Being a sister restaurant of Eastern Standard (a couple of doors down in Kenmore Sq) and Lineage (on Harvard St. in Brookline) I had high hopes for Island Creek Oyster Bar. I’m not necessarily a fan of raw bars, which Island Creek does well, but I do love seafood (and food in general). Perfect place to try for a Father’s Day dinner before heading to a Sox game 🙂

Bread: We received a small wooden basket with 5 slices of bread. Soft, fresh and delicious, but the real star was the butter which was mixed with honey, cayenne pepper, and sea salt!

bread & butter

Menu: The menu is changed and printed daily which I love because you’ll always be presented with different options. Unfold the menu once to find the Raw Bar options complete with names of the fishermen who caught the goods, unfold once more to find the apps, salads, fish, meat and more. I originally wanted the lobster roll, and this would probably be a great place to try one, but my game time decision led me to an app and a salad.

Food/Presentation:
Yellowfin Tuna Tartar: cucumber, sesame, chive
The tuna was served in the middle of a large plate sprinkled with chives, accompanied by a bowl of homemade crispy chips; an old recycled menu acted as a doily. Some of the chips I placed on the plate to show how decorative they were! In terms of presentation I wish this all came on one appropriately sized plate (the table just wasn’t big spacious enough), but taste wise I have no complaints. The tuna was in chunks which I like, and the portion was a respectable appetizer size.

tuna tartar

WestportGreens: marinated avocado, radish, spiced corn vinaigrette
The greens were tossed with the dressing and radishes, covering the sliced avocado. A simple salad in ingredients and light and refreshing in taste.

salad

Bathroom: It’s not really fair to judge this bathroom as it was located outside of the actual restaurant in the Hotel Commonwealth. But, it was clean with earth toned hues, and had 2 of those cool hand dryers where you slowly draw your hands in and out…

bathroom

Service: From the server who poured our water, to our waitress, to the guy that cleared our plates, everyone was pleasant and friendly. Our waitress allowed me to try the wine before actually ordering (which I’m seeing a trend of lately – is that fueled by my indecisivness or their hospitality?), and while my dad was in the restroom the plate clearer chatted me up about the Sox since we were on our way to a game. It’s nice when you can have a real conversation with the staff.

Overall: Not only did they have a regular bar but also a separate actual raw bar where you could sit overlooking the raw food items. I wasn’t too adventurous with my dinner selections but I enjoyed both plates. My dad really liked his raw bar choices and the skate entrée. Next time I’m craving a lobster roll I’ll be sure to stop by!

The Perfect Bite: The bread & butter was one of the best combos I’ve recently had, but the tuna tartar and homemade chips were my bite of choice.

http://www.islandcreekoysterbar.com