The Palencia Press. The Authors are three Palencia couples who enjoy discovering and sharing new and exciting cuisine but wish to remain anonymous If I were a fish, whose destiny involved a dinner plate in a restaurant, one of my top choices would be the KINGFISH GRILL located at the Camachee Cove Marina in St. Augustine. To begin with, the KINGFISH GRILL is not easy to find. It’s located on the intercoastal waterway just before the bridge to Vilano Beach off of A1A. There is ample parking and an expansive outdoor seating area with a view of the marina and water. Inside is a fairly large room with a full bar. Beginning around the first of April, there will be live music on Friday and Saturday evenings n the deck.

The Wine List was somewhat limited but we ordered a nice Pinot Noir at a reasonable price and everyone was quite satisfied. The bread served was excellent and the s e r v i c e was attentive and very good. Needless to say, the highlight of the evening was the food, which was superb. From the appetizer menu of ten items we selected the Thai Vegetable Spring Rolls with a sweet ginger and sesame glaze, Oysters
Vilano which were baked with horseradish cream, spinach, cheese and bacon, a classic Caesar salad and a baby spinach salad with fresh strawberries, sugared pecans and goat cheese tossed with a balsamic dressing. We shared these dishes and all were fresh and excellently prepared … very tasty and satisfying.

Our entrées were primarily fish and were out of this world. They included Horseradish encrusted grouper with roasted garlic and herb butter sauce. This entrée alone is worth a trip back. Our waitress informed us that it is the best  selling item on the menu and we now know why. It was fresh, perfectly prepared, and very flavorful. The Crab, Shrimp and Scallop Florentine with fresh spinach and leeks, baked in a parmesan
cheese and champagne cream still makes our mouth water. The Fish and Chips may be one of the best we’ve had. The fish was grouper, which was very lightly battered and cooked exactly the way you would want it done. We also had a Filet Mignon. The filet is “Certified Angus
Beef” grilled and served with homemade onion rings and a red wine reduction sauce. It was delivered exactly as requested and was elicious. The entrée prices ranged from $16.95 to $24.95.

In view of the quality of the food we consider this restaurant to be an extremely g o o d value for the dollar. W e can’t finish this review without saying that the KINGFISH GRILL is a very unpretentious restaurant. It’s a very friendly spot where you can relax, have great conversation and great food. You aren’t rushed and the wait staff is responsive to your wants. We would go back there in a heartbeat. If this sounds like a estaurant that you would like to have either lunch or dinner, you can call them at (904) 824- 2111. Reservations are only taken for parties of 8 or more but you just may want to call them for specific directions!

Don’t forget to e-mail us at unknowndiners@yahoo.com with your comments or suggestions on restaurants we should try. Til next month, Bon Appetit!