I forgot to mention a fun meal we had last weekend at The Mermaid Inn. It's generally a good idea to have a reservation, but it was after 10:00 pm so we figured the wait would not be long. We were right -- we enjoyed a leisurely drink at the bar before we were seated. For us, this was perfect timing.
None of the entrees interested me that night, but many of the appetizers did so we decided to order one entree and three appetizers to share between the two of us and asked that they all be served at the same time. We decided on the following appetizers: New England clam fritters with lemon caper aioli, lobster and roasted corn chowder served with Old Bay croutons, and pan-seared diver scallops served with butternut squash, hazelnuts, and sage brown butter. From the entrees, we selected the grilled tuna steak served with haricot verts, eggplant and tomato stew. I also would have ordered the Old Bay fries, but I forgot and we ended up with plenty of food.
Scallops were the standout of the evening, sweet and tender and nicely complemented by the butternut squash, hazelnuts and sage brown butter. The tuna was our one disappointment -- the steak we were served was a less than desirable cut, chewy and stringy in parts. For dessert, we were served pumpkin pudding, a nice finish to the meal.
THE MERMAID INN
96 Second Avenue (near Fifth Street); (212) 674-5870
Reviews: Citysearch, Digital City, NYMetro, NYTimes
