At Connie & Ted’s, oyster shuckers and angels on horseback
Stepping to the doors of West Hollywood’s new seafood shack, Connie & Ted’s on the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Hayvenhurst Drive, is like landing in an episode of the Jetsons. A curved roof, shiny elm planks, brushed metal and splashes of red trim are reminiscent of Googie architecture: so modern, they feel futuristic. But upon entering, the glowing lobster tank, feverish oyster shucking and metallic baskets of fried seafood transmit not a space odyssey but a voyage at sea.
Chef-owner Michael Cimarusti of Providence takes diners to the East Coast, where he spent his childhood, with a menu of simple and familiar seafood dishes. A raw bar features 16 varieties of oysters, served with horseradish and mignonette. Clam chowder comes in threes in the “Chowda†sampler, hot buttered rolls topped with flaky salt are served in a cast iron pan and oysters wrapped in smoky bacon -- angels on horseback — straddle pieces of toast atop a lemony cream sauce.
“Everything’s the best seafood I’ve ever had,†said one diner whose rolled-up pants and scruffy beard made him look a bit shipwrecked.
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Wait staff in blue and white baseball tees with striped aprons served up popular favorites on opening night including fish and chips accompanied by a mound of fresh-cut fries, hot or cold lobster rolls on toasted bread, fried clams, offered with or without bellies, and a seafood boil with lobster claws, linguica sausage and corn.
The wait in between courses gave diners ample opportunity to sip Connie & Ted’s $5 introductory whiskey punch, or select from a list of cocktails by Laura Lindsay, including Ted’s Cup featuring a house-made Scotch liqueur, cucumber and mint, and Sailor’s Delight, a mix of gin, rhubarb, strawberries and egg whites.
A preppy dressed diner in polka dots and a trench coat sitting just beyond the bar commented to another, “I sure hope this place works out, because there aren’t any good seafood places in the area.â€
8171 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, (323) 848-CRAB.
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