North End Progressive Dinner Part 2 | Mare Oyster Bar

Appetizers

This evening marked my inaugural visit to the revamped Mare, a favorite restaurant of mine in its former life and now an even better asset to the neighborhood as an oyster bar. It feels less formal than it once was, and with this casual approach I am much more inclined to pop in for some cocktails and raw bar fare on a whim. We made a reservation for the four of us this evening, to keep our progressive dinner on schedule. Thankfully, our fantastic waiter had no qualms about our appetizers only meal. We sat in a corner table dressed in crisp white linens set with flickering tea lights. Through the gaping windows as the sun dipped behind the city scape in the distance we sipped from a bottle of Schramsberg Mirabelle Brut ($45) and noshed on seafood apps from the redesigned clipboard menu. We started with some beautiful, briny Cape Cod Oysters ($1.95) from Wellfleet and Pleasant Bay, Orleans and followed those up with a bowl of Steamed Wellfleet Mussels ($12.99) prepared in a lemony white whine garlic sauce. I relished the zesty citrus flavor in this dish, which was heightened by shaved lemon peels. Rounding out the shellfish offerings was a bowl of Native Clams ($12.99) which were served roasted with sopressata and herbs over smooth, creamy polenta. Everything was excellent, though these appetizers were merely a teaser of what Mare has to offer. Tonight it was all about progress, and so we swiftly paid our bill and were off to destination number three for the entree course!

Read my review of Mare (during restaurant week) in its former life here.

P.S. I turn 28 today!