McCormick & Schmick's

Being in the Midwest, it is difficult for a restaurant to serve fresh seafood without making the massive effort of having it shipped in daily. Thankfully, in the glut of steakhouses that have taken over Downtown Indianapolis, Oceannaire Seafood Room and McCormick & Schmick's have settled in to offer a seafood alternative, and having eaten at both now, I have to say they are great additions to the downtown palate.

McCormick & Schmick's is located in a portion of the lobby of the Hilton hotel (though there is only one door access to the Hilton). It offers a very high ceiling, with some pretty spectacular stained glass lighting fixtures, and in the bar area, they incorporate the logos of the Colts, Pacers, and the Motor Speedway. The decor favor's dark wood, but not quite to the extent of, say, a St. Elmo's. In the north corner, behind the bar, there are booths all along the wall that have green velvet drapes that can be closed for privacy. The one draw back that I found in this relatively elegant restaurant's decor, is the fact that those booths are the only opportunity for any sort of intimacy. While the rest of the tables are not stacked on top of each other like St. Elmo's we were still pretty close to our neighbors, and since it was Valentine's Day, the place was absolutely packed. However, the high ceiling certainly made it a lot easier to hear each other talk.

Our waiter was fantastic. Even though his section was packed with people, we never missed him, and he offered great information on the menu, which he informed us is changed twice a day to highlight what is available. Though he evilly brought the dessert tray around after we were done with our main course, and even though I pretty much always shun them, we ended up splitting the Creme Brulee, which was pretty great, even if the Grand Mariner was a bit overpowering.

We started out with a crab, shrimp, and artichoke dip, which came with toasted pita chips. It was a wonderful to start out the dinner, though the pita chips were a bit hard. We both had Salmon stuffed with crab and shrimp, which came with mashed potatoes and a few sprigs of asparagus. Tyler felt that the crab may have been a little off, but I did not notice in my particular dish. If I have one complaint about both examples of food, it was that the plating was pretty bad. I know this makes me sound like a pretentious putz, but I watch the Food Network. I know that good plating is an essential part of any meal, and when you're paying a lot for a meal, you want the food to look like it wasn't thrown on there by a disgruntled lunch lady. I forgot to mention the drinks. The bar was a notch above with their use of infused vodkas and freshly squeezed juices.

I really enjoyed McCormick & Schmick's, and I think it really competes with Oceannaire as a slightly lower prices alternative. However, it cannot beat Oceannaire in the ambiance and intimacy department. I did find the plating to be pretty problematic, but since it was an especially busy night, I will consider it a small quibble. I am happy to see that in the heart of red meat country, there can be great, fresh seafood restaurants.


110 North Illinois St.
At the Corner of Illinois & Market Streets
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
(317) 631-9500 or 1-888-344-686
http://www.mccormickandschmicks.com/