RIVER CITY GRILLE has a menu studded with upscale sounding dishes: goat cheese buttons on a salad of mesclun greens, filet mignon with portobello confit, ginger and sesame-crusted tuna. But after sampling several, what I really craved was diner fare -- probably because the restaurant, despite its soft lighting and cushy booths is still, quite obviously, a simple neighborhood place.
The owners Bobby Manzi and Michael Pelliccio took over a longtime local favorite, Benny's Seafood Restaurant, in 1998 and revamped it with a child-friendly front room (with paper tablecloths and crayons) and a more intimate dining area in the back. They added a hefty wine list, an ambitious menu, and hired a staff that works hard to please. The atmosphere is friendly and unpretentious. The food, while elegantly presented, suggests an equally relaxed attitude toward preparation. While each dish has been carefully conceived, many ingredients, especially much of the fish and seafood, tasted days old.
But the appetizers made a decent showing. A Caesar salad was fresh, crisp and cheesy -- a version superior to those in many higher-end restaurants. Maryland crab cakes were tender and light, served over crisp haricots verts on a triangular plate with daubs of green goddess sauce at each corner. The greens in a crispy goat cheese salad were fresh enough, though the dressing could have used more kick, and the batter that coated the fried buttons of creamy cheese was somewhat tough. On the other hand, the tomatillo gazpacho, graced with two puffy-light popcorn shrimp and a dollop of sour cream, was overly sweet and slightly cloying.
Entrees looked tantalizing, but tended to be disappointing. Thinly sliced rounds of ahi tuna, subsumed in a pointless mound of fried noodles, had almost no flavor and despite the pleasing pink color were surprisingly dry. Though both my dining companion and I love rare tuna, neither of us had the heart to finish this dish, despite the tasty ginger noodles that accompanied the fish. Grilled shrimp and scallops skewered on a sprig of rosemary and dressed with an olive tapenade sounded great, but the shrimp tasted of freezer burn and the warm vegetable tabbouleh on which they rested was redolent of oil.
Pan-roasted chicken was juicy, if a little fatty, and served with pencil-thin grilled asparagus. But the accompanying ''speckled wild rice'' was in no way wild. It had all the texture and distinction of Uncle Ben's. Filet mignon, garnished with whipped potatoes and slices of squash, was tender but arrived undercooked and oddly lukewarm, considering the burning-hot plate. On top, two enormous onion rings reminded me of what this place once was, and perhaps should have remained.
Service was uniformly cheerful and accommodating. When the cream curdled in our coffees, the waitress apologized profusely and returned promptly with new mugs and a fresh pitcher. Beverages, actually, were a strength at River City Grille. The wine list is large, the house Chardonnay crisp and dry, and the after-dinner drink, Nutty Irishman, which was prepared with Baileys Irish Cream, Jameson's whiskey, hazelnut liqueur and coffee, made a delicious ending. It was better than many of the desserts.
Two, however, stood out. A peach-blueberry cobbler was pleasantly hot and cold, sweet and sour, crumbly and creamy. The toasted almond tart served on runny crème anglaise, was somewhat over sweet, but very flavorful. River City Grille is aiming high and it has the right atmosphere and staff. Improved attention in the kitchen would make a world of difference.
RIVER CITY GRILLE
6 South Broadway,
Irvington
(914)591-2033
SATISFACTORY
ATMOSPHERE -- Loud and child-friendly in the front, slightly quieter and more intimate in the back, with a small bar on the side. Service is polite and friendly.
RECOMMENDED DISHES -- Classic Caesar salad, crispy goat cheese salad, Maryland crab cakes with haricots verts, filet mignon with onion rings and whipped potatoes, pan-roasted breast of chicken; peach-blueberry cobbler, toasted almond tart.
PRICES -- Appetizers, $6 to $12. Entree salads and sandwiches, $13 to $16. Entrees, $18 to $27. Desserts, $6.
CREDIT CARDS -- Major credit cards, except Discover.
WINE AND BEER -- Large wine list ranges from the moderate to pricey; a rotating selection of specialty drinks, like the Nutty Irishman.
HOURS -- Open for lunch, Mondays through Saturdays, 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Dinner, Mondays through Thursdays from 5:30 to 10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 5:30 until 11 p.m. and Sundays, from 5 to 9 p.m.
RESERVATIONS -- Preferred.
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS -- Short flight of steps at entrance.
THE RATINGS -- Excellent. Very good. Good. Satisfactory. Poor.
Ratings reflect the reviewer's reaction primarily to food, with ambience and service taken into consideration. Menu listings and prices are subject to change.
