Dining Out: Tradition mingles with taste

Being able to write about restaurants each week means I get a lot of reader recommendations. Sometimes that's a blessing, and to be honest, sometimes it's a curse.

I'm always looking for new, interesting places to try, but just because a Chinese place is close to your house and that one server is nice doesn't necessarily make it a place interesting enough to fill a weekly column.

I'm not trying to be snobby. There are plenty of places near me I adore, but I wouldn't tell someone to drive across town to try them. Proximity and convenience can sway the taste buds.

Over the years, readers have raved about Riptides Seafood in Chester, talking up everything from its fried seafood combos to its crab-topped burgers.

I swear I've meant to try it.

I almost went one time, but something came up.

Um, it dropped off my radar.

My excuses ran out, so I finally tried it. And yes, dear readers, it really is a great little spot.

If you like well-prepared, fresh or fried seafood dishes, a sweet patio with beach bar vibe and friendly service that caters to both kid-filled and kid-less parties, you'll enjoy Riptides.

On a recent Saturday, my parents and I saw the crowded patio and worried that the wait for dinner might be long. The host said 45 minutes, so we sidled up to the outside bar and listened to live beach music covers alongside those lounging at the plethora of umbrella-covered tables.

My dad talked golf, my mom perused the wine list, and I grew dismayed by the number of Jimmy Buffett lyrics I actually knew. Yet within 15 minutes, we were shown to a booth inside.

The dining room's stone bar and richly colored walls give the space a touch of elegance, but the T-shirt-clad servers and ocean-themed paintings keep Riptides casually comfortable.

Our server, a friendly guy with a laid-back swagger, recommended starting with black mussels sautéed in house-made marinara and oysters Rockefeller (each $8.99). We couldn't have been more pleased.

The portion of mussels was generous, its natural brininess complemented by the light tomato sauce. Fresh garlic added kick but still allowed the mussels center stage.

Large, plump oysters were buried beneath melted mozzarella, spinach and bacon. Despite the smothering of toppings, the freshly shucked oysters still tasted salty and slightly sweet, the beautiful marriage of flavors only an oyster can have.

I considered one of Riptides' fish specials (flounder, black grouper, mahi, etc.) prepared in one of a variety of ways, including topped with brown sugar-pecan brandy sauce or encrusted with cracked peppercorns. But our server sold me on lobster ravioli ($15.99).

Filled with ricotta and mozzarella, the ravioli were bathed in a pleasingly spicy red cream sauce. I loved its complexity but wished the lobster flavor had been more apparent, especially after tasting my mom's surf ‘n' turf ($28.99), which included her choice of a broiled lobster tail and a rib eye.

Served simply with drawn butter, the lobster was perfectly cooked, tender and clean-flavored. The nicely charred rib eye got extra oomph from a dusting of tarragon.

I also recommend Riptides Special ($21.99), scallops, jumbo lump crabmeat and shrimp sautéed in a white wine and lemon butter sauce. The astoundingly large mountain of unabashed lump crab sent me reeling. Delicately accented by the sauce, it was superb.

The shrimp were also quite good, but the scallops could have benefited from a nice sear to add texture.

Riptides makes almost all desserts in-house (each $5.99), so save room. Flaunting a thick, graham cracker crust, the mint chocolate chip cheesecake stung it was so refreshingly minty.

Riptides won't take you through untraveled culinary terrain, but its seaside favorites and go-with-the-flow attitude create just enough of a vacation-like escape that you'll be eager to return.