Heed the mystical power and beauty of the Mermaid!!
On one of my long, daily walks, I ran across a little restaurant under construction in New York’s Greenwich Village. It was to be The Mermaid Inn Oyster Bar. I was intrigued! Soon after, I heard a terrific critique of the place from a good friend, so I knew I had to try it out. One night, fairly recently, my husband Vincent had an unexpected day off from work, so we decided to have dinner out. I suggested The Mermaid Inn. While making reservations, we discovered that there were actually two other locations that I hadn’t known about! Their Chelsea outpost was happily within walking distance from our home! With our reservation in place, we were both excited to try something new!
The Mermaid Inn opened originally in the East Village in 2003. While that location is no longer around, they have since opened three others - Chelsea, Greenwich Village and Times Square. They’re now a family of cute, comfortable and very popular eateries, with fabulous seafood-forward menus. The Chelsea enclave has a casual, yet sophisticated beachy ambiance - sort of a charming seaside home by way of NYC!
The fabulous, friendly host welcomed us warmly and we were led to a nice table for two near a large window that opened on the sidewalk. The place was absolutely packed, so after a brief wait, our server took our orders.
Cocktails first! Vincent tried the Sea Foam, a mix of Rosato Spumante - a sweet sparkling wine, and fresh strawberries. Neither Vincent nor I happen to like wines of any sort, but this particular cocktail was light, refreshing and just sweet enough not to taste too “winey,” if you will. I ordered the Blood Orange Hospitality; made with jalapeño infused tequila, blood orange and lime. This fabulous concoction struck a perfect balance, with the spiciness of the tequila complementing the sweet freshness of the blood orange juice! Just right for the approaching warm weather!
Next up were our starters: We both love oysters, so Vincent ordered a dozen. The Mermaid’s selection of the East Coast bivalves were just as good as we’d hoped! Cold, clean-flavored and meaty, they had just the right brininess that we both enjoy. Excellent!
Knowing I’d be writing about the food, I decided on several appetizers. First, I sampled the Yellowtail Ceviche. My first impression was that there was a bit too much olive oil. The slight bitterness imparted by the oil was all I tasted at first. However, with subsequent bites, the bright citrus flavor came through, eventually, and the yellowtail was undeniably fresh and delicious. Next came the Lobster Knuckle Escargot Style. Now this was a crazy clever dish! Sweet chunks of knuckle meat from the lobster were arranged in an escargot plate. Bathed in an addictive parsley garlic butter and topped with crunchy breadcrumbs, this was a real winner! I do love me some escargots, but I know that some folks are a little squeamish when it comes to the concept of eating snails. This smart reworking of the classic dish would solve that problem for non-snail lovers. There were also two chunks of toasted crusty country bread included for sopping up the delicious excess butter! (IS there such a thing as excess butter?!) Lastly, there was the Golden Beet Salad. Sweet, earthy beets were cut into matchstick slices and piled high with peppery arugula, pistachios, for nutty crunch, and a dab of goat cheese, which gave the dish a delightful tang! The luscious red wine vinaigrette provided just the right note of acidity, making it one of the best beet salads I’ve tried! Even Vincent, who’s not a beet lover like me, remarked later on how much he enjoyed it!
On to the main courses! Vincent selected the Mermaid Fish Tacos. The mild, flaky fish (cod, most likely) was coated in a beer batter and lightly fried; served in soft tortillas and topped with red cabbage, pickled jalapeño and pico de gallo. Now, I’m not a big fan of fish tacos in general. I usually find the fish bland and mushy. With these, however, the fish itself was obviously of very good quality and quite flavorful - possibly the best I’ve tasted. And Vincent’s addition of a few drops of hot sauce just intensified the flavors, making them very enjoyable! I chose the Wild Yellowfin Tuna Tataki. Presented with hijiki seaweed, avocado, toasted sesame, thin slices of daikon radish and tossed in an absolutely mouthwatering ginger ponzu dressing, I’d have to say this was my favorite discovery of the evening! The tuna was served rare and just slightly warmed - the perfect cook on the fish, and the ponzu gave the dish the traditional bite of an Asian flavor profile, while still allowing the tuna to be the star of the show. The crunchy fried noodles on top gave the entree a nutty crunch that made it irresistible! SO good! We also ordered a side of Grilled Asparagus. Beautifully crisp and green, they were served with a hint of olive oil and a dash of sea salt that brought out the natural flavor of the asparagus. Additionally, a scattering of microgreens provided an herbal pop and a sprinkling of shaved Parmesan and fried garlic chips gave the veggies a lovely depth of flavor and turned this “simple” side dish into an extraordinary one!
We had just enough room left for a little something sweet, so we asked our server to see the dessert menu. Imagine our (very pleasant) surprise when we were told that, while there is no actual selection of desserts, every guest is presented with a complimentary serving of Chocolate Pudding! Presented in small ramekins, the pudding was ice cold and deeply chocolatey - I actually mistook it for Valrhona chocolate. Topped with a dollop of whipped cream and not overly sweet this yummy treat ended up being the ideal way to end our meal!
Our experience at The Mermaid Inn was as lovely as the alluring creatures for which the restaurant is named! It’s great to know that this warm, welcoming eatery is so close to us. Whether you’re a New Yorker or a visitor, if you find yourself longing for a little seaside getaway, but can’t make it to the shore, then set sail for the Mermaid Inn!
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