The folks from Bonefish Grill invited me to partake in the Bonefish Challenge. That is, they sent me two $25 gift cards- one specfically for Bonefish Grill and one Visa card to use at the seafood restaurant of my choice in order to compare my experiences. I figured this was a great excuse for a couple of mother/son nights with my seafood-loving 11-year-old.He and I enjoyed dinners out at Bonefish Grill and Red Lobster though we went far beyond our $25 budget at each place. All in the name of research, right?
Rather than share a blow-by-blow recounting of each meal, I'll share a few key bits from each experience.
Bread: We enjoyed and quickly devoured the warm loaf of bread and seasoned olive oil prior to our meal at Bonefish Grill, but oh, those Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits can't be beat. (Try this at-home version from Sun Kissed Mommy.)
When it came to the salad course, Bonefish Grill was the winner with a house salad that went a bit beyond the ordinary with a slice of heart of palm, kalamata olives and a liberal sprinkling of lightly toasted pine nuts topped with a delectable citrus herb vinaigrette dressing.
The menu Bonefish was a bit more limited than that at Red Lobster. However, the Bonefish meal seemed fresher while our entrees at Red Lobster had a generic look and taste that didn't quite live up to the menu.
The children's menu at Bonefish had only two seafood items: popcorn shrimp and fish strips. I would have liked to see some small portions of adults fish meals on the menu. My son wound up ordering off of the adult menu- salmon with butter and lemon sauce along with a side broccoli and mashed potatoes. I had a piece of Chilean sea bass with seasoned rice.
At Red Lobster my son ordered a child-sized portion of crab legs and...I delayed posting this so long I forgot what I ordered. That said, the highlight of our meal was those cheddar biscuits.
The service at Bonefish is what put that restaurant over the top. My son is a die-hard McCormick and Schmick's fan (and dang it, they keep sending us coupons to entice us back). He dragged his heels at the mention of Bonefish and was indeed in something of a prepubescent funk when we arrived. (We didn't have reservations or anything; there was no way they'd know I planned to write about our experience.)
Our server, Beth, at the Skokie location was fantastic. My grumpy son ordered a Fanta Orange to drink only to be told it wasn't on the menu. Ugh. He sunk deeper into his funk. Imagine our surprise when Beth returned to our table with a bottle of Fanta Orange! Though the corporate honchos may not be pleased to hear about this off-menu service, I was delighted; my son even more so. I guarantee they have a new customer for life.
Now you have a chance to check out Bonefish Grill, too! I'm giving away a $25 gift certificate to Bonefish Grill (note: it expires 12/31/09, so plan to use it ASAP).
WIN IT!
Giveaway Title: BONEFISH GRILL GIFT CERTIFICATE
Prize: Win a $25 gift certificate for Bonefish Grill
Number of Winners: 1
Entry Question: Let us know what you'd like to eat at Bonefish Grill if you win!
Enter By: December 13 at 11:00 PM CST
Entry Form: Click here
Winners will be notified by e-mail.
Please read the official rules for entering our giveaways.
This was written by Kim who also writes about food at Scrambled CAKE.
Bonefish later sent me another $25 coupon for my efforts.
