Amen Street Fish & Raw Bar

There's no better way to kick off the weekend and relax after a busy day of sightseeing than with some yummy cocktails and delicious appetizers. I think that one of the travel lessons that I learned on this trip is to talk to locals about where to go. They know the hidden gems and the new hot spots, so you can be sure that you are getting an authentic experience. Per someone's suggestion, we headed over to Amen Street Fish & Raw Bar. It was somewhat early in the evening, but the place was already fairly full so we grabbed a seat at the bar...which happened to be quite interesting as it was right by the chef shucking oysters. I ordered a "Flying the Coupe" drink, which was made with pear vodka, acai & pomegranate, lemon, Prosecco, and mint. It was a refreshing beverage that had a nice fruit flavor, but wasn't overly sweet. There was a lovely balance between the sweetness and tartness of the fruit.

Since this was a fish and raw bar, I figured that this was an appropriate place to try out the local seafood fare. With many delicious options, I finally settled on baked local oysters which were their version of Oysters Rockefeller. The oysters were topped with spinach, Tasso (a special type of ham), mousseline, and parmesan. Mousseline is a Hollandaise sauce that has whipped cream or beaten egg whites added to it. The cheese had a nice golden brown finish and the oyster seemed to soak up the flavors. It was a delicate dish that didn't overwhelm the palate and the mousseline gave it a fun frothy mouth feel. Though it wasn't apparent what each individual flavor was, everything melded together to create a yummy bite.

I rarely order dessert though I am not sure why because it is one of my favorite things. This time however, we did order a dessert to split - a chocolate terrine. This dense chocolate cake was something that you don't mess around with. It had an intense, but not overwhelmingly sweet chocolate flavor. It was topped with fresh berries and homemade whipped cream. It was served on a lemon sauce and drizzled with a raspberry coulis. I mean what better combination is there than chocolate, raspberry, and lemon. What was great about this dessert was how natural the sweetness was. It didn't taste like you were eating a bowl of sugar. If you are looking for a fun place to relax and enjoy the local cuisine or just grab a drink, Amen Street is a great place to visit.