A long-time nautical favorite of mine
has gotten a recent and well-done makeover.
The reimagining of Lure, one of the city's most beloved seafood spots,
happened in September yielding the new Lure Saltwater Kitchen and Bar. I wouldn't call it a dramatic departure from
the original, but the subtle differences are creative, refreshing and
appreciated. At the helm in the kitchen is
Chef de Cuisine Olivier Reedholm, a relatively young lad whose pedigree
includes Savannah's The Grey as well as Norway's Michelin-starred Under, the
world's largest underwater restaurant.
Yes, you read that correctly, he used to cook in an underwater restaurant. The guy knows seafood. Lure
updates a daily menu of 'Fleeting Moments' offering a curated selection of
oysters, aguachiles, ceviches and tartares, their nod to the best-of-the-best
fresh seafood available from the Southeastern seaboard. You get a sense of the
restaurant's personality from their "Tackle Box Chef Assortment," a
selected assortment from the raw bar served on ice in an actual vintage tackle
box. Most of the other seafood offerings
show up on small plates like crispy shrimp, crab toast and delightful mussels
with coconut and lemongrass. If you are
more of a land-locked sort, there are great options with the entrees including
a wagyu frittes dish as well as a great wood-grilled chicken and pork shank to
gnaw on. For dessert, I thought the
bubble waffle sundae made with purple Filipino ice cream (called ube) was one
of the most colorful and whimsical plates I've had in a long time. Most of the time I shudder when restaurants
decide to do a refresh, but this one is smooth sailing.
