Brian L.
Yelp
Heard some really nice things about Clemmy's and decided to give it a try. Was concerned about a wait because they don't take reservations and it was a Friday night but whoever I spoke with on the phone was incredibly friendly, professional and set my mind at ease. We were seated immediately when we got there.
The service and professionalism at this establishment simply isn't seen or experienced that much anymore. Everyone there seemed like they wanted to be there, like they enjoyed being there and wanted us to enjoy our time there. That goes such a long way and for some reason is a miss in the hospitality industry these days.
Then there's the food and as a chef, I'd give it 9.5 out of 10 slammin' ! My wife had the swordfish and it was as good of a dish from soup to nuts (although no soup or nuts included) that I've seen in a while. First off, as described in the menu, it was Barnegat Light/ Viking Village caught sword. That's huge to me and right for so many reasons and why every local restaurant doesn't take advantage of their proximity to local sources - from fishing boats to farms - is beyond me. (as the crow flies, Clemmy's is 3 miles from Barnegat Light. If a restaurant doesn't milk, bottle and market that, I don't get it. Clemmy's does.) The sword steaks were prepared paillard style, pounded thin like cutlets (who does that around here with swordfish?), grilled to perfection and served with an impeccable presentation of salsa verde, which showcased the shaved, marinated fennel, grapefruit, orange slices and radish and greens with two separate delicate sauces. The fennel greens were such a nice touch for presentation and flavor and the delicately sliced grapefruit was a thoughtful and skilled addition. The base sauce was so wonderful and reminded me of a mignonette but had a bit more going on. The second sauce, a spicy japanese mayo w a toasted sesame and I think ginger undertone, was cleverly and conservatively added as almost an afterthought but lent so much flavor and color to the dish. When I spoke with our server about the dish, who was as good as it gets, she was more excited about it than me. You would have thought she caught it and cooked it. (maybe she did). Love it.
I had to get the old bay crab bucatini because how often do you see old bay crab bucatini ? ...and it had really good reviews. Bucatini was cooked to perfection and the dish was super tasty and satisfying. If you like bucatini, blue crab and old bay, this will make you a happy camper. Only thing was it was a bit salty - but so is old bay. I'm not sure if more salt was added in preparation or that was just the old bay itself. Either way, minor issue and I wasn't getting anything better than this dish for miles and miles, including L.B.I.
We also had the tomatoes and buratta, because again, when do you see tomatoes and buratta around these parts? I'm just happy to get a block down the road without a "way to go Brandon" sign. Our server explained that everything was farm to table. I want to know where their farm is because you don't see tomatoes this amazing this time of year for a couple / few weeks.
Long winded review but this place deserved it. I hope they stay true to what they are doing and continue putting in the passion.
Oh, lastly, they had a guitar player. It's a relatively small space so she was just a bit loud for easy conversation, but other than that, the young lady was excellent. I'll eat old bay crab bucatini and listen to acoustic covers of Neil Young and Tears for Fears all night long with my lovely wife. I thought she added to the whole experience - dinner and a show! Rock on, Clemmy's.