Neptune Oyster
63 Salem Street
Boston, MA 02113-2273
(617) 742-3474
www.neptuneoyster.com

Walking through the door of Neptune Oyster is a noticeable and welcome departure from its marinara-laden neighborhood. The space is sleek and small with only 18 bar seats, and a banquette of tables which seat a total of 26. Sitting at the bar, you are faced with an almost library-like display of wines, and overhead is a large mirror boasting the daily raw bar offerings. A small blackboard advertises the daily special, and on the day I happened to be there, an expertly drawn fish courtesy of owner Jeff Nace's daughter.  Pearly white tiles cover the walls, and above the banquette tables hang three more mirrors displaying the daily selections of wines, bellini, and crudo. 

We snatched the two remaining bar seats, as the restaurant was surprisingly full for a snowy Wednesday afternoon, and were promptly greeted and given our menus. To make our raw bar selections, we were given a small paper card with a list of the oysters, their place of origin, and a description of each one's size, salt, and taste. The list offered a variety of raw treats ranging from the expected big briny Wellfleets to the less common Maine sea urchin. Alongside the list of bivalves and their cohorts is a space for you to pencil in how many you would like of each, and at the bottom you may select an accompaniment of cocktail sauce, mignonette, or both. 

While pouring over both the raw and kitchen menu, we enjoyed a crisp and perfectly chilled glass of Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc. This nearly green South African had a light, almost tropical nose with a clean and slightly spiced finish. While I had ordered it in anticipation of how well it would pair with the oysters, it was also perfectly delicious on its own. 

Our oysters arrived quickly, which was truly impressive, as there appeared to be only one person shucking and preparing raw bar dishes. They were arranged over ice around the house made cocktail sauce and mignonette in the same order as they were listed on our oyster card, so we always knew which one we were trying. 

We began with the tiny and delicious Kumamotos from Willapa Bay, WA. Perfectly shucked, and pretty darn cute, these sweet plump little guys were a great way to start our oyster tour. Slightly creamy, with low salt these were equally delicious with cocktail sauce or mignonette. 

The sea urchin was next. Bright orange flesh served in its own spiny exoskeleton, this dish is truly striking to look at, and it has a taste and texture to match. Our urchin was perfectly fresh, and can only be described as melty ocean butter. If you are an urchin-curious novice, this is the perfect place to try it for the first time. 

Next we tried Riptides from Westport, MA. These are the kind of oysters that can make you feel like its summertime (despite the nasty wintry mix that was actually going on outside) with their salty juicy first bite and their seaweed-like finish. 

Third, we tried Fanny Bays from Vancouver. These had the perfect balance of salt and sweet melon, and really complemented our crisp wine. Island Creeks were our last oyster. They were plump and extremely flavorful, and with their high salt and clean citrus finish, they could have been enjoyed alone.  

The Oysters were a truly tough act to follow, however the tuna ribbons salad completely rose to the occasion. This refined take on a niçoise salad began with four perfectly pink ribbons of raw tuna atop rich smooth potato aioli. The tuna was topped with lightly dressed greens, and then sprinkled with olives, and capers. The textures of this dish complemented each other beautifully, and the tuna could not have been more fresh. All of the flavors were perfectly balanced, the blissfully salty capers, and the slightly sharp celery greens made this dish made totally memorable. 

I have lived in New England all my life, so for me to say that I was served the best lobster roll I've ever had is no laughing matter. I chose to have mine cold (they are also available served hot with butter), it was a beautiful heap of unadulterated lobster chunks with just the slightest amount of mayonnaise, nestled in a toasted, buttery hotdog bun.  This dish is so beautifully un-messed with, that the lobster is allowed to really shine, and the crispy brown French fries didn't hurt either. 

We finished our meal with a round of white peach bellini. I admittedly am a sucker for any mixture of bubbles and fruit, but what a difference it makes when they are made with decent prosecco. Fruity and fresh, these were the perfect dessert, and without the hangovery finish of cheap suds, you can feel free to have two. 

I am slightly embarrassed to admit that after my glorious lunch I still felt like I had unfinished business with Neptune and used this article as an excuse to grab my boyfriend and go back again on the following Friday night. Our dinner was beautiful, but two dishes really stole the show. 

The first was a seared scallop atop mixture of avocado and duck confit with a spicy aioli and crushed cashews. This original and delicious dish really achieved the perfect sear that a scallop this fresh deserves. The top had a buttery crispy crust, while the center was still at a smooth almost translucent medium rare. The combination of the avocado and the duck was sinfully rich and the cashew provided a welcome crunch and sweetness. 

The most memorable dish by far was the Neptunes on Piggyback. Crispy fried oysters nestled on Berkshire pork belly with golden raisin confiture, mache, and pistachio. This brilliant combination is arranged on a thin toast that absorbs the delicious juices of the pig, making a knife and fork a necessity. The sweet warm taste of the golden raisin brings all the flavors of this dish together, and the mache and pistachio helps balance the fattiness of the pork. Anyone who has ever experienced food drunkenness will appreciate that upon taking the first bite of this dish, you can expect to have a little ecstatic chuckle. 

Next time you're in the North End, you should really forego the Tuscan murals and the chicken marsala (not that there's anything wrong with that), for a seat at Neptune. Consider yourself warned however: after you go once you may not be able to stop going back.