Devon Seafood Grill

Devon Seafood Grill
225 S 18th St, Philadelphia, PA 19103 (215) 546-5940

Per their website, Devon Seafood Grill "offers simply prepared premium seafood, an impressive wine cellar, and handcrafted, signature cocktails." I would consider them to be a premium upscale chain restaurant--they have locations all over the country--such as Miami, Chicago, Milwaukee, Hershey, and others.

Here in Philadelphia, they are located in the luxurious Rittenhouse Square neighborhood, flanking such other Philadelphia landmarks as Parc, Rouge, A-kitchen among other top restaurant choices.

SPICY CREOLE GUMBO.  Not a bad start to the meal.  It had just enough kick to give it some punch but it was not overbearing. Gumbo is a dish that originated in southern Louisiana from the Louisiana Creole people during the 18th century. It typically consists primarily of a strongly flavored stock, okra, meat or shellfish, a thickener, and seasoning vegetables.

MAINE LOBSTER BISQUE.  It was...okay.  Not disappointing and certainly nothing to sneeze at, but it wasn't overly exciting.  The best description I can give was it that it was adequately executed, tasty, but not memorable. Bisque is a smooth, creamy, highly seasoned soup of French origin, classically based on a strained broth of crustaceans. It can be made from lobster, crab, shrimp or crayfish.

SHRIMP COCKTAIL cocktail sauce, creole remoulade.  Nothing too crazy here.  Typical shrimp cocktail presentation. Seems they are keeping the whole creole thing going with the remoulade.  Remoulade or rémoulade is a condiment invented in France that is usually aioli- or mayonnaise-based. Although similar to tartar sauce, it is often more yellowish, often flavored with curry, and sometimes contains chopped pickles or piccalilli.

JUMBO LUMP CRAB CAKES creole remoulade, mango tartar sauce.  Probably the most interesting portion of this dish was the mango tartar sauce.  Unusual combination, but it worked.

SCALLOPS RISOTTO, lemon & asparagus risotto, shaved fennel salad, balsamic glaze, basil oil.  This again was not something I typically see.  Shaved fennel with risotto with scallops.  I'm not sure how I felt about this one. I thought the balsamic glaze left much to be desired though.  If you are going for sweet, I get the risotto, but why go for a sour after taste with balsamic glaze and shaved fennel--not to mention the lemon negates the creaminess and sweetness of the risotto.

The bread service was an afterthought. That is all.

Of Note:
The decor