No. 57: Hook
Cuisine: A new-age seafood emporium that forgoes the fry basket and broiler in favor of spare, sometimes trendy preparations of sustainably sourced fish. Meat lovers, beware: There’s only a single nonfish entry on the menu.
Mood: The sleek, white-walled space gets loud in a hurry and fills up fast with a mix of sweater-garlanded older men and their designer spouses and fashionably dressed young couples. The young chef, Barton Seaver, makes the rounds in designer jeans and a worn baseball cap with the slogan no farms, no food.
Best for: Grazers and anyone who wants to eat adventurously but lightly.
Best dishes: A crudo of salmon with fennel vinaigrette; smoky grilled shrimp; grilled calamari with a vibrant basil-walnut pesto; slow-roasted halibut with a smoked-onion sauce; sablefish with smoked onions and lavender butter; King salmon with acorn squash and pine-nut purée; a fabulous lingonberry Linzer torte with Taleggio ice cream; warm, sugar-dusted madeleines; baked-to-order brown-butter cake with roasted fruit.
Insider tips: The crudos, bite-size presentations of raw fish, are underwhelming; the salads are a fine alternative to start. Main courses are judiciously portioned, so don’t worry about having room for dessert—though pastry chef Heather Chittum’s sweets, frequently the most rewarding parts of a meal, deserve to be planned for. The wine list, stocked with little-known but affordable catches, ought to be a model for every new restaurant, and it doesn’t stint on the by-the-glass offerings.
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