[Sneakeater]

Choptank is a new place opened by Bobby Werhane (of Dell'Anima/L'Artusi fame) with a partner in the former Bar Q space on Bleecker just off Grove in the West Village. It's purportedly a "Chesapeake Maryland fish shack" (that being where the owners are from). But the menu strays from that conceit. To me, what's important is that the chef is Matthew Schaefer, who was the opening chef at Busacco in Park Slope until he was fired for cooking too expensively. I liked his work there. And on the basis of an opening night dinner, I like his food here.

The place has a similar layout to Bar Q, but they painted the walls a darker color, making it MUCH more inviting than the stark white Bar Q was. There's a small bar, a much bigger oyster bar, some bar area tables, and a very small dining room. On opening night, the place was pretty much full (Werhane obviously has his fans).

When I think of Chesapeake sea food, my ignorant self thinks of crab boils -- but that was not on the menu. The oyster bar is festooned with Old Bay containers as a design element, but I didn't see them much in use or featured as a major ingredient on much of the menu, either. Most of the bar snacks and appetizers are sea food, but half the main dishes are meat (including, I was very happy to see, Schaefer's two star dishes from Busacco: fried chicken, and steak in sweetbread sauce).

I started with a pot of steamers. In the Long Island fishing village I grew up in (that's true, BTW), steamers would be served in their own broth. I was surprised to see these served dry. But maybe the broth is a local idiosyncracy from my hometown. These, OTOH, were seasoned, where in my hometown they would have been served plain. Anyway, beer and steamers are sort of madeleine-like to me, and these hit the spot, broth or no broth. (Clam broth does show up on the menu as a sauce for striped bass.)

For my main dish, I couldn't resist Chef Schaefer's fried chicken. At Busacco, he used poussin. Here, although the menu says chicken, the tininess of the wings suggested he might still be doing so. It doesn't matter. The crust is delicious, the frying greaselss, the meat moist, and the dish marvelous. At Busacco it was served with honey and a waffle, here with honey and collard greens that weren't the slightest bit biiter.

I washed it all down with Domaine DuPage, a good French-style beer from Illinois. Choptank's beer list is well-curated. (I wrote that only to piss off Lex.) Their wine selection could be more interesting. Their cocktails are no better than OK (but no worse).

I think Chef Schaefer has some experience at Le Barnardin, but he isn't some culinary genius who sprang fully-formed from Eric Ripert's forehead. He's a very talented "minor" chef at this point, someone with obviously superior technique and a talent for assembling interesting and delicious dishes. I look forward to watching him develop.

I'm not sure I'd recommend crossing town for this food, but if you're in the area this is a very good choice. Much better than Bar Q was. And, I have to say, also much better than Joseph Leonard.

[Anthony Bonner]

was it walk in able last night or are we already at "PR driven decent restaurant in the West Village" busy yet

Also I didn't know you were a bonnacker. And Steamers w/o broth is an abomination. How do you clean them?

[Sneakeater]

There wasn't any grit. (I'm suspicious of this.)

It was pretty full last night. Not slammed.

What's a bonnacker?

[Sneakeater]

Oh, I see what a bonacker is.

No no I was WAY west of there.

More like Peter LeRoy (but west of there, too).

[Anthony Bonner]

There wasn't any grit. (I'm suspicious of this.)

It was pretty full last night. Not slammed.

What's a bonnacker?

oh bub...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonackers

[Sneakeater]

See above.

[Anthony Bonner]

See above.

what you expect me to preview my posts?

we were planning on trying this place tonight. Sounds like we should.

[Lex]

Choptank's beer list is well-curated. (I wrote that only to piss off Lex.)

I don't have time to be pissed off about curated beer lists. I'm reserving today's outrage at the concept of wine/cereal pairings.

[Daisy]

I went to a friends and family night last week. I like the way the front room looks, and the lighting is good but I think the dining room needs a little warming up. The oysters we had were amazingly good---unusual varieties, very nicely shucked, very fresh. We weren't wowed by our mains (striped bass and pulled pork) which were both a little overcooked but a side of giant white beans was one of the best things I have eaten in a very long time. There was a very delicious mushroom starter as well. I didn't see the drinks list but the Austrian white they were pouring was a winner. They serve warm little dinner rolls which are pretty fabulous. I found the 'pain perdu' dessert off-putting. But I had said at the time I would definitely go back for oysters and also give the main menu another shot, it's very reasonably priced and none of the flaws we noted were of the fatal variety. And the GM (slender dark-haired guy with a beard) is a sweetie.

I'm trying to wrap my mind around the concept of brothless steamers and failing.

[nuxvomica]

was it walk in able last night or are we already at "PR driven decent restaurant in the West Village" busy yet

The ’Tank is holding one two-top and one four-top for DailyCandy readers each night this week. Those lucky diners might get a little something extra (like a round of oysters) on the house.

i think you should give it a shot

[ghostrider]

NY Mag plugs the fried chicken at this place this week.

[Wilfrid]

I don't have time to be pissed off about curated beer lists. I'm reserving today's outrage at the concept of wine/cereal pairings.

Oh that is fabulous. Worthy of Kingsley Amis. I don't believe he did write a column on what to drink for breakfast, but he's someone who might have.

"If the thought of sugar-coated Frosties with your single malt eye-opener sends shudders down your spine, best to forget the supposedly nutritional element of the meal and fortify yourself with another thimbleful of the brown stuff. No more than that, though, if you hope still to be standing when the bell rings for lunch."

[TaliesinNYC]

Choptank is a new place opened by Bobby Werhane (of Dell'Anima/L'Artusi fame) with a partner in the former Bar Q space on Bleecker just off Grove in the West Village. It's purportedly a "Chesapeake Maryland fish shack" (that being where the owners are from). But the menu strays from that conceit. To me, what's important is that the chef is Matthew Schaefer, who was the opening chef at Busacco in Park Slope until he was fired for cooking too expensively. I liked his work there. And on the basis of an opening night dinner, I like his food here.

The place has a similar layout to Bar Q, but they painted the walls a darker color, making it MUCH more inviting than the stark white Bar Q was. There's a small bar, a much bigger oyster bar, some bar area tables, and a very small dining room. On opening night, the place was pretty much full (Werhane obviously has his fans).

When I think of Chesapeake sea food, my ignorant self thinks of crab boils -- but that was not on the menu. The oyster bar is festooned with Old Bay containers as a design element, but I didn't see them much in use or featured as a major ingredient on much of the menu, either. Most of the bar snacks and appetizers are sea food, but half the main dishes are meat (including, I was very happy to see, Schaefer's two star dishes from Busacco: fried chicken, and steak in sweetbread sauce).

I started with a pot of steamers. In the Long Island fishing village I grew up in (that's true, BTW), steamers would be served in their own broth. I was surprised to see these served dry. But maybe the broth is a local idiosyncracy from my hometown. These, OTOH, were seasoned, where in my hometown they would have been served plain. Anyway, beer and steamers are sort of madeleine-like to me, and these hit the spot, broth or no broth. (Clam broth does show up on the menu as a sauce for striped bass.)

For my main dish, I couldn't resist Chef Schaefer's fried chicken. At Busacco, he used poussin. Here, although the menu says chicken, the tininess of the wings suggested he might still be doing so. It doesn't matter. The crust is delicious, the frying greaselss, the meat moist, and the dish marvelous. At Busacco it was served with honey and a waffle, here with honey and collard greens that weren't the slightest bit biiter.

I washed it all down with Domaine DuPage, a good French-style beer from Illinois. Choptank's beer list is well-curated. (I wrote that only to piss off Lex.) Their wine selection could be more interesting. Their cocktails are no better than OK (but no worse).

I think Chef Schaefer has some experience at Le Barnardin, but he isn't some culinary genius who sprang fully-formed from Eric Ripert's forehead. He's a very talented "minor" chef at this point, someone with obviously superior technique and a talent for assembling interesting and delicious dishes. I look forward to watching him develop.

I'm not sure I'd recommend crossing town for this food, but if you're in the area this is a very good choice. Much better than Bar Q was. And, I have to say, also much better than Joseph Leonard.

You REALLY have to write reviews for a living.

I mean that with all honesty -- they're great.

[g.johnson]

I don't have time to be pissed off about curated beer lists. I'm reserving today's outrage at the concept of wine/cereal pairings.

Oh that is fabulous. Worthy of Kingsley Amis. I don't believe he did write a column on what to drink for breakfast, but he's someone who might have.

[Redmond O'Hanlon's] hospitality is an overwhelming blend of kindness and alcohol, remembered with blurry details across three continents. Lary Shaffer, an American biologist who knew O'Hanlon at Oxford, remembers arriving from America with his wife: "We had hardly been asleep for a couple of hours when he was saying, 'You've got to try this new breakfast wine' - and there were five bottles open on the table among the toast.

click

[Sneakeater]

Wow thanks, Talies. Really.