"We love the community and you know we think it's a great place to have a restaurant," said owner Edward Nemec.
The focus is on small, shareable plates. Flatbreads are a given, but so are crab-stuffed peppers over a pool of whole grain mustard aioli; cubes of red kuri squash and Brussels sprouts are sauteed with spheres of gnudi - that's ricotta and parmesan, lightly rolled in flour...kind of a naked gnocchi - which, like everything else on the menu, is shareable.
"We love the idea that you can try this food, and it doesn't have to be just a burger, it can be fresh fish, it can be things like gnudi, which you won't find in too many restaurants, so we kind of took that philosophy through the whole menu," Nemec said.
Beer, wine...even craft cocktails are all on tap at The Marlin.
"Because of the freshness of the wines on tap, we never had to worry about those open bottles being stashed away, so the last glass is as great as the first glass," he said.
Nemec has also made sure several of the menu items are either vegetarian or gluten-free.
"I feel we've given them something that they'd have to go a long way away to get," said Nemec.
Now the restaurant isn't just paying lip service to the gluten-free clientele, more than 30 percent of the menu is gluten-free, including this dessert - a carrot and almond cake with a cream cheese mousse and some homemade marshmallows.
The Dancing Marlin
20590 S. LaGrange Rd., Frankfort
815-464-6646
http://www.dancingmarlinrestaurant.com/
