Seafood (Not Necessarily) by the Bay

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When it comes to flavor and aroma, the Ciopinno does not disappoint.

If you love seafood as much as I do, I bet you love being in the bay area! With selections only matched by perhaps New England, every city hosts a number of great options. However,finding seafood on the Farm isn’t nearly as easy, unless Wilbur Dining’s clam chowder (which isn’t bad to be fair) can satiate your cravings. Therefore, this week’s Amuse Bouche takes a look at a possible choice near campus: Scott’s Seafood.

Located conveniently at Town and Country, Scott’s is about a ten-minute bike ride away. On rainy (or just lazy) days, you can now get there on the marguerite too. You probably can’t turn it into your every-now-and-then kind of place, but it’s a nice getaway for that special dinner with friends, family or a date. A standard lunch for two will set you back about $45, while dinner goes appropriately beyond.

The menu is extensive and is sure to have at least one thing that makes you happy you came here. Your choices range across a wide variety of sea creatures, including ahi tuna, Alaskan halibut, blue nose sea bass, rainbow trout, scallops, oysters and many more. Scott’s does a good job of offering different flavors that work well together, as compared to the decorated plate with nothing but butter lettuce and a slice of fish that many other places will serve you. The ahi tuna with the ginger-carrot puree or the rainbow trout with crab caper butter are all balanced to let one ingredient compliment another.

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Dry-aged steaks and chicken are also available if seafood isn't your thing.

The appetizers are fresh and taste so for the most part. The calamari does not disappoint (not too crispy, not too dull, and not too fried so as to overpower the aroma of the seafood). What you may like a lot about their appetizer selections- I certainly did- is that they aren’t very unorthodox. It’s important for the appetizer to be exactly what the name prompts, and make your dining experience remain good past the first thing you eat. If you want to be creative or adventurous, there’s a whole list of entrees waiting for you! Soups and salads are a bit more imaginative, but do include a special soup of the day and (yes, you’ve guessed it) New England clam chowder.

If you’re not feeling adventurous, Scott’s also has a good selection of the classics. Seafood sauté and filet mignon are always great options, and if you’re not feeling seafood at all, you can go for one of their standard cuts (dry-aged 28 days).

Finally, their beverage selection is worth a mention. Scott’s offers a pretty standard list of wines to pair with your food (here I speak of the Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon they offer- the only ones I’ve ever really looked at) which includes their own label. Their cocktails are a little more on the creative side and keep up with the tradition of Palo Alto by naming one (The Cardinal) after Stanford. You can also choose from a nice variety of non-alcoholic beverages, and ask for anything from the bar sans alcohol (the person I go with loves Shirley Temples!).

All in all, it’s got a great atmosphere, competitive prices and a seafood variety that clearly beats restaurants like Sundance or Macarthur Park in terms of choice, while maintaining great quality.