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A Little Bit of Colorado in the Sunshine State

by Lilliam and Larry Larsen

  Want to go up the creek to a Colorado fishing lodge and partake of fresh seafood and steak? The Tampa area's newest grill is an adventure in itself. Located in Lutz at the intersection of Suncoast Parkway and State Road 54, Up The Creek boasts a classic Colorado fishing lodge stacked stone exterior and interior of exposed ceiling beams, grooved walls, and flag stoned floors. It features a menu highlighted by some very unique and delicious seafood and steak fare.

 Inside, the 6,800 square-foot restaurant is adorned with fishing regalia on the walls such as photographs, paintings, creel baskets, and rod and reels. A 400-gallon aquarium greets visitors in the lobby of the ambiance-thick establishment. Lilliam and I left our hip boots behind on a recent trip to the casual dining restaurant to check it out.

 We found a great menu featuring a variety of seafood, steaks, pastas and chicken entrees. A couple of the specialty appetizers we loved were the Coconut Shrimp made with butterflied shrimp, hand-breaded with coconut and served with a sweet and tangy dipping sauce, and the Shrimp & Lobster Fondue made with shrimp, lobster, spinach and mushrooms in a rich, creamy cheese and white wine sauce topped with grated cheese and served with French bread. Fried green tomatoes and fried pickle starters are also offered.

 Up The Creek has innovative dishes such as the Upside Down Lobster Salad, which features layers of lobster, marinated tomatoes and cucumbers, roasted corn and black beans atop shredded lettuce served tableside from a 48-ounce martini glass. The Fish in Parchment is another innovative dish, highlighted by tilapia and fresh seasonal vegetables marinated in sun-dried tomato and oregano dressing atop wild rice then baked in parchment paper.

  White meat lovers would also enjoy the fried seafood and chicken section of the menu, which includes hand-breaded favorites like a catfish basket, an oyster basket, fish and chips and catfish and shrimp served with fries or hushpuppies. Lighter item selections, like the grouper with seasonal fruit salsa, cedar planked salmon and ahi tuna steak, are also available. For hungry appetites, try a Shrimp, fish and chicken combo platter. Trust me; it's a lot of food!

 Red meat lovers would love Up The Creek's seared steaks including the New York Strip, Ribeye, Sirloin, Filet Mignon and their signature Bone-in-Ribeye steaks, all made to order. Or you can do as Lilliam did, order the Surf and Turf to try the best of both worlds.

 The 190-seat restaurant also has introduced "You're The Chef," which gives guests the option of charbroiled or blackened trout, grouper, ahi tuna, sea bass, salmon, mahi mahi and tilapia, topped with one of the following sauces: Citrus Pesto Butter, Jim Beam Kentucky Bourbon Sauce, Creole Alfredo Lobster, Chile Hollandaise, Seasonal Fruit Salsa and Wasabi Plum. There is obviously too much to try on one or two visits, so we'll just have to go back.

 Up The Creek with its large porch and blue and green neon sign opens at 11 am daily and serves until at least 11 pm most nights. While we loved the food and ambiance on our visit, the most outstanding part of the experience was the service. We have never had such exceptional service. Empty plates and dishes were taken immediately by what seemed like a parade of staff moving by the tables and booths. We had a primary waiter, but the assistant servers and other head servers constantly collected dirty plates and checked on our needs.

  We were so impressed that at one point, I decided to test the service "system". I finished my Strawberry daiquiri and set the glass down. I checked my watch to time the response. Just 59 seconds later, it was picked up. And that was the longest anything empty sat on our table! Since the restaurant was new, I inquired as to the number of service staff present and planned for. There were just a few extras on hand training, so I think it will be consistently superb in the future.

  On Memorial Day this year, Up the Creek opened its first location in the Tampa area. Robb Sercu, franchisee of the Lutz location and other areas plans on opening 10 additional locations throughout Florida within the next seven years. I know we'll look forward to having more opportunities in the Sunshine state to visit a "Colorado trout lodge."

 Editor's Note: Being "Up The Creek" here is not a bad thing at all! For more information about Up The Creek, call (813)792-9308 or visit www.upthecreekusa.com. For a map to all Up The Creek restaurants, check out http://www.upthecreekusa.com/html/restaurants.shtml.