Omnivore - A visit to Wahoo Grill

Wayne and I set out for dinner Sunday night at the new Farm Burger in Decatur. We found the place absolutely packed. Among those waiting in line was food blogger and photographer extraordinare Broderick Smylie.

After five or 10 minutes of standing in a line that wasn't moving, Wayne and I decided to leave and head somewhere else. We landed at Wahoo Grill, which we found nearly empty. However, the guy up front told us there would be a 15-minute wait. I looked around the dining room and asked, "Why?"

"To give the kitchen time to catch up," he said.

It was only later that we realized the restaurant's large, popular patio in the rear was full.

We had a mainly good meal, starting with an appetizer of three fat scallops wrapped in maple-cured bacon, drizzled with spicy mayo and garnished with arugula (top photo). Our second starter was shrimp simmered in a Louisiana-style barbecue sauce that tasted like it was spiked with Worcestershire sauce. We liked both dishes.

For an entree, I chose the regular Sunday special of fried chicken with mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables. My plate included two boned breast halves partially covered in gravy. I have no serious complaints about the moist meat but I don't understand fried chicken without the bone, which does impart a depth of flavor you don't get with boned chicken.

Wayne ordered the signature grilled wahoo topped with a vinaigrette with capers and rather flavorless cherry tomatoes. The dish also included green beans and a cheesy risotto.

Dessert was a dish of bread pudding for Wayne and something like blackberry cobbler made with oatmeal for me. (Think "apple crisp" with blackberries substituted.) Skip the latter. It was unpleasantly mushy while the super-sweet bread pudding hit the bourbon-glazed spot.

(Photos by Cliff Bostock)