Fifth generation fishmonger Vinny Milburn and co-owner/chef Adam Geringer-Dunn have opened the doors to Greenpoint Fish & Lobster (114 Nassau Ave), their much-anticipated raw bar and market offering seasonal, local, and well-sourced seafood in a quaint corner restaurant setting. Milburn and Geringer-Dunn are passionate about ensuring customers know where their catches come from, and that transparency is embodied in everything from the large, street-facing picture window where passersby can see their team at work to maritime maps hanging in the restrooms. It’s a little jewel box of a space and a two-fold great addition to the neighborhood – a reliable, quality seafood market and quite a nice new date night option.
At the front of the space is the retail operation, where the daily catches are displayed on ice. There is a large shelving unit opposite the seafood display, stocked with all you might need to prepare your purchase. For those who wish to stay, eat, and nurse a glass of sparkling rosé, an open kitchen gives way to a marble bar with ample counter seating and several tables, where the daily selection of oysters (and more, like scallops in the shell) are shucked and prepared before customers’ eyes. Milburn and Dunn co-created the menu, featuring New England-inspired dishes like chowders and the best fried whole belly clams I’ve ever eaten (no photo, as they disappeared too quickly). But dining ideas don’t all hail from the seafood shacks of the Northeast; there are crudos, fish tacos, and even a piquant vegan Pad Thai with kelp noodles instead of the floury variety.
To match the fare, the two have created a beverage menu of beer and wine that also reflects the local scene: several wines by the glass and bottle, Gotham Project rosé on tap, crisp, refreshing beers including Narragansett tallboys, and Zywiec, an homage to the neighborhood. And there’s a takeout window, where you can get Oslo coffee.
Whether you’re looking for a better and more responsible seafood market (which I have been for ages) or a place to enjoy fresh seafood bar-side, Greenpoint Fish & Lobster has an earnest mission and is an excellent little addition to our neighborhood. Stop by this week and say hello.
