Everything at Cobalt

There's a new kid on the block, and it's definitely going to be like that new kid who came to your high school in tenth grade who everyone fell in love with instantly: The one all the guys wanted to be and all the girls wanted to date.

Cobalt has reset the bar — and it's high.

Last night was my second trip out to the big restaurant that sits on the water underneath the intercoastal pass and though it was certainly good the first time I ate there right after it opened a few months ago, the kinks are gone and all the stops have been pulled out for this baby.

The location is perfect for watching the sun set. The patio is going to be the hottest spot in town come summer (live music every night). The lighting is just right (finally someone gets it). And the food! Oh, my, the food. We snacked on local oysters, BBQ shrimp Louisiana style, and the tuna and avocado stack (I could eat this for breakfast, lunch, and dinner). Next time maybe we'll tackle the entrees.

Also, the bakery counter opened last week. The chocolate tarts, peanut butter cookies, and Key lime cupcakes look divine.

Tomato Basil Seafood Chowder at Guy Harvey's

Does anyone successfully make the leap from famous [fill in the blank here] to restaurateur? In just four months' time that Vegas restaurant that Nick Lachy and Nicky Hilton opened was pronounced a dismal failure. And remember that restaurant that a bunch of models opened? No, of course you don't. Most people should just stick to their day jobs. And that includes marine wildlife artist Guy Harvey.

Last week I had dinner at The Wharf outpost of Guy Harvey's Island Grill. And I have two words for you: Skip. It.

My date and I each had a Blue Moon and a bowl of tomato basil seafood chowder. I wasn't looking for a heavy meal, but I am always looking for a good one. Before ordering, I asked the waitress to rate the soup on a scale of 1 to 10. She gave it a 5, but assured me that people raved. I know better than to listen to "people." But I got the soup anyway.

And I was disappointed. Not thick. Not rich. Not what I would call chowdery. It was a watery tomato soup with a few little shrimps and a flake or three of crab meat. I salted it. My date crushed up three packages of saltines in his.

It was edible, so the lack of flavor really wasn't the worst of it. The value, or lack thereof, was the tipping point. It's why I won't go back to Guy Harvey's. If that was a bowl of chowder, they're serving the cup-a-soup in a demitasse. Skimpy. Skimpy. Skimpy. At $6.99 I think it came out to $1 per spoonful.