Sawdust memories

The Grill on the Alley, a Beverly Hills landmark and growing chain that opened a link at Aventura Mall late last year, has that cozy, retro, supper-club feel down pat. Coffee-colored leather banquettes, curvy art-deco fixtures and waiters in trim-fitting white jackets contribute to the dapper feel. Unfortunately, the fare is more off-the-rack than haute couture.

The Grill's interpretation of American classics includes lots of burgers and chops, steaks and butter-sauced fish, ribs and creamy pastas, onion rings and potatoes sliced, diced and spiced every which way. We relied on our enthusiastic young waiters and the vast menu's "signature specials" for a read on what they do best. Not surprisingly, the choicest selections are from the grill.

A boneless rib-eye and a juicy prime New York steak — both nicely butchered 16-ouncers — were competently seasoned and seared, but lacked real depth of flavor. Likewise, a double-cut Kurobuta pork chop tasted like sawdust. A platter of bony short ribs in a sauce as thick and dark as chocolate pudding hid a bunch of salty, mushy root vegetables.

A floppy-topped chicken pot pie as big as a steering wheel included nice morsels of tender white meat, peas, carrots and mushrooms, but the bland, creamy sauce seemed more appropriate for a nursery than a dining room. Still, it might have been a contender had the oddly separated pastry not been scorched on top yet raw on the underside. A prosaic mahi mahi fillet in a pool of watery butter sauce and a similarly sauced Dover sole seemed like afterthoughts.

Salads, among them a spiced pecan romaine number and a simple iceberg wedge, were large and fresh enough but lacked that extra oomph. The cooked vegetables, including garlicky sautéed spinach and nicely grilled asparagus, were equally unremarkable.

Although the Grill makes a rather big deal about its "hand-crafted martinis, cocktails and high-balls," we stuck with basic wines by the glass from a 100-label international list that has plenty of decent selections for less than $45.

Desserts suffered from an abundance of sugar and a lack of finesse. The "seasonal" fruit cobbler, for example, had the same gooey, undercooked crust as the pot pie, as well as tasteless blueberries and chunks of apples. A brownie sundae big enough for a classroom of second graders was tooth-achingly sweet.

With truly pleasant waiters, a comfortable setting and lots of choices, the Grill on the Alley is a step up from the food court. But with prices more like Morton's, you may want to reconsider your options.

The Grill on the Alley is located at the Aventura Mall, 19501 Biscayne Blvd. Call 304-466-7195 or visit Thegrill.com.