A warm bowl of chunky chowder has its charms, but the number one item on my Boston to-eat list was a luscious lobster roll. While I would have loved to stuff my face with a sandwich from each of the city’s best vendors, time constraints only allowed for one stop. After a good bit of research, including personal interviews with past and current Bostonians, I decided that Neptune Oyster would be the lucky destination.
Located on the edge of Little Italy in Boston’s North End, Neptune Oyster is a charming seafood shack with an Old World feel. Jeff Nace opened the place six years ago, along with his wife Keli, after serving as beverage manager of Todd English’s Olives in Charlestown for twelve years.
The Astronomer and I lunched here with Rosalind and were seated straightaway. Since the restaurant only has twenty-six banquette seats and sixteen bar stools, a wait is usually inevitable during peak dining hours.
Before the star of the Neptune Oyster show graced our table, we shared three light bites. I was also hoping for a basket of fried Ipswich clams (market price), but unfortunately the vendor had failed to deliver them this morning. The first appetizer to arrive was the buttermilk Johnnycake smothered with honey butter and topped with a smoked trout tartar and Little Pearl caviar ($16).
With the exception of the strange presentation, I liked everything about this dish. Who knew that a sweet and buttery cornmeal flat bread would pair so tastily with salty fish and caviar? Certainly not me.
