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Food Studio serves ‘real deal’ seafood By Sarah Lemon Jul 08, 2022 12:15 AM A A 6 View all photos Sarah Lemon / Mail Tribune Coconut shrimp are a Food Studio favorite. Sarah Lemon/Mail Tribune Tomato-basil soup pairs with Italian-inspired entrees at Food Studio in Grants Pass Sarah Lemon / Mail Tribune Rockfish piccata has a zingy lemon sauce at Food Studio in Grants Pass. Sarah Lemon / Mail Tribune Smoked salmon fettuccine is one of several pasta dishes at Food Studio in Grants Pass. Sarah Lemon / Mail Tribune Coconut shrimp are a Food Studio favorite. Sarah Lemon / Mail Tribune Specialty cocktails, such as the “chi chi”( foreground) and Aviation martini, compose a list of more than 25 at Food Studio in Grants Pass. Grants Pass eatery has distinct person in former Blondies Bistro When we couldn’t manage an overnight getaway to the coast, my partner and I settled for an afternoon at Selma’s Siskiyou Field Institute. In lieu of a coastal seafood fix, we sought out seafood specialties at Food Studio in Grants Pass. The former Blondies Bistro on Southwest G Street was reborn last summer as Food Studio. Its atmosphere and menu similar to Blondies, Food Studio has cemented a distinct reputation for quality food and attentive service where its predecessor seemed to slip during the pandemic. The addition of lunch service last month offers more casual fare at lower prices. A recipe that never disappointed at Blondies is still a Food Studio favorite. Coconut shrimp ($15) can fall short of island inspiration at many eateries, some of which substitute prebreaded, frozen shellfish, But Food Studio’s appetizer is the real deal, comprising six plump crustaceans coated in a light, deliciously crunchy batter with a hint of sweetness enhanced by a dunk in the accompanying sweet chile sauce. Almost as enticing are Food Studio’s Portuguese-style Manila clams ($12) steamed in a broth with house-made sausage. Oregon Dungeness and Alaskan snow crabs combine for a gratin ($16) served with sourdough bread. Two types of hummus — eggplant (aka baba ghanoush) and typical chickpea — with pita constitute Food Studio’s other appetizer choices. First we toasted the ideal summer weather and our pleasant perch at an umbrella-topped table in front of Food Studio’s strip mall suite. Specialty cocktails number more than 25 at Food Studio, which also keeps a well-stocked bar of top-shelf liquors — vodka, tequila, scotch, bourbon and more — not to mention wines by the glass and bottle, draft and bottled beers and a couple of ciders. True to trends elsewhere in Grants Pass, Food Studio’s cocktail prices are several dollars lower than at many Medford- and Ashland-area restaurants. Among the more expensive drinks, the Aviation martini ($11) caught my eye for creme de violette and maraschino liqueur. My partner went even fruitier with the “chi chi” ($11) a pineapple vodka-based drink accented with pineapple juice and cream of coconut. As expected, my martini displayed a fetching lavender hue and flirtatious lemon zest garnish. Froth-capped, the chi-chi sported a maraschino cherry and orange wedge to highlight its inimitable tropical flavors. Flourishes like candied ginger-scallion slaw, mango-blackberry-ginger compote and coconut rice lighten Food Studio’s flank steak and halibut entrees. And such produce-based recipes as black bean-quinoa salad ($12) and vegetable curry ($17) extend the former Blondies’ appeal among more health-conscious diners. But whereas Blondies’ menu at one point reached an unwieldy 50-plus items, Food Studio has fine-tuned 11 entrees featuring beef, seafood, chicken and pork, in addition to the curry, a vegetarian pasta and a $15 burger. Prices top out at $34 for the ribeye with mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables. Any of Food Studio’s salads, though, can be a main course with the addition of chicken, shrimp or ahi tuna for $6, $8 and $12, respectively. For $3 extra, diners can add a cup of soup or side salad to any entree. Always more inclined to soup than salad, I considered the tomato-basil a fitting match for my Italian-inspired rockfish piccata ($25). Also in the vein of that classical cuisine are Food Studio’s chicken Marsala ($24), chicken saltimbocca ($26) and mushroom fettuccine Alfredo ($16). Fettuccine with smoked salmon, sautéed mushrooms, asparagus and spinach ($29) tempted my partner. Arriving at the same time as the entrees, the soup exhibited the perfect steaming temperature with a full flavor and light texture that stopped short of being sieved. I only would have preferred a few ribbons of fresh basil on top to the preshredded Parmesan. More Parmesan topped my partner’s pasta and the plain capellini cozying up to my piccata. The delicate fillet retained its fine texture, but its inherent flavor was a mere canvas for an intensely lemony sauce with far more capers than I needed. I’m a lemon lover, but the sauce’s zing may have been too much for some diners. Fortunately, the unsauced pasta mellowed the overall effect. My palate also took refuge in the melange of steamed broccoli, carrots and summer squash, which had more purpose than do counterparts at other eateries, where I typically just pick at them. I kept returning to the lemon sauce, though, like a kid with Sour Patch candies at Halloween. With only enough appetite for about half his pasta, my partner commented it was very rich, despite the menu’s description of a “light caramelized onion cream sauce.” The vegetables all were cooked to an ideal doneness, save the onions, which weren’t caramelized enough for my tastes. The hearty portion, however, left him plenty to take home as leftovers for the next day’s lunch. Had we left room for dessert, Food Studio’s “hummingbird cake” would have topped our list for its pineapple- and banana-laden batter finished with cream cheese frosting. Coconut cake and cheesecake would be close contenders, each for $8. The same price buys kids’ meals from a menu of five items. Located at 226 S.W. G St., Food Studio is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, Sunday and Monday, until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Call 541-479-0420. See foodstudiograntspass.com Reach features editor Sarah Lemon at 541-776-4494 or [email protected]