Bonefish Grills are simple but stylish, and you won´t get fresher fish unless it´s still wiggling on the hook. Filets are hand cut, cooked over a wood-burning grill, then paired with a savory sauce of some sort (macadamia nuts and a pineapple rum sauce, say). And, oh yeah, Bonefish serves better-than-decent wine by the glass at more-than-reasonable prices. Sounds good to us. So what is it about Shells that made this choice so hard? Well, for one thing, Shells has had a little more time to bond with its customers. Whereas Bonefish came on the scene only in 2002, the equally homegrown Shells started deboning finned things in south Tampa in 1986. Shells and us, we go back a ways. Don´t like frills? Shells isn´t just simple; it´s bare-bones, and things are loud. Shells´ fish is every bit as fresh (they don´t call it Shells Fresh Seafood for nothing), but it ain´t too fancy-pants to fry some up or toss it together with a plate of pasta. Kids like the goofy atmosphere. So do we infantile holdouts. Maybe this tie is all about mood. Are you feeling more Bonefishery or Shellslike?
Shells and Bonefish Grill both offer locations throughout Tampa Bay. Visit www.shellsseafood.com or www.bonefishgrill.com.
This article appears in Sep 22-28, 2004.