Frequent recommendations from friends who work in Salem prompted The Dining Companion to suggest that we visit the Black Water Grill, and was I glad she did.

First impressions: 16/20

OG: The parking lot was nearly full when we arrived at the Black Water, which is located in what appears to be an old farmhouse whose fields have sprouted office and industrial buildings. Inside, the old house has been transformed with a clean, contemporary feel. When we entered, we were told the lounge was full, but if we didn't mind we could be seated right away in the dining room. That struck us odd, until we realized that there was live music, which explained the demand for lounge seating.

Appetizers: 18/20

OG: From an enticing menu ranging from bruschetta to Buffalo chicken rangoons, it only took me a minute to decide: Thinking of our Teenage Bottomless Pit, who couldn't be with us this evening, I chose the Black Water Crunch ($7), chicken tenders coated in crushed Cap'n Crunch cereal and served with a honey barbecue sauce. It was a fun dish, and it reminded me a little of coconut shrimp. I'd have chosen a different dipping sauce, though — the honey barbecue was a little too sweet. (Sampling the leftovers at home, TBP disagreed.) 8/10

TDC: In an effort to broaden our boy's culinary horizons, and because it sounded delicious to me, I finally decided on the Feta & Baby Spinach Puffs ($8): carmelized onions, baby spinach and Feta cheese in a hot puff pastry shell served on a bed of greens. The hot onions wilt the spinach, and the creamy cheese turns this into a melt in your mouth sensation. (TBP goes running at the mention of “onion.” As he was plowing through the leftover puffs at home, I told him about the onions. He nodded in defeat and admitted it was still good. Any inch I get, I take...) 10/10

Entrees: 17/20

OG: I decided to follow the Cap'n with another offbeat choice: Steak & Shrimp Lo Mein ($21). Plenty of shrimp and beef in this dish, along with julienned vegetables and a strong, slightly sweet ginger tamari sauce. It was good, though the beef slices could have been bigger to keep up with the shrimp.

As the dish cooled, the sauce's oiliness became more prominent and I decided to save some to reheat later at home. TBP applauded that strategy; I enjoyed a forkful of the warmed-up leftovers before he polished them off. 7/10

TDC: Again, the wide-ranging menu made it hard to decide; it took me to the point of the waitress asking if we were ready and OG saying yes to make a decision. But a good decision it was! Julie's Primevera ($19) featured lemons, shrimp and scallops in a pesto cream sauce with sauteed vegetables and tossed with fettucini. The scallops were outnumbered by the shrimp, but I got my fill of both in this plentiful serving, and TBP was happy with his shrimp-only leftovers. 10/10

Desserts: 19/20

OG: Having paced myself with both appetizer and entree, I went all in with my dessert, Chocolate Bread Pudding ($8). Think bread pudding made with chocolate muffins and drizzled with chocolate sauce. It was huge, very rich, and much more chocolatey than I expected. It was fantastic and I finished it, but I really would have been better off taking some of this home as well. 9/10

TDC: The Black Water doesn't have a fixed dessert menu; we were presented with a list of three daily specials. Grand Marnier cheesecake ($8) was the first, and I jumped at it. Creamy, buttery, and OMG YUM is the only way to describe it. No take-home from my dessert plate either. 10/10

Final thoughts: 18/20

The menu itself is extremely diverse and lengthy; a few words here can't do it justice. You really need to check it out online — or better yet, in person. The eclectic menu, comfortable, casual atmosphere and the option of hanging out for some live music made the Black Water Grill a step outside the ordinary.

Total: 88/100