Red Fish Blue

Forget about those suburban seafood chains where the waiters break into the macarena every half-hour. This self-described “ocean diner” (hey, a pun!) over Macalester-way has a pleasantly casual atmosphere with prices that won’t bite like a shark. The walls are dominated by solid reds and blues, getting a subtly undersea theme over without needing to nail up kitschy lobster traps and plastic octopi everywhere. The presentation is also very impressive—your meal will look beautiful, though the food itself may not be anything particularly revelatory. Our recent lunch visit consisted of the generously meaty and flavorful crab cakes and the zingy open-faced rib sandwich topped with sesame-orange slaw. Neither was a world-changing culinary event, but we’d definitely return and order them again with pleasure.