Rumblefish expensive, well served fare

As a general rule, fish restaurants can be divided fairly easily into two groups: dive-like fish-fry joints and the overly pricey formal fish restaurants. Dive-worthy fish places are great: There is nothing better than sitting on old rickety benches with a motley assortment of locals while eating fish that you swear was caught only minutes ago. \nUpon walking into Rumblefish, the new restaurant at 254 N. Walnut Street, I had my doubts. Seeing how Indiana is rather far from the ocean, I was bracing myself for some rather rank seafood. This fear was quickly alleviated: Rumblefish did not smell like fish, a sure sign that a restaurant is serving up only the freshest fare. Candlelight and soft lighting paired with a rather nice mix of jazzy bluegrass music create a peaceful dining atmosphere. Rumblefish has the obligatory model of a sail boat and the giant swordfish on the wall; however, these decorative clichés are not too overdone. My only complaint about Rumblefish's ambiance was the noise. Every so often, my companion was drowned out by the general noise that filled the room. The staff was amazingly helpful, answering questions and sincerely going that proverbial extra mile to make the meal a better experience. \nRumblefish's menu was small but fairly diverse, running the gambit from Cajun to Italian cuisine. While it had a nice assortment of seafood on the menu, non-seafood eaters may be a bit disappointed by limited options. Luckily, between grilled chicken, steak, pizza and stuffed mushrooms, most people will be able to find something they like.\nTo begin our meal, my companion and I split an order of sea salt and vinegar crisps with a dill ranch sauce for $4. The sauce, which also doubled as the house salad dressing, was rather good. A lot of buttermilk gave this sauce a nice smooth taste, which paired well with the salty potato chips. For a meal, my companion had citrus glazed wild salmon for $17, and I had seared yellow fin tuna steak for $18. The salmon was extremely fresh and cooked to perfection. No need for a knife -- each piece flaked off perfectly at the touch of a fork. Also, the citrus glaze was not overpowering, letting the natural flavor of the fish shine through. The fish was assisted by a nice array of vegetables. Again, the freshness of the ingredients shined through.\nThe yellow fin tuna steak was out of this world. Served in an Asian-themed sauce that had a sweet soy sauce base and a mild hint of vinegar, tuna steaks do not get much better than this. The fish was incredibly fresh. Seared nicely so the inside of the steak was raw, each bite saw the tuna was melting in your mouth. The sauce was delicious, giving everything a nice balance between sweet and salty. Served with vegetables in the same sauce, I cannot say enough good things about this dish.\nBoth meals came with a nice salad of baby greens and shredded carrots. Perhaps the only bad thing was the extremely limited choice of dressings between the house ranch, bacon vinaigrette and thousand island.\nOverall, Rumblefish is a wonderful restaurant. However, it is expensive. Fish this fresh does not come cheap -- expect to pay $50 or more for two people. Despite the hefty but understandable price tag, I highly recommend Rumblefish and will most assuredly go back.