Island Creek Oyster Rec's
Heading to ICO for the first time tonight...does anyone have any favorites?
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Island Creek Oyster Bar
500 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215
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opinionatedchef
Nov 26, 2011 06:28 PM
Dropped in the other night for another delightful meal. Was reminded that there is a new book our about oyster farming at Island Creek Oysters in Duxbury (co-owners of ICOB). Reading it gives you a major new appreciation for all the effort it takes for us to get our euphoric oyster grins:
http://articles.boston.com/2011-10-19...
"Shucked" by Erin Byers Murray
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Island Creek Oyster Bar
500 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215 -
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re: Carty
Msample
Jul 18, 2011 07:13 AM
I had been wanting to try ICOB for a while and finally had a bit of time to stop in Saturday as they opened. Unfortunately, they only serve the raw bar before 5PM, which isn't mentioned on the website. I didn't have time to stay and had to leave. Not sure why they don't start the rest of the menu an hour earlier - Eastern Standard was doing a brisk business.
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Eastern Standard
528 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 -
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Last time me and my gf were here we had a dozen oysters. 6 island creeks, 2 wellfleets, 2 misty points from va and 2 hama hama from wa. All very good. Island creek and misty points were our favorites Ask your server. They are very helpful here. Menu is printed daily. We were here at 5:00 one night and they had no menus because they were still printing them. Only took a few minutes. As someone else mentioned the snug harbor smash is a good drink. For dinner I had the lobster roe noodles. I had read so much about it i thought it would never live up to the hype. I was wrong it was one of the best dishes i've had in boston lately. gf had the seafood cassarole. It was also very good. Shrimp,scallops,haddock.and lobster. The couple next to us were telling us how good the steamers and mussels were. We will have to try them next time.
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opinionatedchef
Jul 15, 2011 09:49 AM
because the varieties change so often, my habit is to order one of each that appeals to me (after consulting w/ the waiter or other) and then order more of my favs. This last week the B.C. ones were v good. My Love had the halibut with the luscious cod set-up; the lobster roe noodles were even more delicious than last time; the epiphany was the Razor Clams. Never had had them before and i can't describe how unusual and superb they were. slightly crunchy texture, large portion,lovely simple garlic/lemon etc treatment.
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re: opinionatedchef
Woah, they had razor clams? Is that something they typically have or was that a special?
From experience, razor clams are really hard to dig up without breaking their shells. I believe that is why they are pretty rare on menus. They are a real treat, though. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall had a great River Cottage episode where they harvested and prepared them right on the beach, iirc.
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re: Area Man
viperlush
Jul 15, 2011 12:12 PM
I had the Grilled Razor Clams icob tasso ham, garlic butter, parsley as an app this past spring. Flavor was good, but unfortunately the clams were really gritty and I couldn't finish them.
For the OP. When I went I made a mistake when ordering my oysters. I should have asked for a description of the oysters and then chosen 1/2 doz. Instead I just told the waiter that I wanted 6 different oysters. I guess he misunderstood me because I ended up with 3 pairs, one of which was the Island Creek. They were tasty and well shucked, but I was hoping to try a larger variety. And if you are like me and love a good dessert you may be disappointed. The dessert list isn't that interesting. We ended up going home and eating left over Petsi pies.
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re: viperlush
opinionatedchef
Jul 15, 2011 11:45 PM
If you don't mind the MAJOR change in aesthetic, Mixx Frozen Yoghurt (5 minute drive, in Allston) with some wonderful refreshing Asian (and other) flavors-taro, coconut, lychee, mango, honeydew, blueberry, etc. - makes for a perfect sweet spot after ICOB.
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re: Gabatta
opinionatedchef
Jul 17, 2011 11:18 PM
ha ha. i wish. <she said, walking out with her $13 froyo quarts> more like fool/addict.
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re: viperlush
opinionatedchef
Jul 15, 2011 11:48 PM
lush, yes, i had that same sand issue myself the other night. i wonder- can't the ICOB staff do the cornmeal flush technique like one does w/ steamers?
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southernwayfarer
Jul 15, 2011 08:13 AM
Gotta get some Island Creeks. I go often and used always try to include several varieties but the Island Creeks are so good I feel it's just a waste to try anything else. The tuna tartare and the fluke tartare apps are excellent however the tuna wasn't on the menu this Wednesday. The scallops are always excellent.
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Went there for another fantastic meal last night. Get some oysters (all were great, but the Chatham ones were underwhelming compared to the others). I had the Cod with clams and chorizo which was great. My wife had the tuna tartare (app sized) as her main, I had it as an app, very good, and our dining companions loved their scallops and haddock. One of my favorite places in town. Enjoy!
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Take a look at http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/742750 and some other threads for ideas. My impression is that you'll do well if you order what appeals to you on the menu, and ask for suggestions from your server--not a lot of duds to be found. Worked for me at least.
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