"We rate this restaurant an A-" The East County Observer

East County Observer - Reviewers, David and Phyllis Stearns DINING OUT J. Ryan's busy serving the right ingredients……. On a warm Friday evening in August, a little more than two months after the restaurant's opening, we pulled into the large and very crowded parking lot of J. Ryan's On the Grill in Lakewood Ranch, strolled through the charming front entrance and into its handsomely appointed interior. We were promptly seated in the main dining room, immediately adjacent to a smaller, somewhat intimate second room. The bistro's ambience is extremely pleasant, as we were surrounded by tastefully paneled walls, attractive furnishing, appealing Spanish posters and large windows. In our judgment, the owners of the new place did a marvelous job in creating an elegant, yet informal locus de feasting. The only drawback we noticed was the noise level, throughout both rooms. Although not overpowering, the talk decibels do diminish somewhat the joy of conversing with your tablemates. The service was first class, and all of the staff people who approached our table did so without unnecessary flourish or past silliness, but were extremely polite and, more important, very helpful in our decision-making and prompt in the task of catering to our needs and wants. The food! We've got mostly good news and a little not-so-good news in that department. The "Rafael 1996" salad, with which we began our dining was, in short, superb. Magnificently seasoned, chilled just right and served on a cold plate, this house specialty was a truly delicious treat right down to the last morsel. The Columbia Restaurant over on St. Armand's, with its famous (and likewise delicious) "1905 salad", finally had some real competition. Our bacon, lettuce, tomato and salmon - yes, salmon - sandwich was like a gustatorial masterpiece, succulent and with its delightful ingredients put together in just the right combination. We predict big things for this delicacy. The giant sea scallops, however, although well-presented, were a bit on the disappointing side due, we think, to a somewhat less-than-tender consistency and perhaps a lack of adequate flavor/seasoning. However, the special sauce in which they were served, with more than with a touch of horseradish in the mix, largely diminished our disappointment, with a flavor that was truly delightful. The accompanying scallion-flavored mashed potatoes were excellent, while the green peas were ok. One of our companions had a good time with his hamburger, from the "Bistro Diner" section of the menu, and rated it, for us, as "quite good". The menu itself, incidentally, is another charming part of the overall experience, and the caricatures of the restaurant's principals appearing as its top are wonderfully nice touches. The menu is divided into a "Bistro Diner" and "American Bounty Cuisine", as well as starters (some from the wood burning oven), salads, sides and pizza (all from that oven). Desserts are classified either as "Diner" or as "More Classic", and run the usual (tasty), but short, gamut. The overall entrée price levels are moderate, with items from the "Bistro Diner" ranging from $6.00 to $14.50, and those from the "American Bounty Cuisine", from $12.95 to $19.95. All of the other menu items are separately, and reasonable, priced. The hostesses for the evening, Susan and Nihcole, were outgoing and charming young ladies, who made us feel even more at ease. The managers for the evening, Terry Eastman and Ernie McDowel, who we had the pleasure of meeting as we took our leave, were likewise very pleasant. All in all, we had a fun evening (with good friends) and enjoyed some good (to excellent) food in a relaxed atmosphere, with pleasant, capable and helpful personnel. We rate this restaurant an A-                                                                                                         Back to Reviews