The owner of the Oxford Street Restaurant and Pub chain, Denny Phillips, took over the resturant after the first operator, which had been running it as Venue 105, with the oyster bar Brophy's next door, closed down a few weeks ago. Marshall is the first of a proposed new concept of resturants in similar markets in our area - hence the new title "OS2".

My principal observation is that it isn't Venue, and it isn't "fine" dining - which is a good thing. As fancy as Venue was, and as much as I liked the fine dining aspect (I don't recall the problems with inconsistent food or rising prices that others had) it was too refined for the local palate. The new menu is less expensive (the owner says his goal is for a couple to be able to have dinner for $25), and much plainer, meaning a good selection of largely familiar appetizers, three kinds of chicken, a couple of steaks, chops, seafood and a couple of pasta dishes. Fairly simple and familiar fare - there's nothing that you can't figure out immediately what it's going to taste like. As for pricing, a ribeye is $12.95 and a filet is $19.95, and they're available with a salad and baked potato. Creative it isn't - familiar and good it is.

Click below for the complete review.