The Elkhouse Eatery, 6357 A1A South, St. Augustine. (904) 342-7639
By Irene Merenda
Roger, Nina, Frank, and I went to the Elkhouse Eatery on a recent Saturday evening. Frank and I had been there when we first moved to the area several years ago. I remember we enjoyed our meal, but for whatever reason, hadn’t returned until now.
This A-frame structure looks like it should be on a mountainside in Austria (or at least in the Pocono mountains in Pennsylvania). Inside, there is a large bar, considering the size of the interior, with a huge selection of wines and beers. The restaurant website boasts that the Elkhouse is a “small community-minded restaurant serving only local and regional ingredients.”
We each ordered house wines, red for Roger and Nina, white for Frank and me. All were delicious. If you have read my previous reviews, you know that’s about all I have to say about the wine. (The Spoonbill is still waiting for someone who might want to evaluate, describe and review wines.)
Our appetizers included a Caesar salad, which was crisp and delicious. It came with an abundance of shaved Parmesan cheese, house-made croutons and dressing. The dressing was very garlicky, but not overdone. Our other appetizer was escargots, which Frank described as surprisingly different than expected, because it was garnished with red pepper, cheese and spinach. I can’t attest to its’ deliciousness, but as you can see from the photo, there was no hesitation in starting to eat them before I had a chance to snap the photo.
Nina ordered one of the evening specials, which was grouper on a bed of vegetable couscous, topped with a cheesy sauce and asparagus. ($30) She enjoyed her meal thoroughly and described the fish as tender and flaky.
Roger ordered the seafood cioppino, a mixture of in-shell clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops and fish in a red sauce. ($26) It was served over linguini with a grilled ciabatta on the side. Although the fish was fresh, he felt that the sauce was “too tomato-ey” and over-powered the flavors of the individual ingredients a bit.
The bone-in “Heritage Pork Chop” ($32) was pan roasted with butter. It was large, tender and excellent, according to Frank. He likes to order pork “medium rare” which many restaurants fail to do, often over-cooking the meat and therefore ruining the texture. This one, however, was “perfect!”
My cedar plank salmon filet ($32) was broiled and served with an apricot and jalapeno glaze. The salmon was tender, not overly cooked, and the sauce gave it a slightly sweet flavor without disguising the taste of the fish. The jalapeno added flavor, mysteriously without adding “heat.” The dish was served with a side vegetable that I can only describe as a cross between broccolini and cauliflower with long stems. The taste was ok but, even though I prefer vegetables “al dente”, this one was a bit too crunchy for my liking. It was just a millimeter beyond “raw.”
The four of us shared the apple pie a la mode which was adorned with whipped cream, a small scoop of vanilla ice cream and a caramel drizzle. The dessert went around our table several times, until not a crumb was left on the plate! Needless to say, it was scrumptious!
I enjoyed the Elkhouse meal so much that I suggested the location the following week for a birthday celebration on a Thursday with several girlfriends. It was an equally satisfying experience the second time, with equally good, but different entrees and appetizers.
The restaurant does not take reservations and fills up quickly. Both times, we arrived shortly after opening (5:00) and were seated immediately at an outdoor table, which was our choice. By 6:00 on both evenings, every indoor and outdoor table was filled and people were waiting. The indoor ambiance feels claustrophobic to me, as the walls slant, as per the A-frame construction. If you go, I recommend outdoor seating, although not during bike week, which was the mistake we made for the second visit!
The Elkhouse Eatery is open Tuesday through Saturday, 5pm-8:30pm, closed on Sunday and Monday.
4 ½ spoonbills are awarded.
