3 stars for Kendall's "sexy, delectable" Devon Seafood + Steak
It’s rare that I review a chain restaurant, but with the buzz about Devon Seafood + Steak in Kendall, I had to check it out. The kitchen is commanded by a real pro, executive chef Scott Barrow, who has been with the Kansas City-based chain for a dozen years and relocated here from Chicago. His cooking is confident and skillful, even if some dishes fall into the obscenely rich restaurant-food category.
Ambience: The 300-seater is hardly intimate, but it’s somehow sexy with subdued lighting, a hip soundtrack and private dining nooks.
What Worked
- Decadent, dense, warm biscuits slathered with creamy honey butter
- Mini lobster rolls – sweet, toasted rolls loaded with claw meat in spiced-up mayo
- Crispy Old Bay-seasoned fries
- Textbook perfect meaty crab cakes with a spicy Creole rémoulade
- Creamy shrimp and grits withaged Cheddar, a swirl of tomato, bacon and espelette pepper
- Creole gumbo loaded with tongue-tingling andouille sausage, chicken, pork, ham, bacon, steak, crawfish and shrimp
- Roasted duck flatbread with great flavor contrasts of fig barbecue sauce, sliced red onion, Granny Smith apple chunks and three kinds of melty cheese
- Impressively fresh, large & varied salads
- Crave-wothy lobster cobb salad
- Strawberry, spinach and arugula salad with red onion and Parmigiano
- A kitchen that’s happy to customize or create a dish for guests with allergies or just a hankering (including gluten-free and vegetarian menus)
- Perfectly grilled, pencil-thin asparagus
- Sliced Wagyu flank with mushroom demi-glace,
- Velvety Australian butterfish
- Costa Rican mahi grilled to perfect juiciness
- Crunchy jicama-lime salad
- Gooey molten chocolate cake
- Delectable carrot cake with buttery pecan praline filling, tangy crème anglaise and cream-cheese frosting
What Didn’t Work
- Overcooked, overly cheesy shrimp enchilada
This story was originally published March 27, 2013 at 1:03 AM.