Neptune Oyster – Number 33

This was our third attempt to dine at Neptune Oyster, a small and very popular restaurant.  The first time there was a large queue outside the restaurant, the second time we were told the wait was an hour and a half (I was already starving, so this was not an option), so this time we decided to roll up 20 minutes before lunch-time opening.  We were not alone; there was already a line of about 20 people.  Are we going to make it?  How many does the restaurant seat?  Could this be failed attempt number three?  When the restaurant finally opened at 11.30, people slowly got seated and we edged forward bit by bit.  As we neared the door we could see the restaurant was fast filling up.  The nerves, the anticipation, are we going to make it? Are the family in front of us going to take the last seats?  As it came to their turn, the host asked “how many?” the reply “4”, the host “I can put your name down, the wait will be about an hour and a half, we’ll give you a call”.  Nooooo, it’s full!  “How many?” the question to us “just two” my reply as I looked around the restaurant hopefully for any (any!) spare seats, fully expecting the ‘hour and a half wait’ response.  “You can sit here”, as she moved aside there they were, the last two seats at the counter, looking out of the front window to the hapless line of hopeful people. Did I look smug?  Well, just a little.

So, here we are, Neptune Oyster, the seafood and oyster bar.  It would be rude not to order oysters in an oyster bar, and I had rather been looking forward to trying the Komomoto oysters, a different species from the local Atlantic oysters that are the norm in Boston.  Smaller, sweeter, with a slight salty tang of the ocean; and now something that is definitely on my must order radar.

Excellent starter for ten. We opted to try several small plates and asked the waitresses opinion as to what we shouldn’t miss.  “The Johnnycake”.   OK, so we’re in a seafood restaurant, I’m thinking, cake, like fish cake; the description on the menu doesn’t say otherwise, yes we’ll have one of those.  No, not a fishcake.  Pancake. A pancake soaked in honey with smoked blue fish and caviar on top.  That.  Should.  Not.  Work. OMG, that so works.  Those crazy Americans with their sweet and savoury together (think, pancakes with maple syrup and a side of bacon all on the same plate) have prompted the creation of this marvel.  If you go here, you MUST order one of these. The other dishes we chose were all superb.  A salmon tartare with avocado mixed in with the salmon, was a revelation.  Octopus tentacles cooked so well the need for teeth was not necessary.

All washed down with a couple of glasses of champagne.  Delightful.

Was it worth turning up early and having to wait?  Completely worth it.  I anticipate further queuing for subsequent visits.  We may even show-up earlier to eliminate the ‘will we, won’t we get in?’ stress.