Folks from Bonefish Grill invited me to sample the new bar menu called the In + Out Bar Bites menu. Anyone who knows me knows that I live on happy hour, but I’m constantly disappointed by the lack of food choices, so I was excited to try these shareable small plates.

Since I had just about every item, let’s go in order of how they are listed. First up, street tacos, which come two per order; I chose the lobster over the ahi tuna tartare for the filling. What I liked was its use of a wonton for the shell, making the taco lighter in texture (vs. stiff tortilla shells) yet still strong enough to support the generous portion of lobster meat.

Oysters (on the half shell or baked Rockefeller style) are on the menu, but I had my eye on the oyster shooters, which are layered with cocktail sauce and salsa verde. I loved the kick from the habanero vodka, an unexpected touch. Another pleasant surprise arrived with the mac & cheese bites (five per order), which amazingly held form (so many often fall apart), were not at all greasy and worked very well with the sweet chili sauce drizzled over the top.

I was most excited to try the dim sum-style sliders, which comes with your choice of chipotle shrimp or BBQ pork and “mantou” buns. The shrimp was full of flavor, and I did enjoy the spiced BBQ sauce, but I’m so used to pork (or pork belly) with mantou buns that the dish just didn’t seem right. Next time I’ll be sure to try the BBQ pork.

Get a second napkin ready if you order the tostadas, which consist of three layers of crispy wontons with fresh avocado, mango, cucumber, red peppers and your choice of ahi tuna tartare or chipotle shrimp. The tuna was super fresh, and the creamy, spicy sauce had just the right amount of heat. Just be prepared to use your hands to eat this dish, as a fork and knife are useless.

This meal ended on a high note with the doughnuts. The three you receive are tossed in cinnamon, and then you get to inject it with caramel and/or chocolate sauce, plus smear it with whipped cream. WOW. The doughnuts will satisfy any sweet tooth, plus it’s always fun to play with your food.

Oh wait–did I forget to talk about the new cocktail on the bar menu? That would be the Mule, a Moscow Mule served in a copper mug. It’s extra ginger-y, as it’s made with ginger syrup and served with candied ginger (in addition to the included ginger beer).

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See more photos in our Bonefish Grill Flickr album.

Madison got its first Bonefish Grill in November, opening near Shopko by West Towne Mall. I accepted my invitation to sample some dishes and drinks, and I returned later to check out more of the menu. I’m usually weary of seafood restaurants in non-coastal states, but Bonefish pleasantly surprised me with its dishes.

Overall I enjoyed most of the menu items, but the service needs improvement. Take for example what happened during dinner. From the time we sat down, the waiter didn’t take our order until 17 minutes later, he didn’t serve our bread for another 17 minutes and the food arrived 37 minutes after we ordered it. That is slooooooow. Other friends I’ve talked to have had similar experiences during lunch and dinner.

Since I ate so many different things, let me just blurt them all out:

• The Bang Bang shrimp ($10.40) is a must-order appetizer. Great crunch to the battered shrimp, which is tossed in a semi-spicy Asian sauce.
• The roasted mushroom flatbread ($9.40) is complemented by a pleasing truffle aioli.
• The cilantro shrimp salad ($13.30) is brightly flavored and colored with the vinaigrette, feta, tortilla strips and other toppings.
• The thick cut of ahi tuna steak ($17.30) goes very well with the pan Asian sauce, one of five signature sauces.
• The Chilean sea bass ($25.40) was flaky and tender on the inside with a delightful grilled texture on the outside. Try it with the mango salsa.
• While the lobster-stuffed shrimp ($10.90) is tasty, it’s not very filling, as you just get four pieces of shrimp.
• Kate’s Wild North Atlantic Haddock ($20.90) is mild as expected but enhanced with the butter sauce and garlic crumb crust.
• The filet mignon ($19.90) was my only disappointment. Parts of the meat were overcooked, and overall the filet lacked flavor and tenderness. Even the white truffle butter didn’t help.

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but my favorite dish at Bonefish was the creme brulee ($6.90). I have no sweet tooth and would pick something salty over sweet 99 times out of 100, but this was decadent, creamy and perfectly rich. I cannot believe this is a seasonal item–it should be on the menu year-round!

Last but not least team are the excellent cocktails (I look forward to sitting at the outdoor bar next summer). Of note are the Winter White Cosmopolitan ($7.90), which includes St. Germain Elderflower liqueur and is not overly sweet, and the Cold Snap Cocktail – Blackberry Frost ($8.50), made with Reyka vodka, Solerno blood orange liqueur, muddled blackberries and fresh lemon juice and served in a glass made of ice. An accompanying sleeve holds the ice glass together–just make sure to drink it quickly!

Bonefish Grill is open every day for lunch and dinner, with brunch on the weekends.

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See more photos in our Bonefish Grill Flickr album.