Date Night at Limani Seafood Grill in Westfield
This week I got a chance to visit Limani Seafood Grill, a Greek seafood restaurant located in downtown Westfield (Union County). If you haven’t been to the area…it’s fantastic. Local to a train station, this downtown area is full of shops, restaurants and things to do.
I visited there during the week, and in case you are interested they do a Prix Fixed menu on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for $42. Considering the quality of the food, it’s a very good price.
The first thing that caught my eye when we walked in was their raw bar. WOW. If you love seafood this is the place to be.
Not to mention they also have a lobster tank, so you know you’re getting it fresh!
We started our meal with one of my favorite parts of dinner…bread. I warned myself not to eat too much because I didn’t want to fill up on bread, but it was so delicious! The basket contained a whole grain, a sour dough, and a cranberry walnut which is made specifically for the restaurant. The bread comes from a fantastic bakery in Staten Island and is delivered fresh.
Served on the side are two Greek inspired dips, including a mix you can purchase at the restaurant that when mixed with olive oil was fantastic.
Because we were there to get a scope of the majority of things that they offer, we got sample sizes of their food so we could taste as much as we could fit in our stomachs. (We ended up going home with lots of leftovers)
We started with soup. Limani Seafood Grill offers 3 soups on their menu: a lobster bisque, Manhatten Clam Chowder, and a New England Clam Chowder. They also offer a Spicy Chicken and Rice soup as a special, which we got to try as well. Not only were these soups incredible, but the seafood based soups have fresh seafood meat in them! I loved seeing actual lobster in the lobster bisque!
This sample is not on their menu…sorry (I know a lot of people on Instagram were very excited by that concept). However you can order soup by the cup or bowl so you can easily sample them another way.
After soup we split our first two plates: Lamb Chops and Seared Scallops over Sun Dried Figs, Marsala and Caramelized Apple.
My husband, who is not a seafood eater and is a very picky eater in general, enjoyed the Greek style lamb chops. In addition to the lamb chops being flavorful, the presentation was beautiful which we would learn would be the case with everything we ate.
The scallops, which are normally a dinner special, was so delicious that when I return I’ll definitely be ordering it. The scallops were seared to perfection and the figs and apples in a Marsala were so incredible I could have just eaten that and have been satisfied. It was like eating a non dessert apple pie.
Another item we tried which is on their dinner specials list, was seared Cod and Clams in a White Wine Thyme Broth. This was a sample size of the dish. It was incredible. I love clams, so this was a perfect dish for me.
Next we got to try the Coconut Crusted Shrimp which was paired with an Apricot-Horseradish dipping sauce. Superb. You can find this under the “hot appetizer” portion of their menu.
Another item you can find on their every day menu is Greek specialties like Spanakopita. Since this is a Greek seafood restaurant you will find items like this as well as the lamb chops (seen above).
If you are unfamiliar with the popular Greek dish, Spanakopita, it’s spinach, leeks, scallions, dill, and feta baked in Phyllo dough. Amazing. This dish is great too if you bring someone there who does not like seafood (aka my situation) or a vegetarian.
We also got a Horiatiki Greek Village Salad, one of the best Greek salads I’ve ever eaten. Tomato, cucumber, capers, olives, bell peppers mixed with oregano and olive oil with (lots of) feta on top.
Back to the seafood…
My eye lit up when I saw the Lobster Capellini. Fresh lobster on top of capellini pasta made with olive oil, chopped garlic, minced shallots, plum tomato, sherry wine and fresh basil. This can be found on the prix fixe menu under “first course” although I could’ve eaten just that and would have been fine.
And then our entrees came out. I KNOW. Do you think we got enough food?
For our entrees we got the best of land and sea.
My husband got the Grilled Rib Eye and Shrimp with Chimichurri Sauce. Oregano, Garlic, Cayenne, Parsley, Olive Oil, Sherry Wine Vinegar, Pepper, Sea Salt, Lemon served with roasted potatoes and broccoli. AMAZING. It might have been the best steak I’ve ever tried.
I had the Florida Grouper with Lemon Basil. It was delicious fish cooked in garlic, lemon juice, white wine and capers. The garlic mashed potatoes with also amazing and paired excellent with sauted French beans.
If I haven’t inspired you to go to Limani Seafood Grill, then I don’t know what to do with myself. Oh wait! How about I show you dessert!
I did not have room for dessert, but I ate it anyway. I got to try three desserts in including 2 Greek specialties. Galaktobouriko, something I have never had before and cannot pronounce, is a Greek Semolina Custard baked in Phylllo. SO good. I also enjoyed their Pistachio Baklava, which was prepared with a light honey syrup and cinnamon. Last, and certainly not least, was a Creme Brulee (one of my favorite desserts) and it was fantastic. I’m glad these were all in sample sizes otherwise I would not have been able to eat them
And the presentation? Unbelievable! I wanted to take home the apple swan and the strawberry roses, but I thought that would be weird.
The experience and meal at Limani Seafood Grill was incredible. The food was delicious, the presentation was unreal, the staff was kind and knowledgeable, and the location was cozy and convenient. The restaurant is BYOB, so feel free to bring your favorite wine. We had a Pinot Grigio which paired very well with the seafood dishes.
I will definitely be back and I recommend you visit too!
About Limani Seafood Grill:
(From their Website) “Limani Seafood Grills’ owner George was born in the Limani city of Piraeus, Greece. Limani means Seaport or Harbor. Every corner of Greece has its own Limani where the locals go early in the morning to pick up the fresh catch when the fish-boats come back. In our Limani in the beautiful town of Westfield you will enjoy the freshest seafood dishes, live lobsters from the tank, chilled shellfish towers, delicious salads tossed to order at the raw bar display station. Our menu feindatures black Angus steaks, Rack of Lamb and many other mouthwatering dishes. At Limani it’s all about the food, not to mention the soothing, eye catching decor. Enjoy a romantic dinner, or a business luncheon, or impress your family and friends every time you visit us. Plate presentation, freshness, combined with friendly professional service will impress you and your guests with every visit. Bring your favorite wine (two wine stores next block) and enjoy the best seafood around. If planning a party or special event call us for a customized menu and we will help plan your catered affair. We look forward to seeing you soon.”
Address: 235 N Ave W, Westfield, NJ
Phone: (908) 233-0052
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