How West Has Won

Even a fire couldn't keep Mark West from his own restaurant

Lisa Sokolowski

Mark West had never dealt with a building fire before. Sure, he'd seen an accidental car fire a few times, but only once did he see his livelihood go down in flames.

And once is all you need when you watch your job, business and future go down together.

West had worked at Denny's restaurants for 28 years before purchasing the Silver Queen Restaurant on Scott Street in Wilkes-Barre. After spending time renovating the restaurant and renaming it the Grapevine Grille, the establishment was open 10 months before a fire condemned the building.

Did he think about reopening? Sure. But finding a new place - one with a larger parking lot and windows - seemed easier.

So in November he found an open area in the Waterfront Complex and recently opened the doors to the Riverfront Grille.

We went on a recent Thursday, finding a table with a view. Sure, in the final days of winter, the Susquehanna River wasn't a beautiful blue, and the trees were bare, but the potential for a picturesque scene was there.

We started with mozzallunas, semicircles of battered and fried mozzarella cheese with a side of marinara. Each mozzalluna was larger than a mouthful, so hopefully you're with someone who isn't worried about double (or triple) dipping. If you're with a germ-a-phobe, be sure to ask for a second side of sauce.

The lunch menu was large - but the portions were even larger.

We ordered penne vodka with grilled chicken and the soup of the day, which was german potato soup. It has the warmth and comfort of a hearty potato soup, but the combination of salt and sugar brought out a sweet flavor.

And the penne tasted just as good as the pink sauce looked. The chicken was grilled to perfection and packed with flavor.

We also had the daily special: pizza Margherita with tomato basil and fresh mozzarella. It came with a salad, which we topped with a house dressing. Sure, the entrees were for one, but half of each went in to-go boxes.

Or maybe we were just saving room for dessert.

The fruit torte, which was surrounded by the most colorful sauces we've ever seen, is not to be missed. Make your inner Girl Scout scream with the s'mores cheesecake or try vanilla if chocolate's not your thing.

Next time we go, however, we're going straight for the brownie dessert served in a martini glass that we were eying at someone else's table.

But did we make the best choices according to West? Maybe not.

He would have recommended the River Grille chicken, which has grilled eggplant, sliced tomato, prosciutto and provolone in a port wine sauce. Or the ribeye. And the black and tan onion rings, which are battered in black and tan beer but are safe for the kids because the alcohol is burned off. Or the potato pancakes. And the French onion soup, which he says is the best in town.

"I just want the best," he said.

Every detail, even down to the black straws, is exactly how West wants it.

You can check out his restaurant now, or you can wait for the official grand opening in just a few weeks. And when the weather gets warmer, the three-season deck will be ready for patrons - as well as the name-the-deck contest. The winner will get a vacation gift certificate to anywhere.

The deck will actually be one of the restaurants biggest resources. There is a deck-only entrance, but there are also outside doors that lead from the dining area to the deck. And there's a door leading straight from the wood to the bar. There may be frozen drinks, but there won't be penny drafts ... ever. West doesn't want the River Grille to be on a list of places to barhop on a Saturday night; it caters to a crowd that wants to go out and stay put all evening.

"I want them to know they can have two hamburgers and a beer or onion rings and a beer," West said, without adding the words "but not get liquored up and carried out of the bar."