Get Across Town:
Woodhouse Fish Company By Susan Reynolds
My dad grew up in East Pawtucket, Rhode Island, so he’s tough to please when it comes to New England cuisine, be it quahogs or croquettes. A recent visit to Woodhouse Fish Company, a casual neighborhood spot kitty-corner from Safeway on Market Street, had me a little nervous. I’ve always loved the place (and I spent my summers in Rhode Island, so I’ve had a few baked stuffies myself), but my dad, the native, is a much harsher critic. First a platter of briny cherrystones on the half shell came out. He nodded. A lobster roll – sweet, tender meat lightly dressed with mayo on a buttery toasted flat-sided sweet bun – drew a smile. “It just needs a little celery salt,” he said, his New England accent still thicker than bad West Coast chowder even after 40 years in California. Whole-belly Ipswich clams are hard to come by outside of New England, but Woodhouse flies them in fresh from Maine and fries them in a light crunchy batter. They are not a bit chewy (a sign they are properly cooked), and have the requisite mineraly overtones that my dad remembers fondly. “Now they just need coffee milk,” he grumbled, crunching away. Unfortunately they didn’t have steamers on our visit (weather plays a big part), but I’ve been lucky enough to have them at Woodhouse in the past: soft-shell clams that, if you can get past their ugliness, are, as my Sicilian fisherman grandfather used to say, “caramella del mare,” or candy of the sea. Pull the black membrane off the siphon and swish the clam through the broth (to remove grit) and then melted butter. (I’ll take that over chocolate any day.) If you want to stick to left coast crustaceans, try the giant artichoke piled with bay shrimp and Dungeness crab, the cheddar crab melt, or the crab Louie roll. Tuesdays are oyster lover heaven: $1 oysters (and $4 pints of beer) from 4 until 9:30 p.m.
Woodhouse Fish Company:
2073 Market St. (at Church); daily from 11:45 a.m.; 415-437-2722, www.woodhousefish.com
mayo on a buttery toasted flat-sided sweet bun – drew a smile. “It just needs a little celery salt,” he said, his New England accent still thicker than bad West Coast chowder even after 40 years in California. Whole-belly Ipswich clams are hard to come by outside of New England, but Woodhouse flies them in fresh from Maine and fries them in a light crunchy batter. They are not a bit chewy (a sign they are properly cooked), and have the requisite mineraly overtones that my dad remembers fondly. “Now they just need coffee milk,” he grumbled, crunching away. Unfortunately they didn’t have steamers on our visit (weather plays a big part), but I’ve been lucky enough to have them at Woodhouse in the past: soft-shell clams that, if you can get past their ugliness, are, as my Sicilian fisherman grandfather used to say, “caramella del mare,” or candy of the sea. Pull the black membrane off the siphon and swish the clam through the broth (to remove grit) and then melted butter. (I’ll take that over chocolate any day.) If you want to stick to left coast crustaceans, try the giant artichoke piled with bay shrimp and Dungeness crab, the cheddar crab melt, or the crab Louie roll. Tuesdays are oyster lover heaven: $1 oysters (and $4 pints of beer) from 4 until 9:30 p.m.
