Stanley & Seafort's Restaurant

Where: 115 E. 34th St., Tacoma, 253.473.7300

Hours: Lunch: Monday-Friday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Dinner: Monday-Thursday 4-10 p.m., Friday 4-11 p.m., Saturday 2-11 p.m., Sunday 2-10 p.m.

Lounge: Lounge closes Sunday-Thursday 11 p.m., and Friday-Saturday 12 a.m. Happy Hour: Monday-Friday 3-6 p.m. and 9 p.m. to close, Saturday-Sunday 2-6 p.m. and 9 p.m. to close

Cuisine: Northwest Pacific Seaboard fusion: steaks, chops, seafood

Scene: From jeans to suits and bowties, swanky and casual are both welcome ... celebrate major accomplishments or just because it's Tuesday.

Drinkies: Specialty cocktails, impressive wine list and micro/import beers. Standard non-alcoholic beverages

Prices: $5-$35+

ANNOUNCER: Stanley & Seafort's has been setting the stage for a promising date night for decades - spectacular view, superb service, proper timing, quality ingredients, stellar flavor and impressive presentation. The boys got wind of some changes shaking out at Stanley's and went to check out the new menu.

JAKE: Ah, Stanley's, so many memories are tied to this place. Nostalgia is almost as thick as the food smells from the open-air kitchen. Birthdays, anniversaries, holidays - my wife and I have treated each other to many a delicious New York steak, beef Wellington and salmon Oscar here.

JASON: Snap to, Jake! We're talking about today, old boy, not telling tales of yesteryear. Smiling host staff? Check. Quick seating? Check. Each visit has gone this way lately. I hate waiting, so the lounge provides a great place to chill with drinks and appetizers or even have dinner with a stunning view. Plus, twice-daily happy hours with discounts on killer food are a winner. Over the course of our winter visits we've sampled quite the variety of tasty items.

JAKE: The complimentary rosemary bread smeared with herb garlic butter is alternately very soft, spongy and inviting or oddly stiff and chewy. I just wish the consistency would lean more to the soft side. A previous victim of bad fish, I'm gun shy on where and when I order the raw stuff. Stanley's is on the approved list and so is appetizer albacore poke tartare; six cucumber pieces cut into chips (and dusted with what seemed to be cayenne) bordered a wide swath of raw, finely chopped ruby-colored tuna mixed with bits of red onion, sesame seed and sesame oil. I swear I tasted ginger, too, but the flavor remained too elusive to nail down.

JASON: Tableside means serving staff does some part of preparation at the table. For the lobster bisque it meant a sloping bowl with lobster bits was set in front of us and steaming bisque was poured in. Um, whoop-de-do. It did taste amazing, though. Bread dunked, bisque soaked up and a buttery smile plastered on my face in three seconds flat.

JAKE: You're so jaded, Jason. But since we're airing beefs right off the bat, here's mine: truffled smoked mushrooms were so overpowered by smokiness that it was the only thing I could taste. Not even a hint of lovely earthy fungi made it through. In contrast, an Alaskan salmon entrée was prepared beautifully. The orangey-pink flesh flaked off in perfect sections and was firm without being rigid or dry. A butter and herb reduction did not overpower, but enhanced the fish's natural flavor. Accompanying grilled asparagus stalks still had a decent snap without being wooden while roasted Yukon gold potato chunks had dark edges, tender insides and a high salt level.

JASON: I understand Stanley's new à la carte small plate idea: smaller portion, lower prices, protein only. However, I felt ripped off. Four sad little grilled garlic herb lamb chops arrived crisscrossed on a saucer - they weren't even hot. I laughed disappointedly. Teeny $16 meat morsels would be much more appropriate as an appetizer at a lower price. Once cut off the 5-inch bone, it equaled eight bites. At least it was accented well by light lemon, parsley and salt and pepper.

JAKE: I don't share your opinions much, Jason, but I'm with you on the lamb's poor portion size. On a positive note, the small plate of braised stuffed veal was a winner all around. Served in a shallow bath of herb-flecked juice and broth, it was superb and utterly tender; the meat parted like the Red Sea before my fork named Moses. The dynamic flavors of long, thin strips of lemon rind and fresh, whole parsley leaves mingled with cracked black pepper and super soft, flavor packed confit garlic. I loved this dish and slowly savored each bite of what looked to be six ounces of meat. The potatoes au gratin side dish made a perfect pairing for me. Toasted golden Parmesan added an even saltiness to a personal size baked dish of layered, paper thin potatoes. Flecks of red chili pepper provided a nice spicy heat for roasted cauliflower side dish.

JASON: Crème brûlée and berries and cream, ah, such sweet words. A huge spoonful of real, thick whipping cream sat next to sliced and fanned-out strawberry pieces adorned by a mint sprig. A little cream, a touch of crème and bit of berry and tear of mint made for a divine bite. The crème was definitely large enough to share and so rich you'd be willing to - between the two of us we'd didn't finish it.