Mermaid Inn

My biggest challenge as a food blogger is taking a picture of the dish put on my table before I dig in. I am usually so excited (and hungry) when the food arrives, I start eating right away. So this post is picture free (sorry readers!) because we had polished off at least half of the meal before realizing I had forgotten to take pictures.




As readers know from my previous post, I'm competing this weekend and trying to eat fish for dinner a few times this week. Earlier this month, I received a Blackboard Eats Discount for the Mermaid Inn. Blackboard Eats sends an email every few days offering 30% off of your tab at a selected NYC restaurant (this includes booze!). Usually the coupon lasts between one to two months. Sometimes the restaurants are a bust or in Brooklyn (which for a lazy person like me is one and the same...even though I know Brooklyn has good eats too) but I find about once a month, Blackboard Eats emails a discount to a restaurant I really enjoy or a restaurant I would like to try. I would recommend signing up to receive discounts from Blackboard Eats because the discounts are free! (Sign up at blackboardeats.com)



We opted for an early dinner at the Mermaid Inn on the lower east side before the big Giants game (go Blue!) to avoid eating while standing up in a crowded bar. At 5:30pm (not surprisingly), we had most of the restaurant to ourselves. I asked the hostess for a table away from the door because it was "frigid outside" (direct quote from the boring NY1 anchor) and the hostess kindly obliged.



The Mermaid Inn is a nautically themed restaurant that offers a small menu focusing on fish and shellfish dishes. While the menu is a bit limited, oyster aficionados can order from a long list of oysters from both coasts. The Mermaid Inn succeeds in a nautical decor that is kitschy without being cheesy. And when it isn't "frigid outside", the lower east side location has a garden in the back and sidewalk seating in front of the restaurant.



My only complaint for the night is that I had to really push the server to let me have the haricot verts with our cod. The haricot verts was a side for the special (and happens to be my favorite vegetable). On a very slow night with few other tables to service, I found it irritating that I had to harangue him into asking the chef to have the side of my choice (which the chef agreed to).



What to eat:



The Roasted Day Boat Cod. The pan roasted cod was hearty, yet still savory and flaky. The haricot verts were satisfyingly crisp and drizzled in olive oil.



The Lobster Mac and Cheese. While the menu states that this dish includes truffle, we couldn't taste the truffle. But the dish really didn't need truffle because of all of the flavor from the cheese blend and the lobster. This side is incredibly tasty and included a generous portion of lobster.



Insider tip:



Sunday night is Lobsterpalooza. The diners sitting next to us took part in the Lobster special, which looked fantastic. The lobster was over a pound and came with a side of corn on the cob and roasted potatoes. At $24, this is a steal I will be back for.



Had enough fish this week? I know I have,






Your foodie friend