Surfing for Treasures of the Sea

by Chris Becicka

One of the myriad glories of the Internet is that any intrepid diner can too readily find out too much about his dining experience before he ever crosses a threshold.

Yes, he may find a pretty website with terribly annoying music, but also the convenience of on-line reservations; he may find all the entrees listed, reviews by professionals (or not) and worse, he may find the restaurant even has, inexplicably, a presence on MySpace.

But until he eats, he, or she, really has nothing to say. And I have quite a bit to say now about Trezo Mare, the new seafood restaurant in Briarcliff.

My web-induced cynicism was quickly shattered. There was not a missed note. The atmosphere was pleas- ant—happy voices, white tablecloths, fun colors and fixtures; a spacious and attractive bar. Even the tile floor was extra cool. Great service. And yes, superb food.

We began by examining their wine list, which was substantial enough for us: twenty-five by-the-glass choices, from $6 to $15. Bottles were many, including halves, with some good choices despite their too-cute division into “ethereal”, “copious”, and “plenteous” categories for the whites, and “luscious”, “sensuous”, and “voluptuous” for the reds. (I wondered why the categories for the whites dealt more with quantity, and for the reds they were more descriptive…) We chose a tasty (and voluptuous) Shiraz on a list that ranged from a Beaujolais at $16 to a Penfolds Grange 2001 at $320, gulp. Most were in the $30–40 range until that back page.

The calamari from the fourteen-item “To Share” menu scared me (the victim of that too often rubbery squid too often), since the menu described it as “steak”. But what came were six thumb width strips with just enough battered coating, and as tender as could be. The citrus marinade had a spicy tang that was unexpected. Except for two items, all on this list were from the sea. And although the short ribs as an appetizer is my idea of heaven, we tried the lump crab cake ($14) which has me rethinking my opinion of the best crab cakes in town.

The “In Between” menu list was soups and salad and after we’d shared the mache, crispy parsnip, shaved pear, Maytag blue and black-berry vinaigrette, we thought we should probably try the king crab bisque or yellow tomato gazpacho with shrimp. But instead, we charged on to the main course.

Having recently discovered his habitual morning coffee drink packs a whopping 775 calories, Portly Companion selected the Canadian Chinook ($27). It was even better than our salmon memories of Seattle of yore. I finally chose a five compartment “bento box”—with clams, truly superb mussels with spicy sausage, and the day’s “sous vide”—a currently popular method of plastic-bag steamed halibut. It makes for a flakey, if very anemic looking, delicious dish. It came with some little side accompaniments which created some novel taste combos.

For desert, we went with the recommendation of our excellent waitress, Honesty. (How could we not? Her name is Honesty, after all.) The plump apple filled fritters aromatic with cinnamon, arrived with melting honey ice cream plopped on the side. The six other choices sounded great too, and there’s a cheese plate I might try sometime for a meal at the bar, if I can steel myself against all the other choices.

Trezo Mare is just a superb dining experience, whether for you and that special other, or clients, or a group of friends. For starters, you could go to their website and learn about the restaurant’s somewhat bogus name or its fictional history. But if you’re really smart, you’ll skip the Internet and just go eat. Try the Tajine. Go now, go often.