, with several mild cheeses and a touch of spice, then is layered with the old fashioned crumbly Parmesan cheese. It is rich, simple and different, not something you see on menus.

I would drive back down just to eat this, the consistency and taste was much like crabmeat au gratin. My other friend selected the steamed platter with Royal Red shrimp and King Crab legs.

Her shrimp were plump and on the large side, a whole new story from the fried. The pink crustaceans were encased in spice and flavor. She was practically orgasmic over the crab legs, going on and on about their sweet meat. Yellow corn and new potatoes rounded out this platter. I also had the new potatoes and as I stated earlier, they were tender and drowning in butter. We were all quite full after dinner, but sat around and enjoyed the evening and even visited a bit with our waitress.

This is but a short 20-minute drive from Downtown, and there are also quite a few slots in which to dock your boat after a day on the water. It is highly recommended that you get there early to grab a seat for what is down-home, done-right seafood.

Sometimes it takes no frills to remind us that as fancy as we want to eat, those who last just continue to do what they do best.

Grand Mariner is located at 6036 Rock Point Road, Mobile. Phone is 251-443-5700.

Kinnon Phillips is Lagniappe cuisine editor. Contact him at kphillips@lagniappemobile.com.

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