Scott's Seafood on the River

Scott's Seafood on the River on Urbanspoon

I went with my friend to the newest Sacramento Scott's Seafood. This one opened in February 2008 in the Rivage Hotel along the Sacramento river. I had been dying to see this new location.

When you arrive I would highly recommend the valet parking. I always prefer to park myself, but when we went in search of the parking lot we realized that, unless you get a lucky one of the few front spots, the primary lot is far away. Not fun on a cold, foggy winter night. We turned around and got valeted. Then we found out it was free anyway.

The hotel is on the left and, just as a quick note, is an individually owned hotel and not affiliated with any chain. The restaurant is to the right. It is lovely. The bar area is spacious. Off to the left is a lot of lounge seating with small tables and a couple of flatscreens on the wall. In the center is the bar which has a large horseshoe seating area. The whole establishment is long which gives plenty of window seats overlooking the river. There appeared to be a nice patio outside too, but it was too dark to see much.

One of my favorite things about Scotts restaurants is that they have great service. I always find the staff to be very friendly in a genuine kind of way. You know what I mean, when you come across people who are superficially friendly.

When I notified our server we were early she said she could seat us immediately if we didn't need a window. Since it was dark we opted to sit anywhere. We'll come back for the view in the summer.

We were told the specials which included Alaskan King Crab Legs. My friend almost got those until we asked the question - what is market price? It was $115! Hiccup! We steered away from those quick enough.


My friend had the crab bisque, which I've had before. Good, spicy, flavorful. I opted for the Oysters Rockefeller. I am not a raw oyster person but I do love cooked ones. Rockefellers are topped with a puree of spinach, celery, onion and seasonings and then cheese. These were very nice, but I thought it was sparse on spinach and too heavy on minced celery. The celery was all that I was tasting.

I would mention that they also have an appetizer called the Seafood Explosion. It is a pyramid of plates with a combination of prawns, crab, and raw and cooked oysters. A nearby table got one and it looked great. It was about $35. I think if you go with a friend for a light dinner you can share it and a bowl of soup or a salad and be quite content.



For my entree I had selected the jerk mahi mahi with coconut prawns. The dish came attractively plated. I loved this dish! The fish had a light spice jerk crusted on it and was perfectly cooked. It was topped with half an avocado and mango salsa. I found the avocado to be unnecessary I tried a bite with it to see if it added anything to the experience and I felt that it was really a distraction. The jerk seasoning and the sweetness of the mango salsa was all you needed for a delicious blending of flavors and textures in your mouth. The coconut prawns were served over a plantain sauce. They were large and crunchy. I would have liked a bit more of the plantain sauce. The fried plantain you see above is just for decoration. It was much too thick and hard to eat.



My friend had the Grilled Petrale Sole Dore with Lemon Butter Sauce. The fish was dipped in an egg wash before it was grilled so that it would have a nice, crisp coating. It was light and fluffy. It came with a side of perfectly cooked green beans and carrots. I found it satisfactory but my friend was very pleased, and that's what counted.

The dessert menu was pretty basic: cheesecake, a chocolate cake, an apple crisp, sorbets, and creme brulee. We opted for the creme brulee, which was well done but nothing exceptional.

I will be curious to see how well this location and the connected hotel will do. They are in a very separate location, although certainly lovely. Scott's certainly never has failed me for service and food, so hopefully it will find success with this new site.