No nautical theme here, just great food and atmosphere

Amelia Calvert, reno.com
June 4, 2008

Rapscallion is committed to being the best seafood restaurant in Northern Nevada and it goes to great lengths to continue to hold that honor. From the atmosphere to the building to the menu and bar, the Rapscallion Seafood House lives up to its charge.

Head chef, Ming Fong has created delicious menu items made from fresh seafood daily. Not looking for the fresh catch? The menu offers Angus beef, lamb, pork and veal, chops, pasta and more. The variety of menu items will invite any foodie’s tastebuds to tango.

Hours:
Monday - Friday 11:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Dinner nightly – 5 p.m.
Sunday brunch - 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Happy Hour
Monday – Friday 4 – 6:30 p.m.

The Space
Rapscallion’s restaurant space is a delight. The outdoor tables are inviting on warm spring evenings, but beware, Wednesdays the bar across the street, PJs, hosts “bike night” so, if you are looking for a quiet place to dine, choose another night or get a table inside.

The building, designed by architect Pat Kuleto, is filled with dark wood and thick beams lending an antique air to the cozy space. Leaded glass dividers are reminiscent of the arts and crafts period or the Prairie Home style popularized by Frank Lloyd Wright. It’s elegant, but welcoming, not over done.

The stained glass mosaic above the bar is wonderful. Rapscallion’s interior is delightful in its contrast to the current trend to have vast open spaces, sleek lines and high ceilings. The high-backed booths, low lighting, candles, linens and flowers provide an intimate atmosphere and a welcome change in this day of highly stylized chic, stainless steel and IKEA-ized urban décor.

The food
• Appetizer
The sweet, moist and delicate crab cakes with Cajun remoulade started us off just right. My dining partner said, “The sauce was the boss – it’s what made it spectacular. It was sweet and tangy, but not overly so.”

• Entrée
The pecan-encrusted orange roughy in a Jack Daniels crème sauce, over wild rice was divine. The combination of buttery pecans, mild fish and the nutty wild rice was wonderful. The Jack Daniels sauce was slightly sweet, but creamy and a perfect compliment.

My dining partner had the crab-stuffed monkfish, baked with Parmesan cheese and scallions, served on lobster bisque sauce with sautéed wild mushrooms. He described the meal’s texture not as light and flaky – but as a firmer fish – spongy – similar to lobster. It tasted mainly of cream and butter sauce or bisque. In his opinion, the dish was good, but he added there are probably better items on the menu. His favorite element was the smoky-flavored mushrooms.

He also had spinach salad – with dressing made from smoked bacon bits, tomatoes, egg, and warm bacon – and he compared the taste with sweeter corned-beef hash.

• Dessert
For dessert- he had bread pudding, with rum sauce. His assessment was the pudding was decent, but average. It had no special pop, character or stand-out flavor.

I topped off the meal with chocolate-dipped strawberries. They were huge; the size of plums and juicy and sweet. There were four on a plate, dipped in chocolate and drizzled in white chocolate. Perfect.

The Drinks
2006 Chateau St. Michelle Riesling from Washington. Fruity, crisp, light. Very nice. Exactly what a Riesling should be.

La Crema Pinot Noir, a smooth wine. Not as powerful or dark as other Pinots he's had. More smooth and creamy.

Price
$95, not including tip, for two with wine by the glass and dessert.

Crab cakes – about $7
Salad- about $6

Pinot Noir - one glass - about $10
Riesling - one glass - about $8

Roughy about $24
Monkfish about $26

Bread pudding – about $8
Chocolate-dipped strawberries/$6

Location
1555 S. Wells Ave.
Reno, NV 89502

Contact
Rapscallion Seafood House
www.rapscallion.com
(775) 323-1211
(877) 932-3700