Our meal started off strong. The first thing to arrive was a basket of flatbreads with a little ramekin of cold unsalted butter (remember that I have no aversion to flatbreads even though they probably have the same number of calories as regular bread, which I have been trained to fear/avoid/feel guilty about eating. I will never actually attempt to confirm the calorie count of flatbreads and I know they contain flour, so please don't burst my bubble and tell me anything bad about flatbreads).
For my first course, I opted for a traditional shrimp cocktail: 5 large shrimp dangling over a glass filled with crushed ice and seaweed with some tasty cocktail sauce on the side. My mom ordered delicious fried clam strips which were served with a tangy tartar sauce. For about fifteen minutes, the Mermaid Inn was my new favorite place.
And then things ground to a halt. It took about half an hour for our entrees to arrive once our first courses were cleared. That is unacceptable even on a night when the restaurant was crowded, as it was tonight. And they had taken our flatbreads away! Thankfully, I decided to enjoy a third glass of the French chardonnay that Mermaid Inn offers by the glass. I learned a long time ago that a third glass of wine can improve any unpleasant situation.
Sadly though, when our entrees and sides did arrive, they were underwhelming. I ordered the skate with a shallot and mushroom ragu. First problem: the skate was not the traditional skate wing that I'm used to. Instead, it was served on the bone (or cartilage - whatever skate is). I didn't like that one bit. The mushroom ragu was also super garlicky and not shalloty. I love garlic, but it overpowered the mushrooms and boney skate. Shallots, on the other hand, are much more subtle. This might have been the least yummy or appealing skate I have ever ordered. My mother ordered tonight's cod special: cod with white beans and broccoli rabe. It was completely flavorless even though the fish was well cooked. Very disappointing.
Our Old Bay fries were ok - not nearly as good as many of my other favorite spiced fries (e.g., the truffle and parmesan fries I had at the new Capital Grille in my office building last week, or the spiced fries with chili aoili at my favorite restaurant in all of NYC, the Little Owl). We also shared grilled asparagus with parmesan which was actually very good - I like the flavor a grill imparts on asparagus. And yes, I know, asparagus do not grown in the Northeast in October, so the ones I ate probably came from South America which was very irresponsible. Yes, yes, yes. I have read Barabara Kingsolver's "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle." But I also really like asparagus.
The Mermaid Inn does not have a dessert menu. Instead, they bring everyone an adorable little mug filled with chocolate pudding and a dollop of whipped cream. And I don't like chocolate.
For those of you who are counting, that's three strikes against the Mermaid Inn: 1) unacceptably long break between courses, 2) bland boney fish/stingray wing, and 3) only chocolate for dessert. Do what you will with that information. If you do decide to eat there, don't bother looking for me at a neighboring table.
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Details:
The Mermaid Inn
568 Amsterdam Avenue (between 87th and 88th Streets)
New York City
(212) 799-7400
Dinner for two: ~$130
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