UWS @ Momoya Amsterdam

Recently I've really been making my way through restaurants in the upper west side and this past weekend was no exception.

Meeting up with some friends for drinks and appetizers, we decided to give Momoya a whirl.  The modern white interior could be cold but the dimly lit space casts a warm glow to make the restaurant more welcoming.  This sushi restaurant provides mostly traditional and expected options with a few nice additions to the menu.  Since it is trying to be a little more stylish than most traditional restaurants you'll find that some of the portions of non-sushi items on the menu to be on the smaller side.  The stand out item was their delicious presentation of Kumamoto oysters.  Specially prepared with fresh ginger and scallions with a dash of a ponzu-based sauce created by the chef.  The flavors mingled nicely with the oyster, supplementing the usual raw oyster taste with asian flare with just enough prominence as to not overpower the oyster.  However, the dish has only 4 oysters so for $12 a pop it isn't exactly a bargain.  The oysters are served on the


I'll definitely return for their 3-course prix fixe for only $24 which is only offered within the 90 minute window of 5:30p-7p.  I also want to try the "Lobster Special Roll" on the menu.  The lack of description made it very mysterious sounding!

Momoya Amsterdam
427 Amsterdam Avenue
b/w 80th & 81st Street
(212) 580-0007
www.themomoya.com

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UWS @ PJ Clarke's

Although not a chain, PJ Clarke's has a few locations around the city to be accessible from most neighborhoods in Manhattan.  The location off of Broadway is across the street from Lincoln Center so while it does get it's fair share of pre-theater diners, the atmosphere still remains fairly laid back and casual.  For a restaurant with a jukebox it isn't really the most affordable of places, and it has tend to receive it's fair share of bad reviews.  This location is also missing the historic charm of it's predecessor on the east side.

I prefer sitting at the bar of the restaurant because I have direct access to draft beer and the bartenders always seem to have the scoop on the oysters (not to mention it avoids the bad table service that everyone complains about).  PJ's clientele turnover insures that the oysters are always fresh.  Oyster prices aren't as expensive as Pearl or Mary's Fish Camp but are slightly more than Grand Central Oyster Bar.  PJ's keeps a handful of varieties on hand that tend to be the usual suspects, i.e., Wellfleet, Kumamoto, etc.  You can also go the cooked shellfish route with Oyster Rockefeller and Clams Casino. 

This time around I decided to try their Maine Lobster BLT sandwich for $18.70.  PJ's twist on the standard BLT sandwich adds lobster to the mix, providing a rich addition to this old classic.  Be warned, the idea of adding lobster to this sandwich is great in theory but the bacon overpowers the lobster leaving you to wonder if you're even eating lobster at all.  I found myself removing almost all of the bacon to be able to taste the lobster.  Just a bit of bacon remaining, the sandwich then became much more enjoyable for a lobster lover like myself - adding a bit of saltiness cut through the richness of the lobster meat quite nicely.  The drawback wasn't so bad as I then had bacon on the side to eat and let's be honest, who doesn't love to eat smoked thick cut bacon?  If you order this I recommend asking for the bacon on the side so you can easily add it to the sandwich to your taste.

At some point I'll need to return to try the Crab Cake and Crispy Ipswitch Clams sandwiches.  As a side note, I've had a few non-fish related dishes at this locale and the quality was really lacking.  In other words, don't come here unless you want fish.  Unless you're eating the sliders as those are tasty as well.

PJ Clarke's Lincoln Square
44 West 63rd Street
New York, NY 10023
(212) 957-9700
www.pjclarkes.com

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Midtown @ Grand Central Oyster Bar - Take 2

On Wednesday I got a call from my BF at 10:30a.  He - having just finished a round of golf in Westchester - wanted to meet for an oyster lunch when his train arrived at Grand Central.  Me - having only woken up about 30 seconds prior to receiving the call - was happy to join him at the Oyster Bar at Grand Central but was a little peeved to think that I could be covering some place new for a post instead of revisiting a familiar locale.  Oh well.

I decided to skip oysters so I could branch out and try something else on the menu.  Once I saw lobster gazpacho on the menu I knew I had to have it, a perfectly cool relief from the warm weather outside.  But then, sitting in front of a huge menu of oysters I realized I was kidding myself if I didn't have at least one oyster off my BF's plate...But since oysters are like Pringles, I went ahead and ordered half a dozen of my own because just one wasn't gonna cut it.  Normally I mix up my orders with something from the east coast as well as the west.  This time, I picked two west coast options both of which were from Washington - Dabob and Olympic Miyagi.

Back to the food.  First, the gazpacho.  Served in a large soup bowl it had about 2 ounces of lobster meat but, since the menu price was $7.95, I expected as much.  The soup was sufficiently spicy but other than tasting like spicy tomato soup it really didn't have much flavor and was undersalted.  No depth.  I definitely think they could do much more to make this dish really pop.  How about so fresh diced cilantro and a squirt of lemon juice on top just before it's served?  Maybe add carmelized onions to contrast with the heat of the broth?  Just some thoughts.

Next up, my oysters (and a taste of my BF's oysters).  I tasted my BF's oysters much to his dismay - all in the interest of this blog, of course - one each of his selection of Mystic River and Blue Diamond (from Rhode Island).  Both were more creamy tasting than usual for east coast oysters but they still had a touch of the taste of the sea.  Both of the Washington varieties I had ordered were actually very very salty tasting, much more so than any other oyster I've tasted from the west coast.  When I say that the Miyagis embody the literal taste and smell of the Pacific, I'm not kidding.  The first one I swallowed triggered a flood of flashbacks for me, remembering growing up swimming in the Pacific Ocean.  I used to swim out past the surfers to avoid getting swept up in the swells, and I could almost see surfers when I swallowed the next oyster.  When I tried the Dabob's they were similar in taste (either that or my palate isn't sophisticated enough to tell the minute differences).

I have to say that for the first time in eating oysters I actually liked the east coast selection served to our table much more so than the west coast.  I tend to gravitate towards the more creamy tasting options of the west coast than the more salty tasting east coast varieties so I guess this is exactly why - despite the lovely childhood swimming memories - I think I preferred the Mystic River and Blue Diamond varieties this time around.

Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant
Grand Central Terminal
89 East 42nd Street
(212) 490-6650

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An New Twist on Mignonette

For anyone taking up my suggestions to shop at Fairway and enjoy some shellfish at home, I wanted to pass along an interesting recipe for mignonette from the blog ChezWhat?.  It would guarantee fluidity to a meal with an oyster starter to an asian-inspired entree.  And - on that note - if you're looking for a great asian-inspired fish (as in gills, not shell) entree then check out the recipe I have on a great Asian Salmon dish.

Greenwich Village @ Pearl Oyster Bar

The funny thing about lobster rolls is that they are so simple in concept but so rarely executed well.  Whether it being too much mayo, too little lobster meat, or slightly stale bread you always expect greatness and end up being disappointed.  Well, never at Pearl. 

Pearl is a must for any lobster roll enthusiast.  You're never longing for meat, and there's never too much mayo.  And, they serve the roll Boston style so its slightly warm with butter which ads a nice touch to the overall experience.  You'll never have to worry about freshness either - since they're known for great rolls they produce a high volume that keeps the supply fresh.

Additionally, the shoe string fries add a salty element that cuts through the creaminess of the mouth of the sandwich.  Quite a nice accompaniment.  The cost of the roll is high at $27 but they deliver in full and never leave you wanting with my one exception [here comes a complaint]: I'd like the meat warmed.  I think the warm bun with the lobster meat slightly warmed would make this role pure perfection.

On the raw bar oyster front there isn't much of a selection - two varieties at most which is ironic considering the establishment's name.  There is also a fried oyster sandwich which is to die for.

The biggest problem with Pearl is the demand - there are never a shortage of patrons at dinner time and there's no reservations.  If you go, I HIGHLY recommend lunch.  Still no reservations available but you can walk right in and pony up to the marble bar if you arrive at 12:30p.


18 Cornelia Street

between Bleecker & W 4th St.

(212) 691-8211

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Midtown East @ Grand Central Oyster Bar

An oldie but goodie, this establishment has been located in Grand Central for 97 years.  I recommend heading to the back of the establishment through the saloon doors, it screams typical old New York with a super long bar to saddle up at, every inch of the room is decked out in old wood with even older bartenders there to serve you.

The number one attraction for me to the Oyster Bar is the variety - anywhere from 20 to 40 different types of oysters available for the tasting every day.  This picture is just their average daily offering, with types ranging from common to the NYC area, like Bluepoints from Long Island, to more rare types such as Yaquina from Oregon.  The restaurant has been using the same tried and true oyster farm suppliers for over 60 years - some of them since the shop originally opened.  The Oyster Bar also goes through over 5,000 pounds of oysters per week so you can bet whatever you order is the freshest selection in all of NYC.

For my most recent trip, I opted to order my favorite variety (Kumamoto from Cali) plus three new varieties - Bras D'Or (Nova Scotia), Shigoku (Washington), and Ninigret (Rhode Island).  The Shigoku is only available at the Oyster Bar for the next two weeks and I highly recommend it.  It was clean with a light creamy taste and was more on the petit size, which is what I personally prefer.  Both the Bras D'Or (pronounced bra door) and the Ninigret tasted much more like salt water, since it was from the east coast is to be expected.  Cocktail sauce is on the spicy side (which I love) and they serve you a whole jar of horseradish on the side, if you're so inclined to make it even spicier.  They also load you up with oyster crackers.

This place gets pretty busy immediately after work as commuters cruise in to kill a little time before they hop on Metro North to head home.  I recommend going on a weekend or after 8p on a weekday to avoid any crowds and get a seat at the bar.  I'm a fan of sitting at a restaurant's bar since it gives you the ability to settle in without any pressure from a waiter to leave.  And, if you plan on having a few rounds of oysters then you want to take time to really enjoy them.  Besides, then the bartenders will take care of refilling your drinks without any delay which scores extra points in my book.

They also have a decent new england clam chowder that I find to be a great primer before settling into having oysters.

Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant
Grand Central Terminal
89 East 42nd Street
(212) 490-6650

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