(August 2006)

By Warren Rojas

F 7.8   A 6.6   S 7.8

If it seems counterintuitive to drive west for a taste of Southern hospitality, chances are you've never enjoyed a spell at Magnolias.

The family-friendly restaurant resides within a reconditioned grain mill, scattering diners amongst a sea of tanned hardwood and immobile gears that impart a historical feel to each meal. Staff keep a watchful eye without ever rushing you, and excel at little extras-like repackaging leftovers for multiple guests or delivering steamed napkins with a plate of barbecue.

Grilled meats, gourmet pizzas and a stellar beer list dominate the menu, although daily seafood specials are worth a listen. A generous plate of lobster layered atop a puffy corn cake shines. A seafood skewer brings jumbo shrimp and scallops impaled on fresh rosemary, all resting on creamy lobster risotto. Bourbon spare ribs are slathered in a surprisingly spicy barbecue glaze and come draped over mustard-riffic potato salad (like a gourmet picnic plate). A Mediterranean surf and turf pairs jumbo scallops wrapped in steel head trout with rosemary pork chops, and bathes everything in an orange crème fraîche.