It's been over a year and a half of yearning, but the stars finally aligned for
Fish Bar & I to meet face to face, and it was a match made in heaven. One surefire way to win this girl's heart? Serve your beer (or any beverage for that matter) in a mason jar & consider me the happiest camper around. It also doesn't hurt your chances to offer me the best clam chowder in town (a bold statement, I know). Me & Fish Bar? We got along just swimmingly...
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| Mason jars & menus |
Immediately upon walking into Fish Bar you're hit with good vibes. A cozy & intimate spot with a vintage sea town feel, everyone in the place seemed more than happy to be there - and we couldn't wait to sit down and join them to taste the incredible smelling food permeating the air. The only thing in our way? A 45 min wait - that was for 2 people on a weekend night around 8:45 - they don't take reservations but it's definitely worth the wait.
We decided to take the next 45 minutes and grab a beer nearby. An initial attempt to settle into Fish Bar's sister restaurant next door - DMK - proved unsuccessful. We could barely make our way in the front door...a good sign for Michael Kornick, who knows what he's doing when it comes to food. If you've never made a trip to DMK Burger Bar, I suggest you make plans to head there soon, as well. The menu is brimming with burgers, good beers and numerous flavor combinations for their fries and mac & cheese. Your best bet is to come hungry and make sure you or someone you're with orders the Big DMK - an oh-so-tasty gourmet version of the infamous Big Mac. You will not be disappointed.
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| Fish Bar | Interior |
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| Lobster bisque | Clam chowder |
After successfully downing a beer around the corner at Kirkwood's, we arrived back at Fish Bar just as they were ready to seat us. We gazed over the menu for several minutes and proceeded to ask our server for her recommendations, always information I enjoy hearing. We decided to begin our meal with one of the specials written on the chalkboard hanging high above the kitchen window - the swordfish belly crudo. Light, refreshing & flavorful, it was a nice start to our meal and the perfect segue into our soup.
We couldn't decide between the seasonal bisque - a lobster bisque made with butternut squash - or the standard clam chowder, so we ordered both. I will almost always order lobster bisque if I see it on a menu (anything with lobster holds a special place in my heart) and, although the combination of the bisque & squash in this version was an enjoyable twist on the standard dish, I'd still prefer the more traditional route. I felt the butternut squash muted the flavor of the lobster just a bit too much. The clam chowder, however...so delicious. The perfect amount of thickness, creaminess & flavor, with just the right amount of clam & potato, it was seasoned to perfection. I could have eaten 3 bowls on my own instead of sharing just the one.
I'm also a sucker for a good po' boy sandwich - and you'll find a few different versions at this eatery. It's not uncommon to see a shrimp po' boy make an appearance on a menu - from your standard seafood joint to your basic bar - but it's not every day that you come across an oyster po' boy. Lightly friend oysters sat atop a bed of spicy slaw & remoulade, nestled inside a buttery, lightly toasted roll. And again with the lobster - we ordered more...this time in sandwich form. I couldn't resist trying Fish Bar's rendition of the infamous lobster roll. Deliciously cold lobster chunks, well seasoned & coated in a light sauce, were the perfect compliment to the warm roll that had been spread with just the right amount of celery mayo.
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| Swordfish belly crudo | Don't mind if we do |
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| Maine lobster roll | Oyster po' boy |
All in all, Fish Bar was everything I hoped it would be - I already can't wait to go back and try the
menu items I wasn't able to sample, like the Fish Fries (fried white bait, crispy herbs, garlic aioli), the Gumbo (blue crab, andouille sausage) and the Satchmo Po' Boy (shrimp & crawfish, roasted garlic aioli, lettuce, bread & butter pickles). They have some pretty wicked beers (albeit a short list) to pair with your food, but I'd suggest drinking slowly as you wouldn't want to fill up on beer and miss all the seafood goodness!
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