Mary's Fish Camp

The lobster roll is a cherished New England delicacy and during some recent trips to New York, I had enjoyed a couple at Ed's Lobster Bar on the Lower East Side. While Ed's roll was good, I had no barometer of what's exceptional. After some internet research I found that New York Magazine had a useful write-up on lobster rolls. It seems Mary's Fish Camp, a small, well worn corner shop in the West Village offers a top rated roll.

Mary's menu is scripted on a large blackboard hung from the ceiling that along with some metal racks and tables separates the kitchen from the crescent shaped stainless steel counter and a smattering of tables. The menu descriptions and preparation are a simple and fresh. When I inquired about an appetizer of lobster knuckles, I was curious whether it was a proprietary name for a cleverly prepared lobster dish. No. It was steamed lobster knuckles.

The market price lobster roll ($30) came on a classic white diner plate. A heap of creamy mayo dressed lobster sprinkled with chives on the proper top-cut, butter toasted hot dog roll. This was outstanding. The lobster was cooked to perfection and the dressing was generous without being sloppy, keeping the the nuggets of meat together, the roll soaking up any excess without allowing any messy dribbles. The plate was garnished with a pile of unusual shoestring fries. Mandolin-cut like a flat noddle. They were decent, though a bit greasy. Though fries are the classic garnish, I'd rather see some green beans.

The lobster roll with glass of gruner veltliner.

Besides the roll, I was really impressed with the wine list. I'm a firm believer that small restaurants are better suited to having a tidy wine list that features quality/value over quantity. This makes even more sense when there is a severe lack of storage space. Mary's has about fourteen wines, mostly white of course and ones that make sense for a fish house. I had a pour of gruner veltliner from Setzer, a stellar producer from Austria, a varietal that I always felt was a good match with lobster.

I could have easily have picked the Corea godello, a frothy Xarmant Txakoli or sparkling Raventos Cava from Spain, Coleman pinot gris from Oregon or a delightful gamay rose from the Cote Roannaise in France. A juice glass substituted for a traditional wine glass. Though not a preferable vessel, I thought this was fitting for such a casual fish joint. Unfortunately, there were no taps for beer, but again, a well thought out selection of mostly craft brews.

While I arrived late in the lunch session when things were quiet, service was attentive and friendly. I now look forward to trying out Mary's other seafood dishes. Mary's is located at 246 W. 4th Street on the corner of Charles Street in New York's West Village. Go with the roll and rock with the wines.
http://www.marysfishcamp.com/2010/marys.html