Fall Dining Spotlight: Mermaid Oyster Bar

A first bite of Laurence Edelman's rock shrimp pasta

Not quite two years have passed since the original Mermaid Inn in the East Village expanded to the Upper West Side. Now, they're swimming back downtown for the latest addition, Mermaid Oyster Bar, opening in September at the old Smith's space.

The West Village offshoot will have a different menu than its siblings—obviously, with an emphasis on the namesake bivalves—and a more casual vibe. Instead of maritime prints and ephemera, the walls will be filled with photographs of beach landscapes and seashore motels. The Merman himself, co-owner Danny Abrams, has been busy scouring shops for just the right artwork.

Chef Laurence Edelman sums it up: “You'll know you’re in a Mermaid Inn, but it’ll be different. Where Mermaid Inn is New England, Massachusetts and Maine, Oyster Bar is the Hamptons and the Jersey Shore.” Got it. A citified fish shack, and just the right place to enjoy one of Mermaid Oyster Bar's new dishes, rock shrimp pasta, which we got a chance to sample.

By Krista Garcia; photos by Kelly Neal