BLT Fish Shack

Reposted From Yelp

J recommended the place, citing the word ‘fish’ in the title as a measure of its suitability to my diet. She’d been before, but never seen it so packed, especially on a Wednesday night. We waited around the bar for thirty minutes before being seated. A few vodka cocktails kept us warmed and distracted from any second date awkwardness. She wore a cute snow bunny style jacket that reminded me of third grade. But it’s stark whiteness blended oddly with the culty group that arrived dressed in matching white dashikis.

Round two: at the table. I stuck with my vodka tonic while she opted for a Greenhouse, or something, that came in a martini glass and tasted like candy covered sunshine. A warm loaf of bread arrived, cut like a pizza and soaked through with a garlic butter sauce. I’m not made of stone. It’s good stuff.

We ordered the lobster bisque and put together an a la carte combination from the raw bar. The soup was very good, with a kind of masala chai spiced quality to it. There wasn’t much lobster, but it was tasty and the whole thing had a nice flavor. I’m trying to slow down my eating and not rush through meals. I enjoyed savoring it, but J still had half of hers left when I’d finished.

Of the three pairs of oysters we got, the standard Blue Points and Kumamotos were nice, if a little briney. I was very happy with the Witch Ducks that I picked entirely on their bizarre name. They reminded me of the Virginicas I used to get in Seattle. The internet tells me Witch Ducks are raised in Virginia, so I wonder if there’s a connection? The rest was your standard raw bar fare: shrimp, crab and lobster. It was all fresh and tasty. I’ve been a lobster loyalist for a long time and had given up on experimenting with its preparation. If it wasn’t steamed, I didn’t want it. But I’ve had so much great steamed lobster in Seattle and Moncton that I might be looking for a little more these days. I remember a white wine grilled tail I had at one of my brother’s cook outs, and the miso glazed I had at Park Ave Winter. Suddenly my raw bar lobster with lemon doesn’t seem so delectable.

But my own ennui with fish shack standards should not be held against them. I knew just what I was getting and was not disappointed. Next time I’ll be more adventurous and see where that gets me.