Fall is in the air in New York, which for some reason made me remember the first time I visited Blue Fin restaurant. Three memories stand out: the great service, the delish lobster roll, and those addictive seeded flatbreads — hope they’re all still there! Here’s the scoop:

A recent weekend of holiday insanity in New York included a couple of nights at the W Times Square, where, by the way, the service was so above-average that it was almost unsettling. Who would expect that much gracious, prompt customer service the weekend before Christmas smack dab in the middle of Times Square? Quite impressive…

Anyway, lunch at the hotel’s Blue Fin restaurant was also full of surprises. A fun, practically reasonably priced wine list accompanied an array of seafood options – some with a twist, some straightforward, all super-fresh.

An excellent bread basket arrived promptly, filled with an assortment of warm, inviting goodies, including some addictive seeded flatbread.

Raw bar offerings included some twelve varieties of oysters on the half shell, three options for three-tiered platters, and a concise list of nigiri, sashimi and rolls. All items sampled proved fresh and nicely presented.

The lobster sandwich, as recommended by our waiter, was delish. Full of big chunks of sweet, tender lobster, along with avocado, bacon and tomato and some kind of tarragon-flecked mayo. At $23, it wasn’t a cheap everyday sandwich, but it was a generous serving and worth every cent. A juicy burger ($16) was cooked to order and full of flavor, with a pile of buttermilk onion rings on the side – a nice choice for a blustery winter day.

Sauteed dorade ($28) was fresh and flaky, topped with a respectable amount of crab and served along so-so herbed gnocchi and a creamy garlic sauce.

A bottle of THE Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough ($39) was just the ticket – fresh and crisp and focused. The wine list also includes a few New York State wines, featured grower Champagnes, and a nice collection of Rieslings – all would work quite well with Blue Fin’s food.

The restaurant is beautifully designed, starting on the street level and extending upward via a dramatic staircase to a second level. Great spot for people watching! (february 2006)

Blue Fin
1567 Broadway @ 47th
W Times Square
NY 10036
212-918-1400
www.brguestrestaurants.com

(Originally published February 2006)