Photos courtesy of Anastasia Gayol Cintron ‘17
With a jazzy and cosmopolitan atmosphere, the 3rd & Ferry Fish Market sets up its patrons to expect a high caliber dining experience. My meal, unfortunately fell flat from the restaurant’s lofty ceilings.
While the service was friendly and the chefs – visible to the entire restaurant and 3rd Street – interacted with diners as they entered the restaurant, it was the food that disappointed me in its severe inconsistency.
The layout of 3rd and Ferry’s menu was obscure. While some of the appetizers listed could have easily been categorized as sides, like their Lobster Mashed Potatoes and Market Fries, others could have been entrees, like Crabcakes and Scallops. While the listed entrees tended to be more ornate than its hors d’oeuvre counterparts, it was the list labeled “Light Fare” that confused me. Only three items were on this list: “The Burger,” “Lobster Roll,” and “Fish N’Chips.” None of which I would consider light fare.
Nevertheless, there were some highlights to my meal. One of my dining partners ordered the Pan Seared Scallops off the entrée list, which was superb. Coated in a bacon and onion marmalade and marinated in a sage meuniere sauce, the scallops delicately contained the perfect bite. These gelatin gems were garnished with a sweet brussel sprout slaw. The fish portion of the Fish N’Chips was lightly battered and cradled in a crispy golden shell. It was truly one of the best plates of fried fish I’ve had. In addition, the Lobster Mashed Potatoes was seafood comfort food at its best. Although the lobster could have been fresher, the dish was served in a casserole dish with a mound of heavenly mashed potatoes drizzled with gravy and beurre blanc. One simply cannot go wrong with a pound of butter.
The inconsistency of the experience lay in one of 3rd and Ferry’s signature dishes, their Market Fries. Fresh cut fries tossed in crab aioli, it was in essence a plate of grease severely lacking favor. On top of this, the crab meet that was on the fries could have been from a can for its quality. Finally, the Fried Shrimp were a huge let down. The caper remoulade dipping sauce was about the only thing that distinguished the dish from one ripped out of a frozen cardboard box.
The restaurant itself is impressive. It is a massive space with the kitchen in the front window and an enormous bar reminiscent of the one in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (1980). The music that accompanies dinners is jazz from the 40’s; Billie Holiday and Sinatra. More of a speakeasy theme than a nautical one, if it weren’t for the name, raw bar, and menu, diners could easily miss that this is a seafood restaurant.
To 3rd and Ferry’s defense, my negative dining experience could have been a result of being stuck in the basement’s “Gallery Room” and not in the main dining room. It could have also been the fact that I went on a Sunday evening. My advice: give it a shot if your parents are paying. It is not completely worth passing up, but it’s also not worth killing yourself in the icy trek to Downtown Easton.