Moon Fish

Umm. Seafood.

Headed out the other night to the area in Orlando with the most upscale restaurants per square foot: Sandlake Road. Aka Restaurant Row. Located just off Universal property, this strip of road is infamous for some good food. And Moon Fish is definitely included.

Owned by the conglomerate Talk of the Town, Moon Fish doesn't fail to, well, be the talk of the town. Swanky and hip without being snooty, this is exactly the atmosphere that works for a restaurant. The seating is comfortable, the music is trendy in that semi-trancy kinda way, and I literally felt like I was transported to a far away vacation spot while I was dining.

One highlight? The happy hour. Monday through Saturday 4:30pm to 6:30pm you can enjoy half price sushi and yummy drink specials. When a friend invited me out to partake in the jolly hour, I was a bit hesitant, because this deal is only good in the bar and lounge. And when we arrived, the bar was full. But the lounge? With the comfy booths? Near empty. Because the lounge area is Huge and located right by the front window. We enjoyed a half price Volcano Roll and a few glasses of $6 Conundrum. The sushi was fantastic; savory and rich and a great way to get our appetites going for a full meal. The wine is one of my favorites. Made from a five major grape varietals (Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Muscat, Viognier and Semillion) each produced with a different vinicultural (wine making) technique, this wine does live up to it's name. If you're looking to waste some time in front of the computer, check out their What's Your Conundrum website where you can look for some advice on major life decisions from some random strangers.

While the full menu included many local seafood options, I went with my favorite: the Chilean Sea bass. And this is where the fun begins. I love restaurants where you get to pick your protein...and then pick your cooking method. I went for the Citrus and Oak Grilled. And it was delicious with the buttery Sea bass. The dish came with Sesame Green Beans and fantastic Scallion Mashed Potatoes. We also got two optional side dishes: Creamed Spinach and Oak Grilled Asparagus. While the Asparagus was tasty and perfectly cooked, the Creamed Spinach really stole the side dish show. Not too creamy and full of mushrooms and Parmesan cheese, this is officially my favorite Creamed Spinach ever. And yes, it's better than mine.

I'd highly recommend Moon Fish for a nice leisurely meal. It's not too far from the downtown metro area, and if you're visiting Orlando, it's only a hop, skip and a jump from the International Drive area and hotels like the Rosen Plaza Hotel.