J. Gilbert's Wood-Fired Steaks & Seafood

J. Gilbert's Wood-Fired Steaks & Seafood Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant: With dim lighting, modern jazz in the background, a happening bar and intimate dining areas, J. Gilbert's Wood-Fired Steaks & Seafood is an upscale, yet still casual, place.

Food: Its contemporary American menu has Southwestern influences in evidence in dishes like the crab cakes with Taos tumbleweed, a symphony of crab meat with Southwestern julienne vegetables and crispy tortilla straws. The grilled corn and smoked chicken tortilla soup with guacamole is a triumph of flavors and textures. Good steaks star on the menu, as the restaurant's name attests. But if you prefer a meal without beef, the wood-fired chicken with mashed potatoes is a winner. When the dessert tray comes around, you'll find several good choices, but the hazelnut cheesecake with shavings of white chocolate is exceptional.