Seaside Johnnies: That View’s Gonna Cost You

The recent rainy weather has been wreaking absolute havoc on my jones for soft-shell crab.

I have been wanting one of those little buggers in the worst way since early June. Throwing the whole deep-fried body into a soft bun, legs dangling grossly out of the edges, biting into the delicate, crispy skin to nuggets of juicy, salty meat… perhaps even enjoying one on the beach, breathing in the salt air… dare I dream of such splendor?

I knew of a place in Westchester that might satisfy my craving. So, at the first sign of sun two Thursdays ago, my co-workers Tia, Erin and Jen headed to Rye after work to Seaside Johnnies, a fish and sushi hut right on the Playland Boardwalk with killer views of the Long Island Sound. The hut inflates its prices due to said views and locale, but I suppose people put up with it once they sip a $10 pina colada on the outdoor deck and breathe in the Sound.

And that’s pretty much how we played it, right down to the pina colada. We arrived to Bob Marley singing through the speakers, as if to welcome us on vacation.
Our bubbly, tanned waitress (quite possibly the friendliest gal who has ever waited on me) took our drink orders—there were also $10 Bikini Tinis and $9 Mixed Berry Mojitos to be enjoyed that evening—and then asked us if we were ready with our entrées. You bet.

“I’ll have the soft-shell crab,” I announced, as though my co-workers hadn't been hearing about this critter for the past month. “I’ll have the same,” Tia said bravely, although she had never sampled one before.

What is a soft-shell crab, exactly? When a crab grows, its shell cannot. The crab must shed it (a process called molting), before a larger, harder one can develop. During that window, there is nothing but a soft covering to the little guy, one ideal for deep-frying and eating. There's an excellent article in The Washington Post that further explains the molting process, and how difficult it is for restaurants to serve a truly fresh soft-shell crab.

Just to be certain I was ordering exactly what I wanted, I asked our waitress if the crab came in a roll. Apparently, the sandwich option was only available during lunch. I asked if the chef could throw it in a roll anyway.

“Let me check for you,” she said.

When she came back, she said the chef would indeed put the crab in a roll. Perfect. What she neglected to mention, however, was that the chef would charge an additional $3 for this favor. She also neglected to mention that it would be served as two sandwiches. That’s right, check out one singular order ($26.95 (plus $3)) below. Tia and I could’ve totally split one entrée:
Ridiculous portion aside, did the sandwich do the trick? Kind of. It got rid of my craving, but the roll was hard and a little too large for the crab (it’s served this way for lunch, so the fact that it wasn’t on the dinner menu isn’t much of an excuse), and the crab, while nicely breaded, just didn’t have that juicy, meaty interior I love. Perhaps it was fried too far into the molting process, when the soft shell has already started to harden. The accompanying fries however, were top-notch, as was my pina colada. The meal as a whole was good, just not a home run. But, still. It’s a soft-shell crab sandwich. On the beach. Kind of hard not to be satisfied.

“Sharon, this is amazing,” Tia said dreamily, taking another hearty chomp out of her own sandwich.

I was impressed. Tia was eating with abandon. Soft shell crab had been an acquired taste for me.

“I’m glad you like it,” I said. And here’s where I put my foot in my mouth, something I often do. “You’re even eating the middle! The orange guts in there were a little dicey for me the first time.”

The chewing stopped.

Tia inspected her sandwich more closely. “Oh yeah,” she frowned. Erin and Jen threw me disgusted looks.

“I’m sorry,” I said sincerely. I tried to offer up an appropriate explanation. “I’m an ass.”

Tia took another moment to examine the lil fellow’s insides, shrugged, and took another bite.

Here’s a look at Jen’s sushi, which she enjoyed—she was impressed with the sheer amount of fish in her rolls. She got the Sunny Roll ($12.95): salmon, avocado, masago, spicy salmon and tempura crunch (left); and the Fantasy Tuna Roll ($14.95): cooked white tuna, spicy tuna and avocado topped with peppered tuna:
Dear, sweet Erin, always up for a good time, but a hater of all things seafood, ordered the ½ pound burger ($12.95), not pictured. "Good" was the verdict, but it was made better by the setting.

And that verdict holds true for Seaside Johnnies as a whole. I can’t say I’ve had spectacular food there, but I have had plenty of spectacular evenings. It’s a wonderful, soothing location … right up to the moment you receive the tab.

Seaside Johnnies
94 Dearborn Avenue
Rye, NY
(914) 921-6104

Shake Shack: Now I Get It

I was in SoHo yesterday, running some errands and enjoying the bright blue sky, when it hit me: I had one final errand to run, the most important errand, actually. Before I returned to Westchester, I was going to discover for myself what was at the end of those long lines at Madison Square Park. Was a Shake Shack burger really worth a two-hour wait? I had my doubts, but I also had my hopes, given that that the Shack was created by Midas-touch restaurateur Danny Meyer (Union Square Café, Gramercy Tavern, Tabla, Eleven Madison Park, The Modern). Meyer wouldn’t slap his name on just any roadside stand.

The tummy wants what the tummy wants, so I began the trek from Soho to Madison Avenue and East 23rd Street. I arrived at the park at 4:00 p.m. The line looked daunting, stretched passed the outdoor seating area, almost to the park entrance, but the people seemed quiet and patient, even a little excited. I stepped to the end of the line, and within moments, five people swarmed behind me.

Here I am, at the 10-minute mark (I'm waving!):
Fast forward an hour, and I had reached the “A” counter (there is a shorter B-line, where customers can get all sorts of drink items, except shakes). At precisely 5:10, a surprisingly pleasant woman took my order. She had a big smile, and in no way rushed me. I paid for my food, and was given a receipt and a buzzer to claim my order at another counter. In the meantime, I could find a seat.

Shortly after I found a table in the shade (only about a five-minute wait), my little gadget started buzzing. It was just an ordinary buzz, but at the moment, with my feet aching and my stomach growling, it sounded like The Vienna Boys Choir.

My food was waiting for me at the counter, neatly placed in cardboard boxes for easy transport. Let’s take a look at what’s inside:
Naturally, there are ShackBurgers in there ($4.75 each): a single patty, with lettuce, tomato, American cheese, and Shack Sauce (from what I could tell, nothing more than a lightly flavored mayonnaise). You can ask for pickles and onions, too, which I did, but I only got two slices, one pickle for each burger. Boo.

There is a hand-spun vanilla shake ($5.25), which was everything a vanilla shake should be. Thick, rich, creamy, truly delicious. The price was a little hefty, however, and the cups are kind of small. I would’ve been happy if they lowered the price or increased the cup size. But maybe I’m just a greedy American.

I also ordered French Fries ($2.75):
The fries were pretty good. Extremely crispy and not too greasy. It says on the menu that they’re made from Yukon Gold Potatoes, and contain 25% less fat than average fries. (I wonder what an average fry is?) Not a huge fan of the crinkle cut, so nothing to wait an hour for. Maybe if I got the cheese fries I’d be changing my tune. Cheese fixes everything.

Here’s a pic of the Shack-cago dog ($4.25).
You can’t even see the hot dog under all that stuff: mustard, relish, onion, cucumber, tomato, pickle, sport pepper and celery salt. This was good, but let's face it, it’s not the star of the Shack. The Vienna all-beef dog was actually a little salty and didn’t have the crunchy casing I adore in Nathan’s hot dogs. The toppings were pretty great, but the poppy seed bun was a tad stale.

Bottom-line verdict for Shake Shack? The line was a huge pain in the ass. I even have to wonder if the food tastes so delicious because people are starving by the time they get to it.

However….

That burger really is something to behold. The patty was juicy, a little fatty-tasting even (in a good way) with a deep, chargrilled taste. The griddled potato bun was soft and light, the accompaniments fresh and crisp. And I'm already dreaming of another vanilla milkshake.

I can’t say The ShackBurger is the best burger I've ever had (although it’s close, and definitely the second best). First-place honors actually go to a burger my brother Bill made for me. One poker-playing Sunday, he grilled a Gourmet Big Y Burger (the Bacon Cheddar variety) and served it on a sweet, waxy brioche bun. It was unlike anything I had ever tasted. (“This is a really good burger,” I kept saying over and over, as I took everyone’s money.)

Would I wait in line again? Sure, if the weather cooperated, and I wanted a really great burger. Should you?

It’s something to do at least once.

Shake Shack (Madison Square Park)
Southeast corner of Madison Square Park
(near Madison Avenue and East 23rd Street)
(212) 889-6600

NYC Restaurant Week Summer 2009

NYC Restaurant Week Summer 2009 (July 12-31) is soon upon us and today, the list of participating restaurants has been posted online. What is NYC Restaurant Week? (Well, for one thing, it’s more like three weeks, excluding Saturdays.) Select New York City restaurants offer discounted, pre-fixe menus (lunch: $24.07 and dinner $35.00). It’s a great time to sample fare that’s normally too pricey, and get an idea how the other half lives.

I always get excited about Restaurant Week, but it’s important to keep the event in perspective. If it’s anything like Winter 2009, for instance, many restaurants will extend Restaurant Week menus past the 31st, due to the current state of the economy. Or, take JoJo and Perry Street—many Jean-Georges restaurants offer the Restaurant Week menu year-round.

So strategize. Try to get BANG for your buck, and find a restaurant that’s ordinarily out of your price range (ie, why use this opportunity to go to Ruby Foo’s?). If you’re able to swing lunch, your choices are pretty solid. You’ve got: Del Posto, Dovetail, Esca, Nobu, Alto, Bar (and Café) Boulud, Craftbar, Gotham Bar & Grill, Lupa, Morimoto, and even the new DBGB Kitchen and Bar is making an appearance this year (although isn’t the whole deal with DBGB suppose to be casual, affordable food?). Most super exciting? Probably hot hot HOT Ago successor Locanda Verde. Notably missing from the picks this time around is the very posh, much adored, Eleven Madison Park.

For dinner, finding a great deal gets a little tougher. Convivio is an exciting addition, although their regularly-priced menu is actually quite affordable without the Restaurant Week discount. You've got Lure Fishbar, which makes up for its nautical cheesiness with a great-looking menu. I had a great experience at Anthos in Winter 2009, which I would recommend, although the service was sub-par. I think I was most jazzed to see the Aquavit Dining Room—last time they only offered the Café as an option.

What am I missing? And what are you most excited to try?