Down by the banks of the river

River Cafe worth a swim

by Jeff Glick

published July 4th 2007

Summer in Northwest Ohio, brings images of being on or near the water. The River Cafe in Point Place certainly fulfills that image. Overlooking the Ottawa River, the restaurant can be accessed either by boat, or, for most of us, by winding our way through neighborhoods in Point Place to find ourselves across the street from Lost Peninsula Marina. The table views are definitely worth the drive.

We were greeted by a throwback line — questioning whether our party desired a smoking or nonsmoking table, a slightly humorous reminder that we had just crossed into Michigan. Seated in the air conditioned dining room to avoid the humidity, we overlooked the staggered wooden deck, which featured a gathering of four-seater tables against the backdrop of the glistening river. The nautical theme carried throughout the dining room meets a large stone fireplace, separating the dining area from the lounge, and a bar filled with friendly regulars.

The appetizers include a number of raw-bar items, several of which we sampled. The oysters can’t be passed up. Meaty and plump, they were truly an excellent mollusk. We asked for our server’s input about the coconut shrimp appetizer and our inquiry met with a knowing nod. These sweet, large shrimp encrusted in coconut were delicious (accompanied by a strawberry cream dipping sauce that was a bit too sweat for my taste-buds). One of my dinner partners ordered the onion rings which were passable. I asked the server whether these had become a big seller since the final episode of “The Sopranos,” but the server denied any measurable increase. The grouper ‘fingers,’ strips of the firm fish, were crispy and coated with almond, an interesting preparation.

The dinner menu included a variety of seafoods including grouper and tuna, with the obligatory Lake Erie standards — perch and pickerel. Other available selections include shrimp, crab, crab cakes, and a limited number of landlubber items including pasta with chicken, ribs and steak, with each dinner accompanied by two sides, including the unlikely plate of pickled beets.

Our table tried the sesame-encrusted tuna, which was perhaps oversold by description, and more accurately sesame “dusted.” The tuna ($17.79), ordered rare, was surprisingly good — beyond what we expected in this riverside roadhouse. The crab cakes (appetizer order: two cakes $12.99, or dinner order: three cakes $18.99, including two sides) were bathed in a spicy Cajun cream sauce. with plenty of crab and little filler in the cakes.

The Yacht Club sandwich ($7.59) was the expected three-decker standard.

For the nonseafood lover, there's the New York Strip ($21.99) an adequate cut of meat, very good and chargrilled.

Desserts were enthusiastically described by our server and included the Chocolate Seduction Cake, a seven layer extravaganza, which was devoured by my table mates, too quickly for me to sample.

The general consensus — we really enjoyed a good meal in a great atmosphere with moderate pricing. If you are looking for the same, roll on down to the River.

River Cafe & Marina
6215 Edgewater Dr.
Erie, Mich.
Tue.-Thu.: 4 p.m.-midnight
Fri.-Sun.: Noon-6 p.m.
734-723-7405