by Junichi Hirano and Mimi Nguyen, TastyChomps.com Contributing Writers
Mitchell’s Fish Market was purchased in 2008, by Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: RUTH) a leading restaurant company focused exclusively on the upscale dining segment.
Mitchell’s Fish Market in Winter Park Village is re-introducing itself to the Orlando market with a new coastal, casual elegance look. Walking in to the restaurant, you will be welcomed with brightly covered fabrics, hardwood floors, and accent walls with bright hues of blue, green, orange, and brown. In addition to remodeling the outdoor deck with comfortable couches and inviting lounge chairs, Mitchell’s has also added a new Chef’s Table that offers the privacy and coziness for up to 12 guests.
Arriving a little early for dinner, we enjoyed some of Mitchell’s Happy Hour offerings that takes place every Monday- Friday, 4:00-7:00 PM on their outdoor porch.
The bar menu features innovative, handcrafted cocktails such as the Winter Park Cosmo, Moscato White Sangria, and Basil Smash made from freshly squeezed juice inspired by the ambiance of Winter Park in the summer. The drinks were a perfect balance of flavors without being too fruity or too intoxicating.
Mitchell’s also offer Happy Hour munchies to accompany the evening cocktails.
The Crispy Calamari is flash fried with red bell peppers and green beans. There was a chili-soy dipping sauce that offered some salty flavor without being extremely heavy.
The Spicy Crispy Shrimp offered an Asian twist to an appetizer favorite. Rather than being placed on a bed of lettuce, Mitchell’s Fish Market served the shrimp on a bed of sticky rice, garnished with pickled cucumbers and a creamy chili glaze. The fresh, tart pickled cucumbers cleansed the palate and served as a nice contrast to the creamy chili glaze.
The Warm Pretzel Bread is perfect munchie for the beer lover. Served with Magic Hat #9 beer cheese, you can definitely taste the hoppiness of the beer along with the creaminess of the cheese.
Other notable munchies were the Bacon & Eggs and the Trio platter. The Bacon and Eggs were delectable creamy deviled eggs topped with applewood-smoked bacon. These little guys did not last long enough to have their picture taken. The Trio platter consisted of wild sea scallop & shrimp ceviche, tuna poke, and lobster salad.
After enjoying Happy Hour, we ventured into the Captain’s Quarters for the main course. We started with a Wild Sea Scallop & Shrimp Ceviche, which was voted best Appetizer at Taste of Winter Park 2013. The ceviche was served with thin tortilla chips and was marinated with citrus, mango, and cilantro. Not a fan of too much acidity, the ceviche was a little too tart for me, but others found refreshing.
For an entrée, we selected the Island Jerk Grouper and the Chilean Sea Bass Shang Hai Style, which Executive Chef William Wadsworth personally recommended.
The Island Jerk Grouper was grilled with Jamaican spices, topped with mango-serrano salsa, and served on top of a hearty bed of black beans and rice. It had a nice kick of flavors.
The Chilean Sea Bass Shang Hai Style is steamed with fresh ginger and scallion, served with a soy-ponzu sauce over sticky rice and sesame spinach.
Since our entrées are prepared fresh when ordered, Chef Wadsworth informed us that we could have any of the fishes offered made any way we wanted it. The menu was also constantly changing to reflect the fresh fish choices available during the season.
By the end of the night, we were stuffed but we knew we still had to try the infamous Sharkfin Pie.
This guy was monstrous, but we could never say no to ice cream. One slice of Sharkfin Pie could easily satisfy the sweet tooth of two or even three people, so sharing is recommended. Consisting of layers of butter fudge ice cream, honey roasted peanuts, fudge, peanut butter, and an Oreo cookie crust, the towering slice resembled a shark fin coming out of the plate. It was sweet but a perfect end to the evening.
For Lunch:
Daily Chef’s Feature
Crispy Shrimp Thai Chopped Salad – Shredded Napa cabbage, crisp lettuce, carrots, peppers, red onion, cucumbers, sesame- peanut vinaigrette
Ocean Cobb – Chilled lobster, shrimp and blue crab, mixed greens, blue cheese, crisp bacon, avocado, hard-boiled egg, house dressing
Big Fish Sandwich – Crispy panko crust, lettuce, tomato, red onion, cheddar cheese, homemade tartar sauce
Cajun Chicken Sandwich – Chilled with classic Louisiana spices, melted cheddar, spicy mayo
Grilled Shrimp Sandwich – Grilled whole jumbo shrimp, thick-cut avocado, garlic-chili mayo
For Dinner:
Daily Chef’s Feature
Wild Sea Scallops & Shrimp Ceviche – Marinated with citrus, mango and cilantro
Bacon & Eggs – Creamy deviled eggs with applewod bacon
Frutti Di Mare Pasta – Tiger shrimp, mussels, wild sea scallops, calamari, sautéed in garlic butter. Served over pappardelle with fresh tomato or white wine sauce
Shrimp and Wild Sea Scallop Pappardelle – Sautéed with creamy Cajun sauce, spinach and cremini mushrooms
Island Jerk Chicken – Grilled with flavors from the Islands, mango-serrano salsa, black beans and rice
The new Market Bar Menu – features hand-crafted martinis & cocktails
Winter Park Cosmo – Smirnoff Vodka, Cointreau, White Cranberry, freshly squeezed lime juice
The Kiwi Cucumber & Thyme Martini – Reyka Vodka, kiwi, cucumber thyme, freshly squeezed lemon juice and cane sugar
Maui Passion Martini – Reyka Vodka, St. Germain, Aperol, passionfruit puree and freshly squeezed lemon juice
Moscato White Sangria – Skyy Blood Orange Vodka, Moscato wine, lemon juice, slices strawberries and oranges
Orange Citrus Mojito – Bacardi O Silver Rum, freshly muddled mint, freshly squeezed lime and orange juices
Crushed Blackberry Agave Margarita – 1800 Silver Tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, crushed blackberries, agave
