Split Personality

Wow. For a second, I was tempted to contact the Guinness Book of World Records and stake my claim to this singular culinary feat. Then I realized that Big Shot Bob wasn't exactly gazing at me with admiration. In fact, the look was more like "Geez, what a doofus." Perhaps I had broken one of those rules of conventional wisdom, like never play poker with someone named Doc or don't spit into the wind? Never mix grilled with fried on a po-boy? But I did -- and lived to tell the tale: not bad, not bad at all.

Along with an engaging patio, PK's boasts a handsome bar area, perfect for a happy hour drink on the way home. The wine list is fairly reserved, with most of the bottles in the $30 to $35 range. The priciest selection on it, a $90 Tommasi Amarone, seems an expensive oddity since that super-rich Italian red pairs with virtually nothing on this seafood-heavy menu (with the possible exception of quail).

PK's has tried to warm up its rather impersonal red brick building by ushering in customers through a portico that says "Strictly Blue Water."

Now, that's a catchy phrase, but I have to confess to not knowing what it means.

Surely it's not a literal claim that everything inside originates from azure seas? Since the menu contains such decidedly non-seafood fare as chicken and beef, that theory scarcely holds water, no matter what the color. Perhaps it's some well-known nautical term that a sailing-impaired landlubber like me wouldn't recognize? Or it could just be the owner's own inspirational credo, not unlike Elvis's "Taking Care of Business."

As for the inevitable question of whether PK's is "as good" as Goode Co. Seafood, that's tricky. Certainly, PK's best dishes can rival those of Goode Co. But Goode Co. is more expansive, both in its overall menu and, more notably, in its almost raucous attitude.

For the most part, PK's has decided to be on its best behavior. That's probably a shrewd move, given its conventional customer base. Strictly Blue Water, as it turns out, means Calm Seas Ahead.