On our way through Charlottesville, VA we stopped at Public Fish and Oyster for dinner. It is a typical downtown Charlottesville restaurant, small, in a narrow space, but full of character. As you enter a bar sits on the left side and small tables on the right. The tin ceiling overhead is beautiful.
We arrived in time to take advantage of their happy hour deals. They offer drink specials as well as discounts on raw oysters. They offer eight different oysters. The Katama Bays had sold out, so we ordered two each of the other seven. This was my first experience with oysters on the half shell. I never knew that oysters had so many different flavors. We sampled oysters from several spots in Virginia, Massachusetts, Long Island, and Prince Edward Island. After experimenting with lemon, mignonette sauce, and cocktail sauce, I found that I like my oysters with just a squeeze of lemon juice.
Next, we ordered Moules Frites, Prince Edward Island mussels with Belgian fries and aioli. They offer four different preparations for the mussels. We opted for the Classic Mariniere, white wine, shallots, lemon, parsley, and cream. The mussels were perfectly cooked, the sauce divine and the Belgian fries were wonderful with the flavorful aioli.
For dinner, I ordered The Steampot. The dish had snow crab legs, mussels, Carolina shrimp, Virginia clams, chorizo and corn on the cob with Old Bay and drawn butter. The dish was spicy and delicious. I particularly enjoyed the crab legs as I have not had them in some time.
Chris ordered the Scallops and Lobster, served with frisee, cherrywood smoked bacon and oyster mushrooms. The scallops were beautifully cooked, but after the first one became very salty. The lobster claw was delicious, but the tail was on the rubbery side. Chris would have preferred the mushrooms without the stems as they had a chewy texture, but absolutely loved the subtle sweetness of the cherrywood smoked bacon.
The coffee was a french roast with an unusual flavor. I ordered Key Lime Pie with berries and a Chantilly cream to take home for dessert. The pie had a very delicate and beautiful flavor. It is the best Key Lime Pie I have ever had from a restaurant.
While there were some small issues with the food, our server, Jennifer, was spectacular. She was friendly, attentive, knowledgeable and helpful. We would definitely eat here again.
Cost for a cocktail, two beers, two appetizers, two entrees, coffee, and dessert $165.40.
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