Dining out: T.G.I Friday's

Next in our series of reviews of restaurants with a lot of stuff on their walls is T.G.I Friday's.

But seriously, folks, I'd been wanting to revisit T.G.I. Friday's for a while, since reading about the company's efforts to freshen up its image.

As one of the originators of its particular restaurant category — which does, indeed, seem to include lots of bric-a-brac on the walls — T.G.I. Friday's was once known for its tombstone-size menu and a raucous, young atmosphere.

But as time passed, the concept aged, and more sophisticated, ethnic restaurant themes took hold in America.

I hadn't been to Friday's for a while when we had a family dinner there on a recent weeknight. I was immediately impressed by the service, which was excellent from start to finish. Our server was attentive without being intrusive, kept our drinks promptly refilled, charmed the kids and made honest recommendations about the menu.

Speaking of which, the menu's still enormous. If you can't find something to eat, you probably shouldn't be eating out. Pubby, American-style favorites dominate, with a few ethnic touches. T.G.I. Friday's has enhanced its original appeal with its line of Jack Daniels Grill items, various meats and seafood sauteed with a sauce made with Jack Daniels whiskey.

We started with the potstickers and potato skins. The potstickers had tender yet browned-chewy skins wrapped around a savory filling of ground pork and veggies. They were served simply, with soy sauce. The potato skins were freshly made, substantial and slathered with gobs of melted cheddar cheese and chopped bacon. I liked them best with the accompanying sour cream sprinkled with green onions.

For dinner, my husband tried a Jack Daniels item, the 14-oz. ribeye steak. The sauce is delicious, a bit sweet with lots of sharp, smoky flavor courtesy of its flagship ingredient. The steak, though it had a good juicy flavor, was fatty and of a poorer quality than I would expect for $18.99. With it came wonderful "signature mashed potatoes," which are fluffy, creamy and so flavorful that no gravy is needed.

I had the sizzling chicken-and-shrimp platter. The concept is to cover the bottom of a hot iron platter with cheese, heap on the meal and serve. In this case, I got garlic-marinated chicken on a bed of sauteed onions and peppers, shrimp cooked in salsa and mashed potatoes.

It was kind of fun eating this meal. The bottoms of everything, not to mention the cheese, quickly browned on the hot skillet, enhancing the flavors. I could eat a piece of the tender, savory chicken alone, or scoop up some cheese to go with it. The shrimp were firm and sweet and went well with the salsa.