City Crab and Seafood Company (FAREWELL WINE DINNER!)

235 Park Avenue South

(corner of 19th Street)

It is definitely the end of an era. On August 30, 2015, City Crab closed its doors, as the space will be taken over by the recently shuttered Union Square Café.

 

To mark our final meal, my sister and I attended City Crab’s final Wine Dinner on Tuesday, August 25, 2015. A four-course meal, paired with wines from Berringer.

 

 

Upon arrival, I was pleased to see that the restaurant was crowded with other diners wanting to have a final meal at one of the best-known seafood establishment in the city.

The Wine Dinner was held on the third-floor level of the restaurant. Table setting was lovely. And immediately upon being seated, I was poured a glass of the Berringer Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley 2013.

 

Very light and very floral and very easy to drink. A bit too easy to drink, because I must have had three glasses before the appetizer was even served. Luckily we did have a bread basket!

Kitchen was slow the entire evening. Not sure why. Perhaps they were not expecting so many patrons on a Tuesday evening? Or were they understaffed, due to the fact that the restaurant would be closing in a few days? But after going through nearly three glasses of the sauvignon blanc (drinks were unlimited!), we were finally rewarded with mini shrimp cakes topped with a Cajun remoulade that were being served on trays.

 

The shrimp cakes were definitely worth the wait! And small enough so that you could pop entirely in your mouth. The remoulade was a bit spicy, but not overwhelmingly so and it paired wonderfully with the sauvignon. Best pairing of the night!

After another seemingly interminable wait, we were served the official first course of our four-course meal: chilled seafood salad of lobster and mixed shellfish. Delicious! The seafood was fresh, particularly the lobster. Best course of the night!

 

Salad was paired with the Berringer Chardonnay, Luminus 2013. Buttery taste. Bit heavy finish.

 

The second course came again after a very long wait. And again not sure why. Especially since the second course was fusilli pasta with sausage and tuscan kale Bolognese sauce. It would seem to be a pretty basic dish, but my sister’s pasta was undercooked. My plating seemed rushed, which didn’t make sense since it took such a long time for the meal to arrive.

The pasta was paired with the Berringer Pinot Noir, Napa Valley 2011. Light and even a bit bubbly.

 

After yet another interminable wait, the third course arrived: cabernet braised short ribs with a polenta crostini. I barely had any shortribs on my plate, but what I did taste was rather bland and uninspired. And after my sister choked on her dry polenta, I didn’t even bother to try mine.

The third course was paired with the Berringer Cabernet Sauvignon, Knights Valley Riserve, 2012. Very bold, full bodied, and earthy. In my opinion, best wine of the night!

Evening ended with the fourth course of the night: vanilla bean panna cotta with balsamic-fig reduction. Again, serving was sloppy. See my sister’s dessert:

In comparison to mine. The kitchen seemed to have run out of the fig reduction on my plate.

Dessert was paired with the Berringer Nightingale 2008. Very sweet wine.

 

 

FINAL THOUGHTS

City Crab will be missed for what it excelled in. Seafood and shellfish!