It was a dark and stormy night when KimcheeMac and I arrived at this cozy and crowded restaurant. As every other review had promised, it was just as if we'd stepped into a New England seafood house, complete with wooden tables and chairs, sconces and chandeliers, and framed maps adorning the walls. The clientele was much more yuppie and West Village than one would expect from the central East Village location. Once seated, we scanned the all-seafood menu and after some debate managed to narrow our choices down to three appetizers and an entree.
We started with an order of littleneck clams, which had a mild sweetness to them and rightly tasted of the ocean.
We then moved on to herbed cod croquettes, which were delicately tender on the inside, almost silken, and envelopped in a thin crispy breading, rendering these some of the most sophisticated fish sticks that I have tasted. This dish was followed by skillet roasted mussels, which KimcheeMac thought gave the mussels wonderful flavor. I concurred, but then again I love mussels in any preparation.
Our main dish was spaghetti with shrimp and scallops, accented with greens, anchovy and chili. The dish, which would already have been pleasing without the additions, was quite improved by the saltiness of the anchovies and the mild heat of the chili.
There is no dessert menu at the Mermaid Inn, but every diner gets a complimentary cup of chocolate mousse with whipped cream. The bill also comes with a Fortune Teller Fish for each person, which is another nice touch -- unless of course the FTF tells you that you are emotionless. This is the sort of restaurant that you wish there were more of -- neighborhoody, offering wonderful basic seafood at eminently reasonable prices.
~Reservations highly advised. All photo credits belong to KimcheeMac.~
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