Foodie Chat (3): Ocean Grill

Ocean Grill was the first restaurant I tried in this year's restaurant week. My BFF got a promotion. We had a little celebration in this seafood restaurant tucked way in UWS, and ordered from their restaurant week lunch menu.

The restaurant was spacious. Its decor had nothing to write home about, but had both a neighborhood charm and an upscale feel. As the meal went on and customers gradually filled the tables around us, I noticed that the crowd was relatively old compared to the chic places I frequent in Chelsea and Gramercy. Our waiter was warm, friendly, patient with my BFF's one-year old, and at the same time, smart enough to stay at arm length. We felt very much at home in this place.

I started with Port Poached Barlett Pear Salad. It tasted as if the leaves were just picked out of their backyard upon my order. Yes, THAT FRESH. All my other friends ordered Oyster Sampler and they loved it. Classic Seafood Cioppino was a little disappointing in that the linguine was overcooked, just like pasta in 90% of NYC restaurants. That is why I rarely eat pasta in this city. They are so beaten for so long in the boiling water that they've lost all their spongy liveliness before being presented absolutely dead on the table, with pores wide open and pupils diluted. I find it outrageous. Dude, if you don't know what is "al dente", you should simply NOT cook pasta! My BFF, however, prefers soft noodles. So she fell in love with it. That said, I have to admit the sauce was flawless. Simple tomato based red wine sauce with shell fish and hake. Full of flavor. I also had a bite or two of the Lemon Tart. It was OK.

I have to start a new paragraph to emphasize this: for some reason, their regular coffee was incredibly strong! I don't know whether it was the beans, the machine, or something else went wrong that day. It was not drinkable. I had to man-up before taking each sip. My BFF had to order another cup of decaf and it went well. So I guess it was the beans? That coffee definitely left some bitter taste that lingers till today.

If I live in this neighborhood, I can see myself coming back to Ocean Grill, maybe quite often. I'm charmed by its simple recipe, quality ingredients, warm service, neighborhood ambiance and glossy crowd. But I will stay away from any pasta and regular coffee. Its raw bar, especially the extensive oyster selection, seems quite interesting.

Address: 384 Columbus Ave., New York, NY 10024
Telephone: 212 579 2300