With the success of Blue Plate Oysterette in Santa Monica, the Blue Plate Restaurant Group opened a second Cape Cod-style restaurant on West 3rd Street offering a fun, beach vibe. Located just East of Crescent Heights, this place was packed last Friday evening with locals enjoying fresh seafood, wine and beer while sitting inside or out on the outdoor patio underneath a bigger than life-size painting of a mermaid playing the guitar.

The beach shack motif offers blue and white colors with a modern look that is light, bright and appealing for dining. Inside the black vinyl captain chairs sit next to engineered stone counter tops with light fixtures that look similar to buoys.

The manager, Javier sat us inside along a banquette looking out to the lively bar and counter area and near the small oyster display bar.

Looking over the menu, I started with a glass of Rose’ wine. I was surprised when it arrived in a can. Since I’ve never tried Rose’ in a can, I was willing to give it a try. Pampelonne is a product from Germany. It’s actually a Rose’-lime slightly sparkling wine. The can describes it as a premium wine crafted with fine French wine and combined with six natural ingredients. It was a little too sweet for my liking, yet I sipped it with a plate of Kumai oysters from Mexico, Luna oysters from California, Fanny Bay from British Columbia and Misty Point from Virginia. The half shells were served with a champagne mignonette, housemade cocktail sauce, pickled shallots and freshly shredded horseradish sauce.

Next we tried Executive Chef Andrew Bice’s lobster tacos made with a super crunchy shell filled with large chunks of lobster. It’s served with a warm tomato and basil puree and chunky guacamole to enhance the dish.

My husband enjoyed the large crab cake with lump crab with a side of arugula and pink pickled onions. The creamy tarter sauce is one of the best in town.
Our server Reid recommended the mussels in a red curry sauce with a side of the coconut rice. It was fun pulling mussels from their shell, yet the sauce offered a kick and was slightly too spicy for me. Combining the curry with the coconut rice mellowed the heat. I also enjoyed a plate of fresh halibut bathing in a fennel and chunky mushroom broth.

If you don’t like seafood, they do offer a 14 oz. New York Strip Steak, an Angus beef burger, a half-pound Angus beef dog, and half a Mary’s chicken with herbs.
Side dishes include Yukon Gold Old Bay fries, garlic spinach, cole slaw and lobster mac-n-cheese or plain mac-n-cheese.

Save room for their extra-large slice of chocolate bread pudding and their toothsome Key Lime pie. Both will put a smile on your face.

Next time I visit Blue Plate Oysterette, I may go back for lunch to try their Fall lunch menu that includes a Ahi burger; fried oyster Bahn Mi sandwich with chips, salad or fries or a salmon quinoa salad with a sherry vinaigrette. Blue Plate Oysterette offers something pleasing for everyone and is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. $$ 8048 W 3rd St. (323)656-5474.

Published in the Beverly Press and Park LaBrea News on October 23, 2014