ANNOUNCER: The boys hate the mall. They hate shopping, they hate traffic, and they hate dudes who bag their pants. So, please appreciate the fact that they stepped out of their comfort zone lately to eat at the Adriatic Grill in the old Cucina Cucina space in the heart of mall hell.

JASON: The traffic between 38th and 56th streets on the west side of Interstate 5 literally makes me want to puke.

JAKE: Please don’t hold back how you feel.

JASON: I hate trying to navigate this area as people crowd their way through this juggernaut of mall traffic. It’s not a place I would choose to eat if I had no business at the mall in the first place. But, with that said, when I am forced to go to the mall to hold my wife’s purse, I suppose it’s nice to have a fairly decent place to eat.

JAKE: The Adriatic is mostly good, and that’s not bad. I was a fan of Cucina Cucina — I liked the relaxed atmosphere and basic corporate Italian taste. It was what it was — a quick bite at the mall several steps above the food court grub. I never ate at Cucina Cucina other than the times I was trapped at the mall during mealtime. I am sure the same will be true for Adriatic.

JASON: Adriatic joins Red Robin and TGI Fridays as mall pit stops.

JAKE: A year ago, Seattle’s Consolidated Restaurant Group bought the Tacoma location of the ailing Cucina Cucina chain. After a fairly extensive renovation, which basically removed the happy yellow and red colors from the old Cucina Cucina to replace them with more subdued décor for Adriatic, the restaurant opened under the new name this past February.

JASON: On the appetizer menu I ordered both the pesto clams and the scampi. The steamed clams arrived swimming in a mild broth of basil pesto, white wine, herbs and pine nuts with a side of focaccia. The clams were well cleaned, sweet, and mostly small while the broth complimented but did not detract from the shellfish. The preparation was well done. The side of scampi, however, arrived overcooked — tough and flavorless.

JAKE: The Adriatic offers a flatbread cooked to order. On the menu, they encourage dinners to order the bread from soft to crispy. I ordered my starter crispy and 25 percent arrived that way. What tasted like pizza dough with garlic, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, spices and butter brushed across the top didn’t impress, but for staunching hunger, it does the trick.

JASON: I ordered the basic green salad minus the cheese because I have a low-level milk allergy and with the pesto I wanted to minimize the damage.

JAKE: Overshare.

JASON: My point is, when I ordered the filet mignon, I didn’t notice the side dish contained dairy. My server, catching this, returned to my table to say, “Sir, I noticed you didn’t want cheese on your salad, may I arrange a different side dish for your steak?” Now that is service.

JAKE: I am a firm believer that ordering salmon determines the quality of the kitchen crew. If they can prepare a decent salmon, then they are a competent crew. Honestly, I was skeptical, but pleasantly surprised to enjoy a salmon well prepared — moist and well seasoned. A King, the grilled salmon is fire-grilled with a lemon-herb butter, white beans, red onion, tomato, caper and fresh basil — delicious.

JASON: My filet was also pretty well done. Certainly cooked to order. Maybe a tad bit mealy, but mostly tender. My halibut, however, wasn’t as good. The fish was a little dry, but the main problem was the sun dried tomato topping that tasted like canned spaghetti sauce.

JAKE: On the pasta front, I choose the chicken manicotti. It reminded me a little of the Olive Garden’s approach with ground up meat and lots of creamy cheese fill. The taste was fresh — I could decipher the ingredients. Hearty and filling, it’s a reasonable choice.

JASON: Like you said — better than the mall’s food court.

Adriatic Grill Italian Cuisine and Wine Bar

Where: 4201 S. Steel St.; Tacoma; 253.475.6000
Hours: Sun-Thurs, 11 a.m.-11 p.m, Fri & Sat, 11 a.m.-midnight
Cuisine: Classic chain-like Italian food joint with a few higher end fish and steak plates
Scene: Subdued colors, two tier dining with large windows in the back, a large patio in the front with umbrellas and hostesses at the front who eagerly mark your arrivals and departures
Drinkies: A full bar with all of the usual suspects including many premier brands

MENU

• Mussels Provencal >> $10
• Smoked Salmon Penne >> $18
• Five cheese Manicotti Marinara >> $13.50
• Five Cheese Pizza >> $10
• Filet Mignon >> $31