Looks are better than eats at Southlake Grill

I'm sitting at the bar at Southlake Grill when I hear a voice behind me say, "Hi, Mom." Since I'm pretty sure I am the only "mom" in the place, I turn and meet the sheepish glance of a cute, 20-something guy in a baseball cap talking on his cellphone.

With a one-drink minimum and no restrictions on where you can sit, happy hour draws a young crowd to this attractive new eatery in South Lake Union's upwardly mobile Cascade neighborhood. Like the freshly minted Ph.D sitting next to me who just started a new job at Fred Hutch, most probably live or work nearby.

Many on this spring evening are taking advantage of the balmy weather and sitting at patio tables where they can enjoy an urban landscape that juxtaposes the lofty white steeple of Immanuel Lutheran Church against the low greenery of the Cascade P-Patch. But I prefer sitting inside — not so much to track the Mariners' progress on the two TV screens positioned above the bar, but because Southlake Grill is such a pretty place.

Two stories high and flooded with daylight, the restaurant is painted with a soft palette of hues snatched from a summer day. Beaded silk shades the color of day lilies hang above the crescent bar. Graceful lamps perch like butterflies above snug booths upholstered in a cubic maze of sage greens, buttercup yellows and sky blues.

Look closely at the cartoonlike triptych of Seattle on the steep walls. Nearly hidden among the jumble of buildings are Southlake Grill's sibling restaurants, Eastlake Bar & Grill and Greenlake Bar & Grill.

It's been seven years since John and James Schmidt, the brothers who developed Taco del Mar, branched out into the neighborhood-bar-and-grill business. They opened the Greenlake restaurant in 2000 and the Eastlake location in 2004; both still flourish. Given that track record, their third venture should have been a slam dunk. Yet too many times the food at Southlake Grill falls short, often because of careless cooking.

I would go back for the Santa Fe grilled cheese sandwich (imagine nacho cheese on sourdough instead of chips) or the carne asada burger. Both are on the happy-hour menu, at $2.99 and $3.99 respectively. (Add crispy shoestring fries for just a buck more.) The burger's chili kick is soothed with a cheddar melt and slices of avocado, though mine was sloppily assembled: some bites cheesy, some spicy, some neither.

Avocado also embellishes the cheese sandwich, along with a peppy corn-and-black-bean salsa, but it took two tries for the kitchen to get it right: the bread fully toasted, the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses truly molten.

That same cheese and salsa combo enlivens fish tacos or, more accurately, fish giant burrito. The flour tortilla is so packed with salad greens that the breaded and fried fillet of white fish along with everything else gets lost among the foliage. Equally unwieldy is a grilled vegetable sandwich made with eggplant and squash so undercooked it proved impossible to eat without (or even with) a knife and fork.

Cold sandwiches held more allure. Thick slices of roast beef and turkey (both taste freshly roasted) are generously stacked on honey wheat bread. The beef gets a smear of mustard and mayo; cranberry sauce and cream cheese dress the turkey; both have lettuce and tomato, too. As with all sandwiches here, they are partnered with a pleasant pasta salad — penne noodles, green and black olives and artichoke hearts moistened with mayonnaise and a hint of mustard.

The olives that play so well in the pasta salad clash with the piney flavor of fresh rosemary in a gooey lemon and garlic sauce that overpowers skinless, boneless grilled chicken breast. A much better poultry option pairs a grilled chicken with macaroni and cheese, its cheddar sauce feisty with garlic and sliced jalapeño. Those entrees, like most, come with steamed broccoli, carrots and asparagus, a bouquet that is lovely to look at but a little hard to bite into.

Lunch and dinner menus overlap considerably; sandwiches, salads and pasta dominate both. A few brunch items augment the daytime card; appetizers and steaks — including a thin but nicely seasoned New York strip that was grilled medium-rare as requested — expand the evening choices.

A Spanish omelet at brunch was cooked with finesse, filled with cheese and scallions, and sided with avocado, salsa and sour cream. But French toast was dry even under maple syrup, whipped cream and strawberries. Fresh fruit and fine garlic-seasoned, oven-roasted potatoes accompanied both.

Day or night, service is of the bring-everything-out-as-fast-as-you-can school, which is great if you're on a lunch break, frustrating on a Saturday night when entrees arrive before you have a chance to finish eating the appetizer.

On the other hand, some appetizers weren't worth finishing. Calamari was bland and chewy. The gelatinous clam chowder seemed devoid of the main ingredient. Spinach and artichoke dip was soupier than the soup.

I overheard a waiter say the 4-month-old restaurant is still finding its way and that they've posted pictures of what the food should look like in the kitchen for the cooks. Looks aren't the problem. My question is: Who's making sure the food tastes good?

Providence Cicero: providencecicero@aol.com