Row 34

When word got out that the folks behind Island Creek Oyster Bar were opening a new restaurant in the Fort Point area, we definitely paid attention. Upon opening, Row 34 was consistently packed, and getting reservations were a bit difficult to come by. So, on a random Tuesday night, Nick and I went over for an early dinner.

The space is nice and open, with lofted ceilings and an industrial mix of wood and metal. I decided to start the evening with a glass of bubbly - it turns out that the wine buyer is big into sparkling wines, so Row 34 has a great collection with plenty of options by the glass and bottle. Nick went with one of the draft brews from the extensive beer list.

Oysters

The food menu is divided up into categories including the raw bar, foods of the "fish fry" variety, and more sophisticated entrees. On this particular evening, we decided to sample from the first two categories. Row 34 has a great variety of oysters, from their classic Row 34 and the Island Creeks to Vineyard Cherry Stones. The selection changes up all the time, so if your favorite isn't there, it could be during a return trip.

Lobster Roll

Since we are always comparing Lobster Rolls around the city, we wanted to see how Row 34's stacked up, especially since it was on a warm buttered roll! While the lobster was super tasty and the roll was perfectly grilled, at a $24 price point I was expecting the roll itself to be overflowing. Instead, I thought it was a bit skimpy. If you're looking to satisfy ta craving, it's definitely delicious, just a bit pricey.

Fish 'n Chips

I saw the fish and chips get served to another table, and based on the fried coating I saw I knew these would be perfection - and they were! Seriously, this was some of the best Fish 'n Chips I have had on this side of the Atlantic. The golden fry coating was crispy, but the fish inside was tender and light.

Old Bay Onion Rings

Since I love onion rings and Old Bay I had to get the side of the Old Bay onion rings. For some reason these did not come together well for me - they just tasted a bit dense.  However,the variety of side sauces, like the malt vinegar aioli, were a nice addition.

Butterscotch Pudding

Finally for dessert, we got the butterscotch pudding. Nick is a huge pudding fan in general, and butterscotch is one of his favorites, so this order was a no brainer. The consistency of this pudding was smooth and wonderful. The butterscotch flavor was rich, and the puffed rice added a great texture to each bite.

Despite a couple of misses for me, Row 34 was a great meal. The menu had some great items on it, so I'm looking forward to Round 2 sometime soon!