One of the prettiest spots in Lexington for outside dining is the Regatta Seafood Grille. Located on the pond at Lexington Green, it's a little bit of country tucked in behind New Circle Road. When the weather cooperates, it's delightful to have an al fresco experience. Even if the outside is not available, you can enjoy the view through the large windows. Our most recent experience there was, unfortunately, on a rainy evening, so it was an inside meal for us.
Let me start off by saying that the best thing in this restaurant is the biscuits. They are served hot and fresh, with a soft fragrant inside and a nicely browned pebbly crust on the outside. They're slightly sweet and, when spread with a bit of butter, they are everything drop biscuits should be. Be warned, they're addictive, and their consumption can lead to a serious lack of capacity to enjoy the rest of the meal.
My partner ordered the half shrimp-half oysters Rockefeller for an appetizer. He is a great aficionado of this dish, but contends he has yet to be served it the same way twice. This dish came with six each of shrimp and oysters, covered with lots of fresh spinach, bacon and cheese. While the shrimp were a bit lacking in character, the oysters were more flavorful. My fried oyster appetizer contained five or six plump oysters accompanied by a wimpy cocktail sauce. The coating on the oysters was heavy and bready, where light and crunchy are really what's called for. The bottomless house salad came with our meal and, while the greens were crisp, they were too wet and the dressing was bland.
In all the meals I have eaten at Regatta over the years, I've almost always had grilled fish of some sort. This time the mussels and clam sauce marinara with linguini fairly leapt off the menu and screamed "try me," so that's what I ordered. My plate contained about 12 juicy, hot mussels surrounding a plate of al dente pasta sauced with chopped clams, garlic, butter, olive oil and marinara sauce. It was quite nice but missing the extra flavor it needed to put it over the top.
The mixed grill for the evening was catfish, mahimahi and salmon, and my companion ordered it blackened. It was served with some nicely done asparagus. Here again was a dish that was almost there. It seems that in all our choices there were elements that didn't make it; we kept looking for the punch and it just wasn't there. This wasn't a bad meal-all the food was decent but not wonderful. I would say that perhaps we just made poor choices, but I've eaten here enough times to know that this is just the way it is. Since we hadn't eaten here for about two years prior to this meal, I was hoping something had improved, but it was not to be. It's OK, but I can do OK for a lot less money someplace else. Our dinner, consisting of one drink, two appetizers, and two entrÈes came to $62.45 with tax but not tip.
The Regatta menu includes seafood platters (broiled, fried, and blackened), a variety of fried foods, several pastas and some dinner salads. And if someone in your party doesn't like fish, there are also some beef and chicken choices.
Go for the drinks, the music and the ambience on the outdoor deck. Go for the biscuits; go if you're desperate for some fish. But don't expect a coastal grade seafood meal.