I stopped by J Press and was shooting the crap with David Wilder when he mentioned Dutch Herring Week at the Oyster Bar in Grand Central. I grabbed my order from David and made a bee line for Grand Central. And what a lunch it was. Dutch Herring is offered only one week a year in NYC and it's not bad. The Dutch Gin served iced cold in a cordial glass helps give it that certain flavor I find in Scandinavian foods. Maybe it's connecting with my Norwegian genes but it's a taste I'm crazy about. Fish and Gin. Simple, clean and true. Kinda like licking pine sap in the winter.
You only get two filets of herring so you're gonna need something else. I went with the oysters. Half a dozen large blue points and half a dozen small. I'm comfortable with slurping down normal sized oysters but the large ones are a challenge. In fact, the first one didn't make it and fell onto my plate of ice. It was noticed as well. Never a good thing in an Oyster Bar.
I finished up the plate of oysters and sat for a while. I've always enjoyed the Oyster Bar. The sounds and the ceiling. The tourists and the business men. The old men in their poplin and seersucker suits. It's so New York. Where else in this country do you see a week devoted to Herring?
I love that place. I was in NY for 4 days in January and ate there twice. Stayed at the Roosevelt so I went as much as I wanted.
ReplyDeleteNow that I think about it, I can do without the oyster stew. I grew up on oyster gumbo, so the stew doesn't seem like much.
I didn't discover the bar until the end of my second trip. The bar was rocking. Anyway the weather was nice so after I ate - both times - I hopped the 7 and rode as far as I wanted into the UES then walked back to the hotel.
I love that town.
Tin-Tin, excellent post! Herring is truly on of life's small pleasures, and it must have had a refreshing zing with the gin. Great way to cap off a visit to J. Press. I have fond memories of waiting for a flight in the airport in Copenhagen and enjoying herring with an appropriate libation.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post. Love the Oyster Bar. I used to go quite frequently, meeting friends for a bite to eat and a drink before catching the 6:41 back to Greenwich.
ReplyDeleteThe Oyster Bar was the site of the original Trad, struggle.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm... I wish we had a place like that in Toronto. That sounds like my ideal lunch - lots of oysters and herring!
ReplyDeleteThe Dutch Gin served iced cold in a cordial glass helps give it that certain flavor that was found at Scandinavian foods.
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