Finding a seafood restaurant that features more than fried calamari and stuffed clams is hard to come by in Brooklyn. Or at least it is in South Brooklyn. Now, there may be another good reason to sit on the R train to Bay Ridge (other than Century 21 and lots of pubs) – Beebo Seafood and Raw Bar restaurant.
I have often passed by Beebo, so when the opportunity arose for my husband and I to have a night out alone, I immediately thought of this restaurant. A fine dining experience, complete with mood lighting and a fork for your appetizer AND your entrée, should be enjoyed in all its adult glory.
Beebo focuses on “regional elements filtered through a classic lens” and claims to have “five-star salads”.
The restaurant is beautiful – sleek, polished and modern. There is a small handsome bar at the entrance, at which diners were chatting and eating oysters. The restaurant has a spacious layout with two dining rooms and an outdoor area with an Italian café essence. We were seated next to the salad bar, which I think may also serve as the raw bar. Ample room between tables allowed for private conversation, so this is definitely a great date spot.
We were happy to see an advertisement outside, stating Tuesday night’s three course prix fixe special: unlimited salad bar, lobster bisque or soup of the day, and one of four entrées. Our waitress did not inform us of this, though – we had to specifically ask for it, which always makes me feel a little funny. Then the special was presented to us on a small paper flyer without any descriptions of the food. Our waitress did, however, let us know that bottles of wine are ½ price on Tuesdays.
Being a lover of all things that fill you up with little calories and lots of nutrients, I was eager to see this salad bar. It was a nice presentation of two greens, shredded cabbage, various salad dressing and roughly four prepared salads. A creamy lobster and shrimp salad were offset by a tangy beet, orange and goat cheese salad (although the lobster and shrimp salads were saturated in a little more mayo than I like.)
My husband ordered the lobster bisque, which was smooth and very tasty with chunks of tender lobster. I had the Boston clam chowder and it was perfect. Thick and creamy with fresh pieces of clams. Perfect for a winter night.
For the entrée, my husband paired his lobster salad and lobster bisque with the lobster tail
Thermado. I thought it tasted much better than our waitress’ description of it, from which I imagined the meal to be chunks of lobster bathed in cream of mushroom soup (although the sauce did seem to be the lobster bisque we had just consumed.)
My pistachio crusted salmon was delicious – I thought the salmon’s heart healthy omega-3’s compensated for the lobster cholesterol fest. The salmon was easily 6 oz, much larger than I expected, with a crunchy, nutty crust.
I was, however, disappointed that the waitress didn’t ask how I’d like the salmon cooked There was a sauce on it and, to my surprise, the waitress didn’t know what it was, nor did she offer to find out for me.
Both entrées came with a starch: the lobster with rice and the salmon with mashed potatoes (which were tasteless and dry). There were also two tiny (and yummy) broccoli florets on the plate. I normally would have wanted more, but I’d had my share of greens at the salad bar.
Some of the regular dinner menu’s appetizers are:
- Grilled octopus
- Coconut beer battered shrimp
- Smoked salmon
Average cost: $14
Entrees:
- Sesame crusted tuna
- Live lobster
- Surf and turf
- Sea scallops
- Lobster ravioli
Average cost: $21
Beebo has a complimentary wine list and homemade desserts (chocolate molten lava cake, crème brulée, cheese cake). Unfortunately, I never seem to have room for dessert. The restaurant also features specials throughout the week, like oyster Wednesdays and an unlimited salad bar option for lunch on the weekends. You may need to seek these deals out, though, if they’re not visibly advertised.
All in all, it was a peaceful night out during which my husband and I were able to finish complete sentences and have long, drawn out conversations. Which, of course, always involve the cute things our daughter did that day and how much we miss her.
I’ll try to remember this feeling tomorrow when I’m chasing her around the house trying to get her to put her coat on…and then her shoes…and then her hat…
Beebo is located at 8518 3rd Avenue in Brooklyn. Visit Beebo at Beeboseafood.com
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Theresa Gentile MS, RD, CDN is a dietitian at Maimonides Medical Center, adjunct faculty at CUNY Brooklyn College and counsels adults and children using sound science and holistic approaches to eating. Check out her website at www.theresagentilenutrition.com and like her on Facebook www.facebook.com/TGNutrition.
The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog contributor’s. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Writers may have conflicts of interest, and their opinions are their own.
