Manatee Restaurants: No One's Better than Ezra

BRADENTON – Ezra Cafe has been making headlines lately for its moving-not moving downtown DDA fiasco, but covering the whole affair got me wondering about the more important question: how's the food? In a word – delicious!

Asian fusion is rarely hearty and robust, but Ezra is like Roy's with more meat and potatoes. The essence of Ezra starts with the unlikely restaurateur, Donna Eason. A molecular biologist by day and the ultimate bake-sale mom on the side, the runway-model thin Eason jokes that she uses her scientific knowledge to extract the calories and one is tempted to believe the woman with the PhD and the 10,000 watt smile.

Eason is part of Manatee County history, her family a living genealogy tree with five generations from her grandmother to grandchildren still residing here. In fact, it is her charming daughter Crystal King that runs Ezra's day to day operations, and Donna says she still goes to her business-steeped parents for advice.

Her mother is known to most local residents as the proprietor of the long-time bridal store, The Beautiful Bride. Eason says her father, who's run several local businesses himself, gave her the best advice of all, which is to remember that 80 percent of your business will come from the best 20 percent of your customers, and her pampering service and "everyone knows your name“ environment suggests she's heeded the message.

Ezra serves an eclectic Asian-fusion menu, but make no assumptions, because its fare is far from typical Asian-fusion. Ms. Eason manages to inject a level of substance that is rare among menus heavy in light fish and sparse vegetables, amidst much breading. The courses are carefully plotted and allow a melodic combination of dense flavors and light textures that dance across the palate.

The perfect starter is the robust and flavorful Pacific shrimp saffron bisque, a rich and complex stew that sits smoothly and differentiates itself from bready appetizers that tend to expand. Next is the jumbo lump crab cakes & fried green tomato "stack“ with basil aioli, roasted red pepper pesto & tomato salata. This little gem is a meal unto itself, and I'd recommend splitting it, though you might wind up fighting your guest for the last bite.

First time diners would be remiss not to order the Enzo benta box. Though it sits on the "light dinners“ side of the menu, it could easily feed two, if only it weren't too good to share. A perfect sampler of Ezra's all-star entrŽes, you'll enjoy sushi tempura rolls, delectable and impossibly moist fried oysters, Thai shrimp salad and finally the lightly breaded calamari salad that is so thinly covered with crumbs that you finally see the true shape of the calamari. The wasabi vinegrette is so subtle, yet so perfect, that I dare say it is the absolute best way to introduce a nervous first timer to this spicy delicacy – all the flavor with none of the eye watering.

Ezra's skirt steak is nothing short of perfection, and while anyone is sure to enjoy it, I found it particularly marketable that there was a true A-lister for the meat and potato crowd, ensuring that dinner at Ezra would never require compromise between an adventurous restaurant goer and their meat-loving sidekick. Served either over salad or on a bed of redskin smashed potatoes, this tender and flavorful meat cut is a slice of Heaven on Earth.

Finally, there is dessert. Donna is the Mozart of pastry art and her loyal gang of regulars can be seen salivating nightly in anticipation of her county renowned "cookie balls“ – impossibly dense and flavorful nuggets of white and semi sweet chocolate chips within a smattering of batter. They are a non-menu, everyone must tryhouse specialty, and she estimates to have given away at least 150,000 of the priceless little spheres since opening.

On the night I visited, she also whipped up a batch of "gooey yellow bars,“ little cream cheese, whipped eggs, cookie crust and brown sugar concoctions that again produce such dense and complicated flavors that one suspects Eason must have discovered scientific improbabilities to accomplish their sensation.

Complimenting the menu is a small but competent wine list and impressive martini menu, including the Lolita, a Pacific inspired cocktail that perfectly prepares you for the tastes that are about to come. Ezra's staff is as warm and inviting as its art-inspired atmosphere, leading to an experience that is exactly what most diners love above all else – reasonably-priced fine dining that meets the expectations in taste, service and ambiance. Ezra sets a West Manatee standard for this holy trinity of fine food and if you haven't been, I highly recommend that discerning diners give it a go.