Dans Papers - May 18, 2007 - Before the Bridge

After only one year in business, Before the Bridge has almost perfected the Margaretville scene, complete with water views, frozen mudslides and every sort of fried seafood imaginable. Best of all, everything they serve is caught by local fishermen, so not only does the food taste great, but it helps support our local fishing industry.

As usual, the review crew included Janine Cheviot, Victoria Cooper and myself. As soon as we stepped in, we were greeted by Marty Robinson, a jovial fellow who also happened to be the owner of the restaurant. Whitney, our waitress, sat us in a nice corner booth with a view of both the misty bay and the whimsical decorations strewn across the walls - fishing nets, sports memorabilia, you name it, they've got it. The menu also aims to please, with tried and true appetizers like Shrimp Cocktail, Fried Oysters, Fried Calamari and Stuffed Baked Clams as well as all your favorite entrees, such as The Bridge Lobster Bake, The Bridge Crab Cake Dinner and Shrimp Diablo. However, there are also a few surprises.

To start, Victoria and I shared the Before the Bridge Shellfish Platter, a huge ice-filled tray covered in raw clams; oysters; cold, cooked mussels and choice pieces of local lobster. This is local seafood, so the clams and the oysters are BIG, meaty and not for the faint of heart. The lobster was prepared perfectly and the dipping sauces - a ginger soy and a traditional cocktail - were delicious. Janine ordered the steak bites with horseradish sauce, which we all ended up devouring before she could protect her plate. Throughout the first course, I was also enjoying Marty's handiwork, a perfectly smooth, creamy Frozen Mudslide. Other than the mudslides I have enjoyed while lying on the beach, this was the best frozen drink I have ever had. Next time I go to Before The Bridge, I might just have an appetizer, skip the main course and fill up on a few of those, instead!

For the main dish, I went with the Fried Coconut Shrimp, Victoria ordered the Seared Sesame Tuna and Janine had the Broiled Stuffed Flounder with crabmeat. I must confess, mine was the most beautiful, with its enormous, perfectly-dusted-in-panko shrimp and artistic drizzling of mango sauce, all arranged on a clean white dish. The taste was superb and they were all gone much too soon. Victoria's tuna was beautiful but not truly seared - if you want that perfect, red sushi taste, be sure to order yours rare. The presentation of that dish was also spectacular, with the black and tan sesame seeds in a perfect crust and slices of tuna precariously perched, one atop the other on the lovely square plate. Janine's stuffed flounder was warm, soft and comforting. This would be a great dish to introduce finicky kids (and adults) to the joys of seafood, as the taste is mild and the texture is not as foreign as firm tuna steak or slippery shellfish. All of our entrees came with little salads drenched in thick dressing and a choice of baked potato, French fries or corn on the cob. I ordered the potato, but ended up finishing off Janine's sweet corn, which needed nothing but a sprinkle of salt to taste like heaven! The French fries were also scrumptious, with perfectly crispy outsides and pillowy middles.

For dessert, we all split the delicious Brownie Sundae, which was cold, sweet and irresistibly gooey.

After dinner, we hung out around the bar and had a great time chatting it up with Marty. The bar area could become Before The Bridge's most appealing feature this summer, as it has every ingredient to become a real after-beach hangout. Not only are the frozen drinks delicious, but the bar is fully stocked with every flavor of Van Gogh vodka available, making their selection of after-dinner (and before-dinner) drinks creative, fun and clean-tasting. The seats are comfortable and the ambiance of the warm wooden bar and wood-paneled walls make it seem like the galley of the most fun fishing vessel ever sailed. Fortunately, this galley is placed firmly on the ground, so you can call a cab to whisk you home when you've enjoyed the bar a little too long. This place is fun - bring a crowd, have a drink and come by straight from the beach. You'll be glad you did.