Originaly published May 29th, 2000.
By Alex Whitney
I have eaten at the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Terminal about twenty times in the last year. I work[ed - Edited 11/2006] close by, and it is easy to go down ad grab a table, or sit in the bar in back through the swinging saloon doors, or sit at the counters. Best, though, is to sit at the shucking bar, ordering this and that as it occurs to you. This is not haute cuisine: this is chowhounding.
Service and quality can be inconsistent, especially back in the pub area; it can be a bit slow at the counters and in the restaurant proper. The restaurant proper also has a very large, famously tiled ceiling, making it potentially loud during the lunch and dinner rush.
Nonetheless, it has some of the best raw Oysters in New York City, and you can pull a Diamond Jim Brady if you like... I have. Sit about six inches back from the counter, undo your belt, and order six different kinds of oyster by the dozen and Riesling for you and a few friends until you feel your belly touch the edge of the table. There is a great selection, including (but certainly not limited to) oysters from Maine, Washington State, Rhode Island, Long Island, Nova Scotia, and even New Zealand.
The makeup changes daily, so telling you what to get here won't work, but the tastes range from strong sea-tasting, mineral oysters, to smooth, buttery Malpeques. Sizes also vary: you can get something the size of a large golf ball that you'll have to chew and chew, or a more modest Belon or Kymoto oyster, a tiny taste that gets a single compression before sliding down. You get mignonette sauce, a red wine vinegar with shallots, and slightly more traditional cocktail sauce, with lemon and more horseradish and tobasco on the side if you want to tweak your topping.
We can do a little better steering you in the main courses. The fish are almost always a bit overcooked, but it isn't terrible. Good examples from their list, which also changes daily, are Arctic Char, the whole Dover Sole, Monkfish with Hollandaise sauce and the Sturgeon with Anchovy Butter. You may not notice the sauce (I have yet to see actual Meuniere sauce on the Dover Sole Meuniere,) but the fish is fresh and served hot, with some typically over-steamed vegetables.
You should not order lobster here. In fact, if I had my way, no one would ever order lobster in a restaurant... its just not right. Professionals eat Lobster at a family table or on the beach, in your painting clothes, with stuff spraying everywhere, in traditional clam-bake style. It ain't restaurant food, as my lobsterboatman grandfather might observe, if he talked that way.
You should try the smokehouse samplers... its not the same as going to Russ and Daughters, but they are great. The Pan Roasts are easily overlooked, but are wonderful: cream and broth are poured into a hot pan with lobster or oysters or mussels added, and a piece of toasted bread is added last minute. Steamers are a part of the clam bake, above, but can be eaten here without shame. The chowders are average. The specials are usually good, but I wonder whether they are pricing old fish to move, or new fish bought in quantity because it is good.
The Oyster Bar at Grand Central is not cheap. You'll pay $18-$25 for a plate of fish, the same for a dozen of oysters, and the pretty good wine list might set you back $15-60. One person can eat simple food, no alcohol for fifty or sixty bucks.
I think its a good idea not to eat Chilean Sea Bass or Swordfish, due to over fishing depleting the stocks. The NRDC says other overfished species include: Atlantic Cod, Atlantic Sea Scallops, Black Sea Bass, Redfish, Red Snapper, Monkfish, Shark (which are finned,) Sturgeon, and Lemon Sole. Better choices are Alaska Salmon, Pacific Coast Dungeness Crab, and Trapped Shrimp.
Copyright 1999 by Eatmenyc. All rights reserved.
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