An Invitation to Dinner by R.C. Bruckner-Bock

An Invitation to Dinner

by
R.C. Bruckner-Bock

Affordable luxury at Liv’s Oyster Bar
166 Main, Old Saybrook
860-395-5577
www.livsoysterbar.com

Cuisine ***
Service **
Ambiance **
Price Range $$
Wine Menu: Reasonably priced largely non-vintage domestic and foreign, many by the glass (glass $ 7-14) ; carefully selected to compliment the cuisine. Fashion Martinis $ 11.
Hours: Mo, We & Th 5-10 pm; Fr & Sat 5-11 pm; Sun 5-9 pm; Closed Tuesday

You don’t need to board the Metro North to New York City to satisfy your craving for oysters. Enjoy them year around at Liv’s Oyster Bar! So you won’t be dining beneath the vaulted ceilings at Grand Central Station’s famed landmark; so what! You don’t look towards heaven while being seduced by the gems of the ocean in your plate. While oysters typically are offered at market price, right now you can take advantage of “Wednesday’s $1.00 per Oyster Special” during winter season, duration at the owner’s discretion.

Doric columns frame the entrance portico’s summery river-scene fresco. During the warm season the columns are dressed in cascading flowers while protecting a charming sidewalk cafê. A walk-through room with red banquettes leads past the enticing sparkle of oysters on their icy bed into the inner dining room.

Wood-framed mirrors against antiqued brick reflect Ansel Adams style scene-shots of a child on the beach. Tables dressed ‘bistro’ in butcher paper atop linen cloths set with white porcelain make crisp, clean table sets against the warmth of butter yellow walls.

Liv’s features Eastern or Atlantic oysters, crassostrea virginica, called Virginicas by the gourmands. They generally are of clean, fresh uncomplicated taste, with a smooth texture and pleasant salinity. Because of contrasting water flow between inlets, temperatures and farming techniques, oysters can vary greatly. Flavor and texture change by location, making exact description subjective. Consult the descriptive menu thoughtfully presented with the daily oyster selection; it indicates degrees of salinity, brine and/or the tangy mineral aftertaste you either love or hate.

Gourmands argue that RAW oysters should be consumed only from September to April; they agonize that in the non-R-months spawning season an oyster’s flesh becomes flaccid and the liquor turns milky and bland. Others say humbug! Today’s cultivated oysters are moved to deeper, colder waters by the growers to prevent spawning; also sexless triploids, unable to spawn, can be enjoyed year around. I am mum in this debate, but oysters are affected by their environment. Like grapes, they develop their character from intake and like wine they are named after the regions they come from.

If you are ready for real bawdy fun, order ‘black velvet’, a stout and champagne mix, a Sam Adams Winter Lager, or a half bottle Veuve Cliquot ($40.00) the classic entourage for offerings from a raw bar. Begin an evening of lusty pleasure with Liv’s oyster sampler ($13.50): six types with ID flags are served in company of lemon wedges, sauce mignonette (vinaigrette), and a cocktail sauce heavy with horseradish. Purists forego the sauces, saying they obscure an oyster’s bouquet. Bite into your oyster before letting it glide. A firm chew releases its full flavor and lets you savor the sapor before slurping up the liquor with or without a lemon spritz. Clear your palate with a sip of champagne or a swig of beer between oysters and then continue the feast by ordering your favorite by the dozen.

If the raw bar does not turn you on, the well balanced menu should. Starting with select ingredients, an imaginative chef has a refreshingly straight forward approach, carefully calibrating contrasts to enhance the personality of his food.

Amongst the starters ($ 5.25-12.50) is an elegant presentation of crispy fried oysters served on dollops of celery rêmoulade. The edgy Chipotle Aioli cleverly intensifies the sweetness of the oysters. Creamy cauliflower soup with chunks of braised lobster and drizzled with brown butter is as elegant as it is satisfying, and the shrimp cocktail is a superior version of this familiar dish; the shrimp are succulent, sweetly tender and indeed colossal, as described.

Entrees ($18.50 -26) Roasted cod accented with crumbled Chorizo was prettily arranged on sautêed escarole, but the roasted garlic clam sauce was missing on my plate. Grilled, pepper crusted yellow Tuna, lusciously rare, used to always be simply gorgeous. On a recent visit, the potatoes creamed with olive oil lacked body and a bland tuna lay flaccid below a blanket of tangy fennel and black olive slaw. This dish might benefit from the players being plated side by side. The ‘stacked’ arrangement leaves a delicate tuna defenseless under the excellent fennel/Kalamata slaw. Meaty crab cakes, their nutty crispness derived from being dredged in Panko crumbs before frying, came with toothsome basmati rice, Edamame (soy beans), wild mushrooms, baby shrimp, and sautêed mustard greens, a fanciful array joined together by whole grain mustard sauce.

With amazement, I watched children gorge on oysters! For the less adventurous there is a beef burger ($9.50) with bacon and cheddar or blue cheese and the Kids Menu ($4.75-6.75) offers baked macaroni with three cheeses. Chicken tenders, Sole fingers and grilled hot dog come with fries and for vegan kids there is Hummus cruditês with toasted Pita chips.

Desserts (all $ 8.00) are house made and well conceived. I hope my favorite Clementine and blood orange Prosecco Sabayon, a frothy, delightful sweet of tangy blood oranges and clementines sunk in egg yolks and whisked to velvet in sparkling wine from the Veneto will return in springtime. For now I found happiness with the sinfully rich chocolate layer cake, a decadent affair involving chocolate mousse and caramel walnut sauce. Wonderful!

**** Extraordinary; *** Excellent; **Very Good; *Good; - Poor
$$$$ over $75; $$$ over $50; $$ over $25; $ under $25; $* exceptional value;