Restaurant Review

Friday, September 7, 2001

High-quality surf and turf

Ocean views, fine steaks and seafood at Dorado's combine for rich experience

Good news

Fresh seafood and tempting desserts, such as Bananas Foster (right), make Dorado’s in Rockport a treat.

Dorado's, named for the pug-faced fish indigenous to the Gulf of Mexico, offers fresh fish, excellent steaks and an extensive selection of wines ($25 to $89 per bottle, or $4 per glass) in an attractive atmosphere on Key Allegro Marina, overlooking Little Bay, in Rockport.
   Bad news
   The service, at least during one recent visit, didn't live up to Dorado's otherwise excellent standards.
   Food for thought
   Dorado's offers dining inside and out and has a bar in the elevated indoor dining section as well as an outdoor bar overlooking the marina.
   During a recent Saturday night, my companion and I started with the Shrimp Allegro, which is made by de-veining a shrimp, stuffing a jalapeño strip in its place and packing Monterrey jack cheese on top. It's then wrapped in cooked bacon, wrapped again in a won ton skin and fried. We found the Shrimp Allegro a tasty blend of beloved foods whose powerful flavor benefited from the cool mandarin orange-pineapple marmalade provided for dipping.
 

Dorado’s at Key Allegro, 39 Mazatlan Drive, Rockport, (361) 790-8443 Hours: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Tues.-Sat.; 5 to 10 p.m. Tues.-Thurs.; 5 to 11 p.m. Fri., Sat.; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sun. Entrees: $4.99 to $9.99 (lunch), $9.99 to $19.99 (dinner) Checks: Yes Credit Cards: Yes Wheelchair accessible Beer and wine Food: *** Atmosphere: *** Service: ***

My sautéed dorado arrived in a steak cut with a moist texture and subtle flavor, although a little gray on one end. The pecan crusting, sautéed in butter and lemon and finished in an oven, added a subtle, yet rich flavor.
   My companion selected the char-grilled filet mignon of black Angus beef. It was cooked well-done and she appreciated the fact that it hadn't been burned on the outside.
   The sautéed vegetables - zucchini and yellow squash - were cut too large for easy handling and the grill accents added little flavor. The parsley new potatoes, drizzled with butter, salt, pepper, garlic and parsley, provided a more flavorful side.
   I chose Bananas Foster for dessert; my companion selected key lime pie.
   Bananas Foster is made with bananas sautéed in butter, brown sugar, pecans and finely minced pineapple that is then flambéed in Bacardi 151 rum and dumped atop cinnamon ice cream, making for a wonderful combination of hot and cold sweets.
   The Key Lime Pie had the perfect balance of tart and sweet. The key lime juice is mixed with a generous amount of sweetened condensed milk (12 cans to a pie) and the filling is then topped with hand-whipped whipped cream.
   Service
   The service at Dorado's didn't live up to the standards you'd expect from a restaurant of this caliber. It took a long time for our desserts to arrive and the waitress neglected to offer us coffee. She also forgot to bring back the credit card receipt after the bill had been paid, forcing a delay that lasted several irritating minutes.

  
  

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Restaurant reviews are written by a team of freelance writers. The Caller-Times pays for the meals. From time-to-time the writers visit previously reviewed restaurants to update the information.

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