Double Take: Fin's Creekside in Calabasas, Joseph's perspective

If you are looking for average food at an above average price, give Fin's Creekside in Calabasas a try.

The Journey:
A jintapracha was almost inadvertently called due to A. Acosta's tardiness. He, however, edged the arbitrary cutoff time set. And so we journeyed towards our destination, King's Fish House. Upon arrival I was setback due to the outward appearance of said fish house. It appeared to be no more than your standard Chili's or TGIF. My philosophy of life is to judge all books by there cover and this one looked to be a sleeper. While not an indictment on the actual food served at the restaurant (as I have yet to try it) the location did not appear to meet the standards decided upon by TALFDC. And so we made an about face towards Fin's Creekside, an interesting looking restaurant we eyed on route to King's.

Breakdown:
Fin's Creekside in Calabasas.
Environment - 3/5 Fish
Service - 4/5 Fish
Food - 4/5 Fish
Value - 3/5 Fish
Overall - 3.5/5 Fish

Rating: Salmon

Environment:
Upon arrival, the place was noticeably devoid of the crowds expected at most standard restaurants on a Friday night. The dim lighting found indoors did not suit the company I kept. Luckily the hostess was far ahead of me and lead us outside where the cold was fended off by the powerful heating lamps scattered throughout the patio. I didn't pay particular attention to cleanliness, but it was dark so there was no problem based on what was visible. As soon as I was seated and scanned the menu I found the dish I was most interested in, the Macadamia Nut Encrusted Halibut.

3/5 Fish

Service:
The waitress was courteous and quick. I ordered a soda which was never left empty throughout the evening. We were served bread, which could have been better, soon after we ordered. Our appetizer was served soon after.

4/5 Fish

Food:
A. Ling opened up with an appetizer of calamari. I am no big fan of calamari, freaky looking stuff really, but it wasn't bad. It was the commonly found battered and deep fried calamari accompanied by copious amounts of dipping sauce which I assumed to be marinara. As far as I could tell, it was good. It wasn't oily and was all calamari with no fillers (I'm looking at you red lobster). Though the taste may have been artificially increased due to the above average price (equivalent in price to a main course you might find in a Chili's). This is not a qualifier, if you believe it tastes good - it's worth it.

The main course was the Macadamia Nut Encrusted Halibut. The fish promptly arrived, piping hot with a side of steamed white rice. The halibut itself was covered in a sweet sauce that contained nutty undertones (think liquid peanut-butter, but not as salty). The fish was, as most good food is, crunchy on the outside and moist and tender on the inside. As far as I can tell, based on my extensive fishing background, the fish was fresh. I wasn't able to finish it, but even the leftovers eaten the next day tasted great.

4/5 Fish

Value:
Value is defined as the ratio of the cost to the experience. In other words a high value does not mean a high price, but merely that the food was worth the amount paid. A low value is simply the opposite, the food was not worth the amount paid. The overall price at Fin's was a little bit steep considering the offerings. It seems to me that they could afford to lower the cost per dish or at least enhance the food quality a bit. (Median $30/person; Low $15/person; High $50+/person)

3/5 Fish

Overall:
The restaurant is an overall thumbs up. It's worth making a detour to if you are in the area, but maybe not your destination if you are more than 10 - 15 miles away. A. Ling recommended it as a dating place. I guess there was live music inside, but I don't remember if it was any good. Plus A. Ling's idea of a dating place is the Olive Garden, so take that for what it's worth.

3.5/5 Fish

Rating: Salmon (Slightly above average, but it could be better)

Terms:
Jintapracha - A last minute call to retreat to a predetermined backup location. We always pick a Jintapracha location before we go out.
TALFDC - Acronym: The Anthony Ling Fine Diner's Club