Text 7747, 80 rader
Skriven 2013-12-10 14:46:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
Ärende: more scallops 572
=========================
As I had to return a violin bow to the shop in Peace Dale, we
decided to lunch at Matunuck Oyster Farm, where I have eaten
well if not cheaply on a couple occasions. We swung by the
violin store to find it closed (I told the guy I'd return it
this day, but he either forgot he would be closed or decided
after that not to open). So straight to Matunuck, where we
missed the exit by not realizing that we had to get off at
East Matunuck - we very nearly ate at Tina's Tipperary Tavern,
the only open place in the town proper; I'm sure we would have
eaten well, though not as well, and much more cheaply.

The parking lot was pretty crowded when we arrived, others
apparently being able to find the place, and though the back
room was crowded, the sunny, warm room with a view had only
two tables occupied. We figured that the early lunch crowd
had gotten first dibs on it and had just left, and we were the
vanguard of a late lunch crowd. It turns out that was the case,
as the area filled nicely as we sat, and when we left, our
table was gratefully snapped up.

I went for the raw bar, which ran a nearly big city $1.85 a
piece for oysters and clams and a big city bit over $2 for
other things. I got four of each oysters, scallops, and clams
on the half shell and made a scanty and expensive meal.

Matunuck oysters were small, briny, packing a lot of flavor
punch; but they had pretty much no food value.

Cherrystones as before were also small, almost littleneck
size, but also tasty.

The special of the day was Point Judith scallops on the half
shell. These came as the naked muscle on the half shell, no
roe or other interesting parts. They tasted pretty much like
the supposed Nantucket Bays from the other day - i.e., pretty
tasty and sweet but not so inspiring as little epiphanies
that the real thing used to offer. I asked for more scallops
but with the roe attached, and after a back and forth with
the shuckmaster with the waitress going between, I ended up
with one opened but au naturel, to see what was what. I was
surprised to find a big muscle, an even bigger sand sac, a
few frilly bits, and gonads the size of a piece of puffed
rice cereal, i.e. quite insignificant. The waitress, noting
my disappointment, suggested that bay scallops might have a
different anatomy from sea scallops, and I reflected that
that might be so - with the seas, producing lots of genetic
material would be a greater priority than getting rid of sand,
whereas with shallow-water scallops and their smaller native
territory, getting rid of sand might be more important than
making babies. Or it might be a seasonal thing, but the shucker
didn't know what I was talking about in the first place, so not
really likely that.

Rosemary got an appetizer of fried calamari (with tentacles);
this was a huge serving, over a pound, tossed with fried capers
and pickled hot pepper rings, over mizuna, drizzled with a
completely superfluous mayonnaise dressing. The squid were
landed a full five miles away and were very fresh; the breading
and frying were nicely done.

Peak Organic winter session stout - to me the terms winter and
session connote incompatible things: the former means high
alcohol, rich, and possibly (but not in this case - I asked)
some sort of inane gingerbread spicing scheme, whereas the
latter means low alcohol, easy drinking, something you can slug
down pint after pint of throughout an evening. Anyhow, this
was a medium-hopped medium-alcohol quaff, pleasant enough
but a little too assertive for our fairly delicate food.

As I was still a bit peckish, so we got another appetizer,
which was maybe 2 lb of mussels in butter-white wine sauce.
They were good, but maybe the order was big for its place in
the meal. And I burped and et ceteraed garlic for the rest of
the day, which was less than fine, as I had an hour and a
quarter on the train and a date afterward.


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