In Belgium, when eating mussels, use an empty shell as a tool to eat the rest. from 43 Films on Vimeo.
Saturday night saw a full house at G&B Oyster Bar, the sibling to Coconuts from Elliott Wolfe, Luc Limage, and chef Merv Jonota. Despite the tourista location by the beach, lots of locals filled seats, from town doctors and vets to construction-company owners trying the place for a first go-round. Whether or not you're a solo diner, it's an easy place to meet people in this chatty crowd. Here's the lowdown with photos after the jump.The Space: Despite the minimalist décor, a deafening din is not
an issue. A woman next to us said how much she loved the space, with the
exception of the bar chairs. "I can't keep my ass in the seat," she
said. She's right. I realized I'd been using my chair for a lean all
night. More on the space here.
The Booze: Picpoul
is one of my favorite easy-drinking, warm-weather white varietals, so I
was happy to see it on the menu. A spicy Sauvignon Blanc also served as a
terrific seafood pairing. Among reds are the George Duboeuf Morgon and
the Chandon Pinot Noir. The key here is price: By-the-glass options cost $8 to $10 yet less than $30 by the bottle. If you're drinking
more than a glass, buy a bottle. You can always take it home. Beers are
the usual suspects: Anchor Steam, Michelob Ultra, Drifter Pale Ale.
The Food: Here's where things get interesting. How many other local restaurants have sardines paired with citrus, boquerones, and Hawaiian poke
on the menu? We opted for two of three. The boquerones are
a terrific first bite, though perhaps better served on toast so the
bread doesn't get soggy. The sweetness, salt, and heat
from chili pepper in the poke is downright addictive.
Mussels
are plump beauties, served with buttery toast for dipping in a sausage
and white-wine broth. My companion loved it, though I tend to be a
purist when it comes to mussels and prefer no meat beyond the shellfish.
The kitchen garnishes the bowl with the empty shell so you can eat
mussels properly (see the video).
Breaded "hoppers," AKA frog legs, are fun, though beware of the little bones. They're served with a light breading and a spicy mango dipping
sauce that I ate plain.
Among other items I can't wait to try: the muffuletta, the
cioppino ($22), one of many seafood salads, and the very tempting Maine
lobster cheese steak, served with white cheddar, peppers, onions, and
bacon for $13.
Oysters, shrimp, and stone crab cakes beckon from the raw bar at which
the list of bivalves is short and sweet. Kusshi, Malpeques, and a handful
from PEI grace the menu, though they're $3: about 50 cents to a buck
more than most oysters I've seen, on par with 3030 Ocean oyster pricing. I'm
thinking the markup down here has to do with transportation costs to
trek them that much farther than bigger markets to the north of us.
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