James Westbrook (Nexus23)
Google
The family and I were in Gainesville on errands when we decided to get a late lunch. Did the usual Google search for the cuisine we wanted, and found Blue Gill Quality Food. It had offerings we were interested in, and they seem to be well reviewed. Honestly, I have no idea where the few one start reviews are coming from. When we arrived, a friendly staff member greeted us, and we were seated right away. The server came and got our drink orders, which they brought to us right away. After looking over the menus (everything sounded delicious so choosing was a little difficult), we ended up deciding on the roasted brussels and calamari for appetizers. Both were quite flavorful, well presented, and fresh out of the kitchen hot. The calamari was lightly dusted with breading, whereas most places serve it lightly battered. The best part? It was cooked perfectly. The roasted brussels also were delicious, and again, cooked just right. For entrees, two of us ordered shrimp and grits, while I had the salmon. The shrimp were plentiful and pretty good sized, the sauce zesty (it is tomato based if you're not used to it that way just be aware), and it perfectly matched with the cheesey grits. The salmon was also cooked very well. Definitely no dry salmon here. Hot, juicy, with a good seat and wonderful flavor. The risotto it is paired with was quite wonderful. All entrees came with a nice assortment of fresh veggies (green beans, carrots, and I think white carrots) cooked in such a way that they retained much of their flavor. Overall, the food left us very pleased. The staff were always friendly and courteous. Portion sizes were fair, with price being on par with what one would expect with fine casual restaurants. I definitely rate this place a must try.