Oystercatcher — Restaurant in Coupeville

We first dine here 3 years ago and was extremely impressed with the drinks and beautiful dishes here, so we decided to drive 3hours/cross the ferry to come back for another try. I noticed there has been a shift with the menu. The chef’s definitely looking for innovative way and put twists on classic dishes. Some dishes are delicious, but some make me wonder a little bit. The oyster was super fresh and delicious, but both the oysters and mignonette were at room temperature, combined with the evening toasty temperature in the ceiling fan-operated dining room full of guests makes the taste of the oyster less refreshing. While I appreciate the nature-like look of rocks underneath the oysters, I wish it was ice instead (the usual way) and shaved ice in the mignonette to chill things out. The strawberry and rhubarb butter was very creative and has such a pretty pink color! Unfortunately, the taste of the sweet butter on top of the naturally sweet bread takes out the savory salt butter feel that I love in bread-and-butter combo. It feels less satisfying, like something is missing… The ceviche trio has really fresh crab and shrimp in it. I did not like the cauliflower/tomato with big chunks of pickled cucumber component in the trio at all. Also there’s some issue with the plating. The 3 components were put in 3 little ramekins with tiny spoons on a crowded plate did not make sense to me. You want to be able to scoop off the protein with the chips and enjoy the bite easily, rather than having to maneuver around this tiny spoon and tiny ramekin. I felt like it took me way more work and way longer to eat this dish which makes it less enjoyable. I did make a joke and gave the feedback with one of the chefs, and he said “we have bigger spoons back there” which was hilarious. The scallop risotto was the highlight of the night! Scallop was cooked perfectly, so was the risotto. The snap peas in carrots with the crunchy element, complemented it very well. I wish there was more snap peas in it. Definitely worth the money. The freshly made gnocchi was nice and fluffy, good flavors as expected. The chai crème brûlée was the strangest dessert I’ve ever had. It tastes like very sweet gingerbread as you bite into it and then has a sweet cream aftertaste. Tbh the texture is not what you would expect from a crème brûlée, but A+ to the chef for thinking outside of the box. I ordered three different cocktails and wasn’t too impressed with any of them, which was a bummer.. because I remember how the cocktail used to be super pretty looking and delicious. Overall, it was a fun dining experience. The one dish I would come back for is the...

Updated review to come.

Original review:

Due to high winds cancelling several ferries from Port Townsend, we arrived in Coupeville much later than we'd planned. By the time we had checked in to our hotel and made it over to the area around Front Street, it was a few minutes shy of 8:00pm.

Oystercatcher ended up being immediately adjacent to where we'd parked, and it looked open, so we wandered up and inquired about a table. I noticed, as we entered, that they closed at 8:00pm, and that it was already 8:01, but they seated us anyway, without saying a word about being closed. I felt a little bad about it, but nothing in our entire experience made us feel like we were being a burden to them by showing up late; in fact, quite to the contrary!

First up: our server, Aaron, is among the best servers I have ever had the pleasure of being catered by! From start to finish, he was professional, knowledgeable, personable, and went the extra mile for us at every turn. We walked us through the various specials, recommendations, and helped us settle on an array of dishes which we would share between my wife and I, including my first ever oyster. For someone who generally abstains from seafood in almost all forms, this was a big deal for me!

We settled on the aforementioned half-dozen, half-shell oysters, Galeux squash and parsnip soup, Nicola potato gnocchi, fried green tomatoes & pickled okra, and to drink, an Old Fashioned with brandy (a current special), and a gin and soda. In between the various courses of our meal, we were served a few bonus, non-advertised dishes (an amuse bouche and an intermezzo), at the whim of either Aaron or the chef (or both?).

I'm going to abstain from saying anything about the oysters, because they will never be my thing. I can understand why some people love them, and to be honest, the flavor combination of the salty oyster and the savory red wine mignonette in which they were bathed, was fabulous; but textural things, particularly gummy, chewy or slimy things, will always be my Kryptonite. Beyond this, each and every individual item was spectacular, and as a whole, our meal at Oystercatcher rests near the top of a very short list of near perfect experiences at truly fine dining establishments. Both the meal, and the service (Aaron in particular), are absolutely worthy of a Michelin...

We chose Oystercatcher for our Thanksgiving dinner with a family member from off island and we are glad we did. So did quite a few other people which, in a small venue like OC, makes for a very cozy experience. Nonetheless the staff successfully maintained the chef's design and intent of the meal by carefully spacing and introducing each of the courses and discussing the wine we had chosen. Each course brought a sensational experience on its own and the menu as a whole was creative while still paying respect to a traditional Thanksgiving meal. a perfect blend of food science and 'art de la cuisine'. Easy five stars for both Food and Service. The modest rating for Atmosphere weighs back to the size of the crowd and the space. It's hard to complain about a restaurants success. Yet, for this particular day, the clientele arrived with some anticipation of a traditional family meal, even if they are seated inches away from strangers with the same expectations. This wasn't a regular public dining event one gets when they drop into a local restaurant. There was more of a sense of breaking bread and giving thanks with loved ones. So, if reducing the table density is not an option, then at least changing the music to more of a down tempo holiday mix would have helped. Instead what we got was dance and pop music that, when the volume increased, the voices of the people increased in an escalating arms race to see which would win out. I understand that the kitchen staff (and at the OC, you eat at the Kitchen table by design) needs to maintain a steady throb of activity and music is the motivator. My suggestion...give them AirPods. Still a memorable experience and will keep OC on our special 'Take-Guests-from-out-of-Town' list. A Hearty Thank You! to the staff for giving up their holiday plans to prepare and serve my family on...