RestaurantsPublic Fish & Oyster

Scott Shagory

November 15th, 2018

Rated 3.5/5

Public Fish & Oyster is small, focused restaurant that places oysters front and center – as the name would suggest – with a diverse and well edited beer and wine selection.  My first visit, without a reservation, was on a rainy Saturday evening.  The place was absolutely full.  Daniel Kaufman, the owner, indicated there might be a bar seat opening up shortly, and true to his word, within 15 minutes that was the case.  Such are the advantages of knowing your customer’s habits and walk-in clients being patient.

Rightly or wrongly, I often judge a restaurant by its bread.  Like a handshake, it is often one’s first food based interaction and sets the tone for the rest of the experience.  Too many restaurants do not focus enough on getting this small detail right.  For Public Fish & Oyster, they started on a strong note.  The crust was just the right side of crunchy, with a small consistent crumb that was warm and tender inside.  A sphere of butter laced with chives sat close by.

I had a starter of oysters which are listed on a wall mounted chalk board.  I tried two of the Whitestones from Virginia and watched the oysterman work his magic.  They were excellent.  Smelling of the sea, they tasted super fresh, with just a touch of brine.  The mussels and frites, with their classic mariniere seasoning, were my main dance partner for the evening.  The mussels were plump and tender and the broth – white wine, shallots, parley, cream – made for a nice foundation of aromatics and flavors.  Spicier combinations are available, if preferred. 

Washing things down was a Belgian brown ale, Maredsous Brune, Maredsous Abbaye, crafted by Benedictine monks.  With a low bitter count, 24 IBUs, it complemented my mussels nicely.    Having your adult beverages blessed by the Holy Father never hurts either.  Dessert was a special for the evening – double chocolate cake with whipped cream and a cherry coulis.  As a chocolate enthusiast, I had big hopes and based on appearance alone it looked impressive.  The coulis and cream were very well done, with the coulis catching the crest between sweet and sour.  But the cake was a bit dry and the frosting thick and heavy.  Even by ganache standards, it was dense.  A moister crumb and buttercream frosting would have been a better combination.

On my second visit, I started with another round of oysters of one each – Big Island Pearls from Mundy Creek, VA, Mamma Mias from Malpegue Bay, Salutes from Northumberland, Prince Edward Island – along with a round of bread and butter.  Like the Whitestones, the Big Island Pearls and the Mamma Mias were gentle on the brine and tasted as though they had been just plucked from the sea.  The Salutes was also excellent, but the brine was stronger.  Once again the bread was very good.  Dinner was the PFO Pan Roast – a combination of shell fish, haricot verts, rice, in a curry spiced lobster veloute sauce.  My drink for the evening was a Belgian golden ale called La Chouffe.  Legend has it gnomes (chouffes) once created this style of beer in the local area.  Brewed with coriander, my new gnome friends did a good job against the veloute, spiced with curry.  The ale was another welcome recommendation from the staff, the Maredsous Brune from my first visit being recommended by the owner.  

Dessert on this visit was a definite success.  Key lime filling, graham cracker crust, chantilly cream, and red berry coulis all hit high notes on this piece of pie.  The lime filling was nicely tart, with the buttery crust and cream offsetting both the filling and the coulis.  A bit of lime zest added further color and some scent.  Very satisfying.

Located on West Main Street in Charlottesville, VA there is decent, level on-street parking.  Good for motorcycles and sportcars with low front spoilers.  Parking lots are a short walk away.  Just down the street is the intersection for Route 20, with access to Route 250, so your getaway – assuming there is no window shopping to be done – is smooth and easy. 

During my wait for a bar seat on my first visit, I had a nice chat with Daniel about the restaurant’s ethos, Charlottesville, and any expansion plans.  Getting bigger is not an option.  So, I would encourage reservations at any time as the place is on the smaller side, popular, and only open for dinner.  But such are the challenges of a place where the food is very good, the vibe and energy positive, and the focus on doing a few things well. 

Public Fish & Oyster
513 West Main Street
Charlottesville, VA  22903
434-995-5542
http://publicfo.com
https://goo.gl/maps/6wtRm4eKD3JT4BFH8

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