Grille One Sixteen

Grille 116 is indeed a diamond in the very rough. It has taken some of the more signature aspects of brilliant Tampa restaurants and amalgamated them. It has taken the eclectic music from Sideburns, and the coveted wine lockers from the Capital Grille. The service is good, although I had to pour my own water once, a pet peeve. The reserve wine list is short and rather over priced; I know the list price of most of them. As for the regular wine list, expected staples for high-end establishments were missing: Shafer, Duckhorn, Patricia Greene, Ken Wright. Remember a wine list is like a bread recipe– everyone thinks theirs is the best.
The food: The eclectic environment does not transition into the menu. The appetizers are tempting and indeed the chef knows how to cook. We ordered the lobster tail tempura and it was moist, and tender. No hockey pucks here. The sauces, however, need work…
The salads that we saw others order are well presented.
The entrees: given the eclectic environment I am not sure what the owners want to produce. I ordered the Hog fish, while my wife order the Grouper. We both chose to have it Oscar style. 116 Oscar is ½ of an about three ounce lobster tail, covered with a light version of bearnaise sauce or a burre blanc sauce. At any rate it was tasty but NO wow here. The fish, both, were moist and tender. The pureed carrots were tasty and the sweet potato mash was serve family style reminiscent of Ruth Christ Stake House, although not as bountiful.
Over all my wife and I will return, mainly because it is difficult for anyone with reasonable skills to screw up this menu, and more overly, it’s closer to home than the Capitol Grille. Take out becomes an option.
I suspect, knowing a number of chefs, that the management is holding back the chef from a more creative menu. If I am wrong and there is no creativity to the chef then I would demote him/her to head sou chef, and get a creative brain in there. The environment lends it self for fusion, wild parings of flavors and textures, not these simpleton dishes.
Potential abounds in this restaurant, I think given these trouble economic times that the owners are playing it safe. If you like well cooked seafood with okay sauces this is your place. Next time we’ll go beefy let’s see what happens then.
One last thought: Get your web site up. Your menu is what your menu is; be proud of it, it reads good if you like vanilla and for those who want rocky road, well they’ll go to Sideburns, Savants, or Massimo’s to mention a few.