So we took my 98 y.o. aunt to lunch yesterday at the Fish Market. The space looks none the worse for the wear after the fire.
We had a great table on the enclosed patio, right over the water with a great view of the Navy ships and all activity going by on the bay. We had a surprisingly good meal.
My aunt had a cup of Manhattan chowder and said it was really good. That was followed by the Alaskan cod fish and chips which she said was even better. The fish had been given a coating with panko and deep fried so that she got a really crispy and virtually greaseless crunch.
My sister and BIL both had the mesquite grilled swordfish. They each got a nice 7-8 oz piece of fish that had been perfectly grilled. I had an equally nice piece of mahi, tho’ I have to say I thought the portion size on my mahi was a bit on the skimpy side.
Between the 3 of us we got to sample a number of their sides. I had the fingerling potatoes and grilled vegetables, which were a melange of cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, crookneck squash and onions. Thankfully, the squash was not mush, tho’ on the boring side. The fingerlings were served dry and could have benefited from some kind of dressing or butter. But The Fish Market does have a good tartare sauce and it made a good dipper for the potatoes. My BIL had the same grilled veggies and the au gratin potatoes and said the potatoes weren’t as good as they sounded…but he didn’t leave any behind either. My sister opted for the grilled veggies and the basil tomatoes. The basil tomatoes are a really good side and go well with almost any type of fish, but I usually don’t order them when tomatoes are out of season. My sister’s side was pretty good but she did conceded it would be better if the tomatoes had been riper.
All in all, it was a successful meal. Parking on the other hand was a b*tch.
After a big meeting downtown with lawyers, I wanted to take our beloved eat*mup to Water Grill for a baller lunch but he had to graciously declined but made it perfectly clear of a rain check…well, that saved us a small fortune but wanted fresh fish, so, we went down to the Fish Market Oyster bar downtown for some chowder, oysters Rock and a Anchor Steam on draft…
O bar was fairly empty and sat next to the oven…not a smart move!
Started with bowl of chowder…white…needed a lot of tabasco, and salt & pepper…
Oyster Rock used to be 6, now its 4, that are pre-shuked and in a drawer below…what happened to freshly shucked days…I know they get super busy but the oysters were flavorless and I bit on a fairly good size shell.…saved the shell and showed server…response was oh well, stuff happens…this was a size of a pearl…not a sliver…
I’m calling Jackie Child’s…Seinfeld…‘who told you to put the balm on?’
Manager took off O Rock, which I didn’t ask, just wanted him to be aware…
Overall, maybe I caught it on a bad day…been going to the Fish for over 30+ years and the Duckett’s et al have been friends for many years and there is something surreal to see an old boyfriend on the walls of a restaurant you’re dining in…
Were you there on Tuesday around 2pm?
Never been a fan of the restaurant downstairs but the bar and O bar, along with the Top of the Market all have been solid.
Were you the hot guy in the Brooks Brother suit with the Italian Berluti Derby shoes. . .
