Jane D.
Yelp
Crave has a lot going for it: a popular happy hour; outdoor seating; impeccably fresh, often sustainable seafood sourced from not too distant parts; and fair prices. But like most of us, it's not perfect. Downsides to its popularity include long waits to order during busy periods and cramped seating, especially outdoors.
We always seem to miss the happy hour, but happy hour oysters at Crave are often sort of emaciated and perhaps a touch less fresh than those ordered from the regular menu, so I don't mind paying a bit more for the latter. Per usual, on a recent non-happy-hour visit, oysters were beautifully shucked, but young (one-year-olds at the most) and therefore small. I had black duck, blue point, and Malpeque oysters and was quite impressed with whoever shucked my irregularly shaped Malpeques. There wasn't a single sliver of shell inside the oyster. Mignonette and cocktail sauces were both forgettable, but I am always happy to stick to the lemon and grapefruit wedges.
Non-traditional rolls like Crave's Spicy Yellowfin Tuna Sushi Roll ($18.00; hand chopped tuna, calabrian chili, broccoli rabe, 6pcs) from non-sushi restaurants aren't usually my thing for various reasons. Snots like me find fault with the mushy rice, soggy nori, and the creamy/spicy adulterant that the cynic in me thinks is there to cover up less-than-fresh fish. But the Pardner loves this stuff and I found the broccoli rabe stems to be an interesting and inspired ingredient. Visually, it resembled asparagus, but had a little more bite, a pleasant touch of bitter.
A generously sized fillet of Oven Roasted Barramundi ($35.00; with miso honey glaze, jumbo asparagus, chipotle oil; gluten-free) was impeccably fresh. I enjoyed the spicy-sweet glaze, but flavors were more intense than I personally wanted for fish of this quality. I ended up scraping off all but a bit of the glaze from the skin. Asparagus was fair, a touch undersalted and tough -- but that made a nice foil for the stronger flavors in this dish.
We received the Fusilli Calabresi with Jonah Crab ($31.00; Brussel sprouts, Thai basil, ricotta salata, Calabrian chili, lemon) by mistake, but liked it even more than the cavatelli dish the Pardner had ordered. The dish was delicate and nuanced, the tender slivers of Brussels sprouts, sweet crab, and al dente pasta, all married by a gently creamy, acidic sauce.
Our server was great -- actually overly generous -- and insisted he bring us the Homemade Cavatelli ($26.00; vine ripened tomato ragout, whipped ricotta, basil puree) that we'd originally ordered in addition to the fusilli, which the Pardner had already started eating. Cavatelli was a touch oversalted, but otherwise simply and nicely made with perfectly al dente pasta enlivened by sharply pungent basil puree.
Cocktails were pleasant and strong as usual. (We had our go-tos, the Good Life and a bloody Mary.)
Love having this neighborhood staple nearby, especially now that the UWS Mermaid Inn has permanently shuttered.