Coral Grill

Coral Grill Review

The most ambitious aspect of the Four Seasons' renovation was the "de-formalizing" of its restaurants, most notably the unlikely but wildly successful conversion of its former haute Dining Room into a stunning steak house. Yet it eschews the genre's typical men's-club decor, lightening and brightening the original's imposing space. The graceful patio, beamed cathedral ceilings, flagstone hearth, and parquet floors remain; yet an open contemporary lounge that wouldn't be out of place in SoHo or Santa Monica now bisects the vast interior. Exquisite, deceptively simple appetizers include popcorn shrimp with red pepper dip or by-the-book beef tartare. But you're here for the grilled items, from Wagyu steak that dissolves in your mouth to intensely flavored yet meltingly tender Berkridge Kurobata pork chops to gossamer lobster tails. Corn-fed USDA prime cuts are Black Diamond-labeled, sourced from select Midwest farms. Meats are served with a choice of Shiraz reduction, béarnaise, or chimichurri; seafood with saffron sauce, lemongrass-coriander vinaigrette, or citrus hollandaise. Or dip into one of several flavored butters. The must extravagance is the Parillada, $65 for person for two (enough to feed a family). The hotel can arrange a unique interactive dive-and-dine experience, plunging you into the deep to pluck lobster and other marine creatures that the chefs will cook for you later. The phone-book-size wine list is admirably comprehensive with some surprisingly fair prices. Friday-night beach barbecues are deliciously hedonistic.