Looking for a meal that's more adventurous than pizza, chicken fingers or nachos? Then try Red Sky for something new -- well, sort of.
The Old City restaurant and lounge, which opened two years ago in the former home of City Critters pet shop, offers diners new and delicious takes on classic fare.
Take their appetizers, for example. There are tuna tartare nachos ($9), grilled thai chicken pizza ($8), barbecue-crusted macaroni and cheese ($8) and a lobster quesadilla ($12).
Particularly good are the crispy chicken spring rolls ($9), which have the perfect crunch and taste great in the sweet chili dipping sauce, and the pomegranate glazed barbecue ribs ($9), with soft meat that falls effortlessly off the bone.
Those interested in sampling these appetizers should try the Dim Sum for Two ($22), which consists of coconut shrimp, chicken spring rolls, tuna nachos and Vietnamese beef lettuce wraps.
One thing to avoid early in the meal, however, is the Caesar salad ($7). It is served with roasted cashews, lavash chips and aged cheese, but the dressing has an odd spicy flavor that ruins its taste.
Red Sky features your classic entrees -- steak, chicken and seafood. Again, each dish has an original flair.
The jumbo lump crab cake ($24), served with lobster mango mashed potatoes and spicy garlic aioli, is quite popular.
The pan-seared petite filet ($23) is delicious, yet you don't get that much steak. Still, the sliced beef tastes great when dipped in the red wine demi-glaze. The garlic mashed potatoes are the perfect complement to the meat, providing a slightly spicy kick of flavor to go along with the sweet demi-glaze.
One entree that disappoints is the sesame orange chicken ($17). Quite simply, it is too thick. This means that lots of the meat does not pick up the flavor of the marinade, which actually tastes more like peanuts than oranges.
However, the dish is not a total loss. The ginger rice, served risotto-style, is outstanding. The flavor combined with the hard texture of the rice is simply great.
The restaurant does not disappoint with dessert. The Red Sky Dome -- chocolate ladyfingers topped with chocolate mousse and a chocolate cream center -- is obviously a chocolate-lover's dream.
Red Sky also boasts an impressive drink menu. Particularly delicious was the sweet pineapple mojito, which my guest noted "tasted great, and I don't even like pineapple." The signature Red Sky drink -- vodka in a strawberry puree -- is okay, but a little too sweet.
