Published On: Tue, Mar 6th, 2012

O’GRADY’S AT MARRIOT FOR DINING AND DANCING!

By: Marc Kent

O’Grady’s prix five menu offers 5 starters. We chose to sample a pan seared crab cake – a 2 ounce portion of an unusual and pleasant taste with sweet corn, black bean choux and a spicy pomegranate  aioli. Unfortunately, the ahi tuna – avocado tartar, while spicy, had very little taste of the tuna. The glazed pork pot stickers with shoyu glaze, kimchee salad garnish and dipping sauce was understated.

The classic Caesar salad had nice shards of romaine with grand padano cheese and the dressing providing taste and texture- a fine choice. The Seacrest salad had petite greens, spiced candied pistachios, figs, goat cheese and hearts of palm in a blackberry/ginger vinaigrette. This is a wonderful combination of ingredients producing a fantastic salad – by all means, try it. The menu soup – sausage lentil soup – was also excellent tasting. The soup of the day was a smooth hot potato leek, great. If it is on your menu, order it!

Some 8 items appear as entrees including grilled swordfish with cherry tomatoes, spinach and a cauliflower risotto;a grilled Delmonico steak, mustard rubbed with asparagus, heart of palm and parmesan black pepper mashed. The pepper dusted and seared salmon with arugula and beluga lentil ragout has a citrus scented reduction. These were  not tasted at this time.

Thankfully, the market fish this day was a broiled sea bass which was magnificent. If it’s on  your menu, order it as they do it right. We were pleased with orecchiette- pasta with shrimp, scallop, cherry tomatoes and asparagus tips with ricotta salata. Unfortunately, the spice braised lamb shank, while a huge portion, was only so-so in taste. It had no trace of deep lamb flavor – perhaps obscured by the oranges, olives, sweet potato,chickpea hash, cauliflower and citrus gremolata. The Tuscan roasted chicken had little chicken taste, perhaps the flageolets, roasted pears, olives and shallot reduction was, again, too much for chicken flavor to come through. We also found the sauce of celery root puree and mustard reduction -served with the pan roasted duck – too much for any true duck taste to come through.

We were informed that the duck has been dropped from their future menus.

We sampled 4 of the desserts – 3 on the menu plus a special delightful chocolate mousse cake – rich chocolate taste we applaud. The chocolate crème brulee was not to our liking as the chocolate was a bit too cloying in taste. The key lime pie had a great creamy texture with a lovely taste, as did the New York style cheesecake.

There is an extensive list of wines by the glass, pricing in keeping with current charges in the area.

As this is a restaurant in a hotel, the guests and others are treated to piano music solos from 4:30 to 6:30 and duos on piano and vocals from 7:30 to 11PM. Dancing is the trend and the music varies to please the couples on the floor. Call for details!

O’Grady’s has a happy hour Monday from 4:30 PM to 6:30PM when a short menu of 5 small plates, 2 pizza choices and reduced price libations can be had.

Open 7 days, from 5PM to 9PM for ordering, the kitchen open till 11PM, the bar to 11:30PM.
Seating 100 at tables, 15 at the bar, the menu is eclectic and changes seasonally.

O’Grady’s is located at 10 N. Ocean Boulevard (Atlantic and A1A) in Delray Beach – (561-274-3200) Go and Enjoy!

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