Trina's dishes can be heavy, so go light, enjoy dessert

BY ROCHELLE KOFF

rkoff@MiamiHerald.com

If you still have doubts that Fort Lauderdale beach is fast outgrowing its souvenir shops and wet T-shirt contests, take a look at all the cranes -- then stop by Trina in the Atlantic Hotel on Fort Lauderdale beach.

Celebrating its third anniversary this month, the oceanfront restaurant has the hip, urban setting of a South Beach or Manhattan destination. No wonder, considering it's the first out-of-Manhattan venture from some famed New Yorkers: consulting chef Don Pintabona (who was picked by Robert De Niro to be his executive chef at Tribeca Grill) and restaurateur Nick Mautone (who helped establish Gramercy Tavern). Brian Kay, whose culinary experience includes restaurants in Asia and the Caribbean, has been on board as executive chef for two months.

The menu is Mediterranean-themed, the décor sophisticated. The interior is a warm cocoa brightened by deep blue lights and floor-to-ceiling glass windows offering a view of the sea. It's romantic, but you also see plenty of professionals networking at the bar. We found it a relaxing place for a girls' night out.

We started our evening on the terrace, enjoying fun cocktails with unexpected ingredients like cucumbers, red grapefruit, rosemary (''Where's the turkey?'' quips friend Sherry) and our favorite, the Trinatini, with a hint of lavender. Our knowledgeable, pampering server also brought us wine to sample; the wine list includes more than 200 bottles of mostly French, Italian, Spanish and California wines, 20 by the glass.

We weren't as enamored with our food, though. We thought our choices were heavy, especially in this weather. Foodie friend Mindy found too many competing flavors, especially in her surf-and-turf entree of braised short ribs, which were good, but overpowered the delicate diver scallops. A tagine of baked Florida grouper, with littleneck clams and almond couscous, was dominated by a thick, spicy, Moroccan-style chermoula sauce, with capers and raisins. And Robin, an occasional angler, thought the seafood in the paella, also loaded with chicken and chorizo, could have been fresher. Our favorite dish that visit was the delicious plump ravioli, stuffed with puréed Yukon gold potatoes with black truffles.

On a return trip, we ordered lighter fare and found it more successful. Too bad we had a different waiter, who was efficient but indifferent.

Trina starts the evening right with a complimentary basket of focaccia, sourdough and breadsticks served with three small bowls of tasty condiments: hummus, house-cured olive tapenade (with chopped white anchovies and garlic) and olive oil.

Maybe it's too much of a good thing, but we also ordered a brick oven flatbread, with toppings like Moroccan lamb with feta, shrimp scampi, and tomato and smoked mozzarella. The pungent flavor of the Taleggio and aged pecorino was a bit much, though, for our wild mushroom pick -- mostly portobellos with some oyster, shiitake and regular jumbos.

Among starters, we loved the orecchiette pasta with tender lamb braised in chianti and finished off in the sauté pan with English peas. Another hit: the chopped Mediterranean salad tossed with chickpeas, chopped silky feta, cucumbers and green olives. If you really want to splurge, there's a caviar spread for $140.

OK, a steak isn't light fare but we did like the New York strip. Trina accommodated Mindy's request for a ''Pittsburgh style'' New York strip -- charred on the outside and pink inside. The meat was buttery tender, in a slightly sweet tempranillo sauce. The mashed potatoes had a hint of bacon and leeks; also on the side: a mushroom ragout and vegetable tart.

Our top entree was the fresh pan-seared snapper, a plate-size portion perfectly cooked, served with tiny beads of couscous and garlicky spinach atop a marinière sauce.

While most dishes feature bold flavors, homemade coffee ice cream lacked a java jolt. But cheers to pastry chef Jennifer Gebis for a scrumptious crème brlée trio (chocolate, coffee and vanilla bean) and a banana chocolate concoction with rich chocolate flourless cake and homemade banana ice cream. Great for sharing -- and a girl's night out.

FYI: Reservations suggested; full bar; valet parking $5 with validation; AX, DC, DS, MC, VS.