Jasper’s American Grille: Food, fun, space aplenty

Friday, Sept. 21, 2007

Click here to enlarge this photo Staff Photo by Darwin Weigel Jasper’s American Grille regional manager Keith Ashley, left, and kitchen manager Karl Hille show off two of the Prince Frederick restaurant’s popular dishes: the Asian salmon teriyaki over mashed potatoes and surrounded by sauteed zucchini, carrots, peppers and green onions, and the Rutherford ribeye served with thick-sliced, vine-ripened heirloom tomatoes with a creamy Italian, bleu cheese and basil vinaigrette. E-Mail This Article | Print This Story   Jasper’s American Grille 60 Sherry Lane Prince Frederick Calvert County Hours: 4 p.m.-midnight, Monday-Friday; noon-midnight Saturday-Sunday Entree prices: $6-$22.90 Credit cards: AE, MC, DC, Disc, V Reservations: 410-535-9939

And it’s just as well I dined early because I am sure that at least half of the dozen big screen plasma TVs in the bar were no doubt focused later that evening on the Redskins beating my Eagles at home.

Wait, let me correct that. The big screen TVs were the small ones — about five hanging from the ceiling between the bar and a view into the dining rooms. The other TVs were larger than home movie screens, towering over the booths that lined the other walls. The large bar area was filled in the middle with a very substantial horseshoe bar and comfortable stools, lots of cheering — or booing — room. The place is built for linebackers.

The restaurant is filled with enough seating that more than 300 sports fans and team players can dine without rivals rubbing shoulders.

Even before I ate there, I had heard wonderful things about Jasper’s. The restaurant is the newest version of the small but expanding chain of Jasper’s in Prince George’s County. The menu, which I found on the Web at www.jaspersrestaurants.com, was intriguing and inviting, but it was the photo that convinced me I should try the Asian salmon teriyaki ($15.90).

After settling into one of the smaller booths, my server, Cassie, brought my beverage. I was ready with my whole order by the time she returned and requested the Tex Mex egg rolls ($7.90), a cup of the chain’s famous lobster bisque ($4.90, $5.90 bowl) and the salmon.

Everything comes as hot as it should, including the plate on which my entree was served. That’s very important, especially when restaurants have their air-conditioning systems on in the summer.

I first bit into the egg rolls. The pair of delicate rolls were halved diagonally and laid on a bed of those white crispy rice noodles. The ingredients — black beans, chopped chicken, corn and spices — were enhanced by the accompanying avocado dip. They were really good and worth a revisit.

The creamy bisque — it’s the only way bisque comes — was truly rich. No Half-and-Half here. And despite the fact that the coffee cup was normal size, it had several nice pieces of sweet lobster. The meal would have been plenty with only one appetizer, but a bisque recipe that has been around for more than 50 years is worth sampling.

As for the salmon, when it arrived I wasn’t so sure I was ready for it. It came on a large square plate — very, very warm, according to the young lady who delivered it — and was beautifully plated.

A quite substantial slice of grilled salmon lay on a large bed of real mashed potatoes.

Spring onions and rice noodles graced the top while the whole meal was surrounded by a moat of chopped vegetables in sauce. I thought the vegetables would be too rich, considering the tender salmon drizzled with the sweet teriyaki.

Little did I now that hiding in that rich, warm sauce was a cool, refreshing combination of carrots, red peppers and zucchini. It was a pleasant and surprising balance to the fish.

If my recommendation is not enough, I’ve been told that the salmon is greatly appreciated by a teenaged daughter who does not even like fish.

As always, I had more than enough, but there really wasn’t too much. Each dish had plenty of quantity without sacrificing quality.

I have it on good authority that the chop house salad ($6) is quite good, with romaine lettuce, grilled corn, tomato and basil, the rib meat falls off the bones ($14.90 half-rack, $18.90 full), the drunken ribeye ($20.50) is a particular favorite and the crawfish etoufee is good for the Mardi Gras in everyone.

The menu also lists roast chicken ($12.80), New Zealand rack of lamb ($20.90), the fresh fish of the day (market price), roasted prime rib au jus in 10- and 16-ounce sizes ($16.90, $21) and something called an Evil Jungle Salad ($13.90), which comes loaded with marinated filet mignon, sliced and grilled, with greens, noodles, avocado, peanuts, mangos, mint and honey-mustard sesame dressing.

There are several desserts, for which of course I did not have room, including Linda’s bananas foster cake ($6.50) and Key lime pie ($6), made with Florida Key limes and a graham cracker crust.

I like Jasper’s American Grille. The setting was inviting, the air is filled with the smell of the hickory stove (and won’t that be romantic in the winter?), the service smooth and friendly and the food delicious.

If only the TVs weren’t quite so revealing of sports calamities ...