Two Broads and a Blog.: October 2009

Blue Plate Oysterette is a casual “east coast seafood shack” situated on a prime stretch of Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica – a welcome addition to a seaside neighborhood filled with tourist traps and chain restaurants, but sorely lacking in good seafood joints.

Due in part to a great social media campaign (Daily Candy, twitter, etc.) and favorable advance reviews from area food bloggers, BP Oysterette has been packed since the day it opened. We went there on a Thursday about a week and a half after the launch (yes, this post is long overdue) and were told it would be an hour wait. Determined to eat a blogworthy meal, we gave our cell number to the hostess and set off in search of libations. Luckily for our rumbling tummies and tenuous sobriety, we received our ~~golden ticket~~ phone call from the hostess only a half hour into our wait.

The service was friendly and attentive – the manager stopped by a few times to chat and check in – and the server helped steer our indecisive group towards a well-priced white wine that drank easily and complemented, rather than overpowered, our food.

The menu is divided into four sections “raw bar” (oysters, crudo, ceviche), “soups and salads” (clam chowder, fisherman’s stew, and um, salads), “small plates” (grilled oysters, mussels, fried calamari) and “large plates” (fish tacos, catch of the day, grilled hangar steak). We went for the sharing approach to ensure maximum sampling ability: oysters on the half shell (ceviche style), a grilled artichoke, steamers, the butter lettuce salad, mac n’ cheese, and a lobster roll. Unfortunately we didn’t have room for everything, resulting in a serious case of food envy when a plate of fish and chips arrived at the table next to us.

Babs and I love slurping raw oysters (although we once encountered an uncomfortably gargantuan specimen at the Wilshire that gave us pause), and the “ceviche style” topping of red onion, lime and cilantro on these bivalves made em’ slide down even easier than usual. The artichoke was served cold, which threw us for a loop. I’d skip it next time I go. The steamers, however, were fantastic. It is rare to get authentic steamers this far south, but BP Oysterette’s were true to form: large succulent clams in buttery broth served with chewy grilled bread.

If presentation is your thing, then order the butter lettuce salad. A mound of bright green lettuce topped with gorgonzola and crispy shallot vinaigrette, it tasted as good as it looked. I thought the mac n’ cheese was delicious – the love child of traditional baked mac and velveeta shells and cheese served fresh out of the oven in a ramekin. I almost singlehandedly demolished it, so I can’t really speak to whether anyone else liked it. Last but not least was the lobster roll. Chock-full of tender chunks of lobster, this was a fairly faithful rendition of the classic New England roadside favorite, updated for Santa Monica with a brioche bun and a side of homemade sweet potato chips. We didn’t have room for dessert, but the menu had some great options like blackberry cobbler and ice cream sundaes.