‘Watts for Dinner’: BrickTop’s – Great service and a variety of dishes

Our next dining destination is BrickTop’s at Waterside Shops, Naples.

BrickTop’s is a Nashville-based chain with nine locations (some are called the River House); all except St. Louis’ are in the South. It feels like a chain, but not in the way most chains do.

Things got off to an appetizing start with the grilled California artichokes ($16). The dish is seasoned with aioli. And while very little of it is actually edible, the treasure hunt to find the good parts allows each bite to come with much anticipation.  

We also ordered a sushi roll, the Hollywood ($18). It features crab meat, tempura shrimp, asparagus, avocado, coconut shavings and a spicy mayo. Delish!

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For the next round, I selected the “Little Gem” chopped salad ($14) featuring incredible grated feta, diced tomatoes and cucumber, red onion, egg and the irresistible green goddess dressing. I couldn’t get enough. My favorite dish of the night!

My dining companion had an adequate lobster bisque ($12) featuring fresh Maine lobster and sherry.

For my main dish, I had the Florida red snapper ($42). It’s pan sautéed and served with crispy brussels sprouts. To be honest, the flavor was a tad muted, until my helpful served suggested a lemon sauce from the kitchen. That helped a lot.

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On the other hand, my friend’s Atlantic salmon ($34) earned rave reviews. It’s pan-roasted and served with roasted cauliflower.

For dessert, I had the carrot cake, featuring carrots, walnuts, golden raisins and served warm with cream cheese icing and caramel. It looked great, but I was not overly impressed by the taste.

My partner in dine had the Key lime pie with a custard-style key lime zest and a graham cracker macadamia nut crust. That crust made this dish extra special.

It just goes to show, two people can be at the same restaurant on the same night and have completely different experiences with each course. We do both agree that the service was exceptional.

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This newspaper pays for all meals related to dining reviews. We do not solicit or accept free food. Not all dishes are featured in print, but you can find a gallery of all reviewed dishes online at marconews.com.

If you go

BrickTop’s

• 5555 Tamiami Trail N, Naples (in Waterside Shops)
• 239-596-9112
• bricktops.com