No snapper for me.
Normally, when I do these reviews, I sample two appetizers, two main courses and a dessert because I think that provides a nice overview of what the kitchen can do. Club Oceano has a fantastic-looking appetizer menu, so I went heavy on starters and ordered three, along with one main and one dessert.
Dining out on Monday can be a challenge. Few restaurants in the area offer dinner service that day because staff need a break and it gives time for the eatery to handle its business functions.
Those that are open often have lighter staff since business can be slow. Restaurateurs believe it’s the worse day to eat out because inventory may be from the previous weekend.
The restaurant has the ambiance of a place in Cape Cod. Fish decorate the brown-paneled wall. The lights hung low. Diners have a choice of a table or booth, and I asked for a booth. When I arrived just after 6 p.m. there weren’t many customers but by 7 p.m. the place was hopping.
Club Oceano carries an excellent selection of white wines, which makes sense given its seafood dishes. Sadie knew the wine’s characteristics and rattled them off without hesitation. I settled on the Spanish wine, Honoro Vera (blanco) verdejo, in part because the bartender recommended it.
Good choice. The wine’s minimal acidity, which I like, had notes of crisp and refreshing pineapple and pear. It would be a good compliment with any item on the menu, including beef, and is the type of wine any seafood restaurant should stock.
I also ordered a glass of the Quilt cabernet, a Napa wine with notes of coffee and blackberry while light on the tannins. I asked whether the restaurant stocked any Old-World wines, like Bordeaux and Rioja, and the answer came back no. That’s too bad but not unexpected. Americans love their cab and merlot (despite what the movie “Sideways” says.)
For appetizers, I ordered salmon crostini, the filet bruschetta and the crab cake. I (sadly) passed on the lobster bisque, blackened halibut tacos and roasted Brussels sprouts. Those, along with the oysters Rockefeller and mussels in white wine sauce, will have to wait for another visit.
The crostini came four to a plate, with each small bite of salmon topped with tomato, onion and a small dollop of pesto and balsamic glaze. It was the most flavorful appetizer of the night and with the Verdejo, I could have eaten just that and been satisfied.
The filet bruschetta had blue cheese and balsamic glaze that softened the Quilt, making it a nice combination. Remember, always taste wine with food because the characteristics change. The three large pieces were plenty.
The disappointing and gummy crab cake was more cake than crab, akin to the fake stuff you get at local supermarkets for $1.99 each. In a way, it’s my fault because I didn’t ask if the crab cake was New England style, which has little filler, or supermarket style, with breadcrumbs, flour and little real crab, if any. I likely wouldn’t order this again.
I was excited about the scallops because I have a hard time cooking them properly. For every time I produce perfectly seared, tender and juicy scallop, I produce an overcook chewy mess my wife politely tells me is OK.
The plate, which included risotto and Asiago butter sauce, looked nice. But looks can be deceiving. The scallops were room temperature, which is fine. But the risotto was so hot I couldn’t eat it right away, which leads me to believe there was a timing issue in the kitchen. The scallops sat in a flood of Asiago butter sauce, which didn’t help disguise the chewiness.
But there was a silver lining. Once the perfectly al dente risotto cooled, I mixed it in the Asiago butter. That combination was so good I didn’t need the scallops.
The restaurant has several appealing desserts, including croissant bread pudding, which looked too good to pass up. I wanted my usual dessert bourbon, and Club Oceano has some high end (and expensive) options. If you’re looking for a treat, the bar has Old Rip Van Winkle 10 ($50 for a one-once pour) and 12 year ($60.) But they also offered a 126.2 proof George Stagg for $20, a far better buy that I like more than the Van Winkles. I ordered an ounce of that.
The dessert came with ice cream, which got me all excited, since the melting cream went perfectly with the high-proof whiskey. But the bread pudding suffered from. “Looks can be deceiving.” No matter what bread you use, the pudding should be moist. This version was dense with little taste, and after a few bites that included an overdone corner piece, I had enough.
I’m willing to chalk up the inconsistency to Monday. I’ll pick another day on a future visit and have a point of comparison.
Have you been to Club Oceano? What do you think?
Ray Marcano’s Fine Wine and Dine column explores the best wine and dining options in the Dayton region. He can be reached at winedineddn@gmail.com.
THE REVIEW
What: Club Oceano, at The Greene in Beavercreek
Appetizers: 4 out of 5. Good crostini and bruschetta, not good crabcake
Dinner: 3.5 out of 5. Chewy scallops, too much sauce, risotto saved the dish
Dessert: 1 out of 5. Bread pudding shouldn’t be dense and dry
Ambiance: 4 out of 5. Very nice
Service: 5 out of 5: Sadie was a gem.
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