Chart House

My wife and I had dined recently at the Chart House In Alexandria, Va., where our interest, as well as our tastebuds, were piqued by some interesting "landlubber" selections (escargot, teriyaki sirloin). In addition, the menu boasted several updated takes on traditional seafood fare; reasonably priced toppings ranging from an avocado pico to a shrimp sauce are generously dolloped upon fresh cuts of swordfish, Ahi tuna, salmon or other fishes. The lure of further exploring the menu, combined with a treasure trove of gift cards, made our local Philadelphia Chart House an easy choice of venue at which to celebrate my wife's birthday. Our three adult children came to town for the occasion and our party of five was seated on the second deck with a panoramic view of the Delaware River, affording us the chance to watch lumbering barges, swooping sea birds and jaunty riverboats navigate against the muted glare of evening sun. We started off with a la carte salad selections. Chilled spinach and bacon salad, prepared table side, sated four of us, while my younger son ravenously crunched his way through an interesting looking Street Caesar salad with a brown-tinged dressing. My wife and oldest son were both content with their entree choice of flounder stuffed with crabmeat ($36 each). My other son followed up his Caesar salad with Teriyaki sirloin ($31), which he regretted ordering because the desired steak flavor was suffused by the Teriyaki (uh, duh). Seeking lighter and healthier, my daughter and I opted for Ahi and swordfish filets, respectively, both topped with avocado pico ($38 with topping). We had nothing but praise for the flaky, moist fish and the zesty bite provided by the lively pico sauce. Accompanied by imported bottled beers ($6.50 each; no draughts here) for the men, a Moscato Sangria ($12) for my wife and the Tequila-based Bitter Truth ($13) for my daughter, we had little room for dessert, opting instead for the check.