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Having a couple of days in the Raleigh-Durham area I was ecstatic to
learn our new friend/family member gets as stoked about dinner as we
do. Thanks for the company and fun Ashley. Luckily for us her mom
had a local recommendation and we quickly headed to the 42nd
St. Oyster Bar and Seafood Grill. Apparently, her mom has enjoyed a
number of raw oysters at this locale. My first oyster was actually
in culinary school at about 6:30 in the morning. I expected
something slimy, fishy, and horrifying. |
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What I found was something that tasted just like the ocean and with
a bit of mignonette or a splash of horseradishy hot sauce and was simply
divine. A perfect food with it’s own plate and sauce. A large
building with raw bars and a vast dining room greeted us warmly with
a glass of wine and a booth. The whole place is plastered with
evidence of its longstanding relationship with its community and
nautical memorabilia.
Our server was a little twitchy and made the cardinal error of only addressing me at the table (the only guy) and essentially ignoring or demeaning the two ladies. Hard to get away with that, and he didn’t. The first thing to arrive at the table were the rolls. Since we were in the south there were no rolls, instead piping hot and oniony hushpuppies were delivered with a bit of butter. First time I have had butter added to the fried corn and onion fried biscuit, I am a fan. Fat and fat and fat, how can that be wrong?
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 Solid Seafood Bisque But Couldn't Compare To Cuban Revolution |
 Functional Greens |
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 This is Why You Come |
 Oysters Stupendous All Around, Especially the House Baked |
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We
started with a small assortment from the raw bar. We got a couple of
oysters each from Black Bay Louisiana, The Watch House Virginia, and
York River Virginia. This is half of the magic of 42nd st. All of
the oysters were incredibly fresh and perfectly salty good. Each
also had their own twist on flavor…one mild, one with a serious
saltiness and hints of melon. Worth the trip alone. We also tried
the seafood bisque which was rich and thick with a variety of
products from the sea. All of our entrees were paired with an
average salad and dressing that was fine.
We then tried a combo of the baked oysters. This is the other half
of the magic. This night they offered three different options. One
standard, Oysters Rockefeller with spinach, bacon and parmesan. Two
machinations I have not heard of before. The Oysters 508 which are
baked with cayenne, herbs, cheddar and Japanese bread crumbs and
42nd St. Oysters with Breadcrumbs, spicy butter and bacon. The
Oysters 508 were okay but the additional flavors overshadowed the
seafood making it completely unnecessary to have the oyster at all.
The Rockefellers were delicious and classic. The winner of the combo
was easily the house version with the spicy butter, bacon and
breadcrumbs. The oyster itself shone through and the smoky fatty
bacon along with the spice in the butter and the crispiness of the
crumbs…beyond super. It was fantastic to find a place that elevated
the baked oyster way beyond anything I had previously enjoyed. Truth
be known, Steph tried the baked varieties (her first oysters ever)
and really enjoyed them. Raw versions are on the horizon thanks to
this place.
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 Nice Broth; Just Killed the Seafood, Tragically Overcooked |
 Shrimp and Grits...Nice Flavor but Again with the Seafood. Shrimp By Hubba Bubba. |
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The entrees are where things started to go awry. Our dinner orders included the Italian themed seafood dish of Cioppino, a pan seared Ahi tuna, and the southern classic shrimp and grits. Being in the south I had to try the shrimp and grits. When I saw the gravy featured Tasso ham I knew it was a must. The grits were well done. The gravy screamed southern deliciousness but not good for you…all was just about perfect. The only problem was the money in the dish…the shrimp. Tragically overdone, nearly bubblegum in texture, all of the magic from the raw and baked seafood was lost in way too much heat. The cioppino was even worse as it contained a variety of seafood with each being indistinguishable from the next due to serious over cooking and I suggested it over a couple of other options. If the ingredients were as good as what we had raw or baked…well, it’s just criminal if that is how they were treated. Fortunately the tuna was prepared rare which highlighted the quality of the product…if only the other two dishes had done the same.
If you find yourself near Raleigh, the 42nd St. Oyster Bar is worth
a visit. Just be sure to stick to the seafood in the raw or baked
sections of the menu as the cooked seafood doesn’t appear to get the
same attention or reverence as the earlier options. |
 At Least the Raw Tuna Still had Some Life in It |
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| Ratings | |||||||
 Food |
 Service |
 Ambiance |
 What's Best |
 What's Worst |
 Overall |
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| C+ | C- | B+ | A | D- | C | ||
| Oyster Options | Consistent Overcooking | ||||||
