TABLE FOR ONE: HARBOUR

Last night I went to the opening night party of a new seafood restaurant in Soho called Harbour, brought to us by Richard Schaeffer and Michelin starred chef Joe Isidori. I had no expectations and only intended to grab drinks. Well, I was lucky enough to end up having a full meal, and I feel compelled to tell you that I was blown away.

First off, the restaurant looks great. It reminds me of my other favorite Soho seafood restaurant, Lure Fishbar, in that it looks like you are in a yacht. Seriously though, it is basically a yacht on land. I really like the layout of the restaurant because the bar area is totally separated from the dining room.

I sat at the bar and had a few cocktails created by cocktail consultant Deborah Harris. They were nice drinks, and after three, I was definitely ‘loopy’, shall we say.

I started with the House Chowder ($8), which came with herbs and vegetables. After one spoonful I was in total shock. It was amazing. My mind had been blown. I’m not a huge eater of chowders, besides the typical New England Clam, but this chowder is special. There was an amazing smokiness to it, for it is cooked with Chinese bacon, and there is also a really nice kick to the dish. It was probably the best chowder I’ve ever had!

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For my entrée I was served the Arctic Char ($23), which came with miso, grapefruit, and yuzu. It was a pretty dish, and again, after one bite, my mind was blown. It, too, was absolutely amazing. The fish was so perfectly cooked, it practically melted in my mouth -- it was like buttuh! The grapefruit, yuzu, and vegetables, perfectly complemented each other. What took this dish to another level, though, was the addition of salmon roe, which gave the dish a little saltiness to cut away from the citrus, and in my opinion is truly ingenious. It was an outstanding dish, and I’m going to be honest and say it was actually one of the best fish dishes I have ever had!

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For dessert I had Harbour’s version of a Black Forest Cake ($8), which was fine, but not as mind-blowing as my previous courses.

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I love how life works and how it’s all meant to be. I love how when attending opening night parties for cocktails, you end up with unexpected amazing dining experiences. Harbour is not only a great addition to its west Soho neighborhood; it is a great addition to all of NYC. Do yourself a favor and hop on this yacht soon and sail away into culinary bliss.

Harbour
290 Hudson St. (bet. Spring and Dominick)
New York, NY 10013
212-989-6410

www.harbournyc.com