Sunday, February 04, 2007

 

Ovation: Lively Atmosphere and Impressive Food

I have never had a bad time at Ovation! I have been over 5 times and every time I have enjoyed the drinks and the crowd. Ovation is very unique for Fort Worth for two reasons (1) they have wonderful live music every single night and (2) the crowd is more culturally diverse than most places in town.

Ovation is a great place to go for drinks because it has a great energy; however, with its growing popularity, you may have a hard time finding a place to sit. Don't let this deter you from trying it though because although there is a crowd, it is not unbearable. The crowd really starts to pick up around 9:00 which is when the live music begins.

On my most recent visit, I had the opprortunity to try two new fish entress that were new additions to the menu. First, the pan seared sea bass ($19) was delicious with its rich flavors. It seems it can be difficult to find a nice fish entree in town for under $28, but now you can! I will definitely be ordering the sea bass on my next visit. The blackened salmon with shrimp on a bed of cheese grits topped with crawfish cream sauce ($18) was also delicious. Another good example of fresh fish at a reasonable price.

I certainly suggest starting with the jalapeno beef appetizer ($8). It is served with pineapple, orange and cucumber salad. Wonderful! The calamari ($9) is also impressive. It has a little more spice to it than many calamaris, but it is not overwhelming.

The only food item that was a little disappointing was the steak. FWJoey and I once shared the shitake tenderloin (10 oz = $34, 8 oz = $30) and while the steak was good, it did not taste like the quality of meat you expect for that kind of price. The grade of the meat is not the prime grade meat that you get at Del Frisco or Silver Fox, yet the price is as much. The steaks would be good if the price were lowered to reflect the quality of the meat. As a side item, we shared the indulgent 4 cheese maccaroni ($4). If calories do not matter, then do not fight yourself and order the mac! We have not yet tried any of the pasta dishes, but my dear friend FWJanet loved the Rasta Pasta. Beware of the gumbo which we have been told is too salty and difficult to eat since the shrimp still has its tails on. We have never had room for dessert.

The best server we have had at Ovation is Austin. He has been consistently friendly and a top notch server. I have heard a few complaints about the service at Ovation from other diners, but I have not experienced poor service first hand. Every time we have been there, it has been a true pleasure!

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