When I think of good food rarely does Lakeside come to mind.I went to the L.A Grill on the advice of a friend and I wasnt disappointed. On first glance the outside of the restaurant does little to impress but once inside we were greeted promptly by the owner and shown to a cozy table in the back. Our waiter arrived within seconds to point out the specials list, mentioning ones that has been most popular the previous night and answered a few questions we had about the wines. Both red and white had several offerings by the glass. For an appetizer we chose a portabella mushroon topped with crab imperial and drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette reduction that was just short of amazing.
For dinner my wife chose the crabcakes while I had the prime rib.The crabcakes were exactly like the waiter said, light and delicate with just enough filler to hold them together while the prime rib was one of the best I've had in almost 30 years of dining out. Both entrees came with the choice of two sides which almost stole the show themselves.I would highly recommend the garlic cheese grits to anyone. Our waiter pointed out they were ground in Ashland and made from scratch like everything else on the menu. In addition to the grits we also had bacon fried apples, hominy and collard greens served with a sauce that was quite possibly the hottest thing I've ever put in my mouth.
We finished with a slice of key lime pie that was perfect, just the right blend of creamy and tart and were very surprised when our waiter brought our after dinner drinks, two snifters of Gran Marnier balanced sideways on pint glasses of hot water. It was a very nice touch rarely seen outside of fine dining establishments, the hot water heats the liquid faster than holding it in your hand.
Afterwards the owner came over and thanked us for coming in and chatted amiably with us for several minutes.This is one restaurant we definitely look forward to visiting again.
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