"Oh. Well, it's supposed to be good."
 |
| Let It Never Be Said That We Didn't Try "Weird Things" |
At
Anchor and Hope, this sea urchin comes as an appetizer with dungeness
crab. Being that we've practically "starved" today, we also ask for two
entrees off of the dinner menu: an order of
fish and chips and a lobster
roll (in truth, we spent all of 15 seconds looking at the menu before
decreeing, "They have fish and chips and a lobster roll. Done").
 |
| Also, In Case You Feared We Have Stopped Drinking for the Day, We Have Not |
Indeed, this under-the-sea theme pervades the restaurant, as the entire
interior looks like something out of a fishing village on the
Maine
coast. In the words of Ginger, "It's a trendy little warehouse."
 |
| Don't Be Fooled -- This Is an Alley to Deliciousness |
 |
| Under the Sea... Nobody Beat Us, Try Us and Eat Us! |
Unlike
Cafe Jacqueline, Anchor and Hope actually IS
hopping on this Friday night, yet no one but us seems to be debating the
continual disappointment of a strawberry souffle ("I just kept thinking
that it would get better if I kept eating it." "Things that are bad do
not get better. They get worse. And we get fatter").
 |
| Even This Mayonnaise Is More Souffle-Like Than That Souffle |
Luckily for
Anchor and Hope, few, if any, things on their menu seem to fall under
the "bad spectrum," as the complimentary homemade potato chips which
arrive with our wine are downright delectable. Crisp and uber-salty,
they put
Blue Smoke's chips to shame (especially considering they have
not evolved into one solid greasy mass by the bottom of the container).
 |
| Vodka and Ginger Stamp of Approval |
Our sea urchin arrives very quickly, and despite our
willingness to eat this thing, no matter how it was presented, we are
secretly pleased that it has not come in its spiky shell.
 |
| We Don't Like to Have to Work for Our Food |
Instead, the
bright yellow streams of urchin are presented in a chowder-like
substance, along with potato, crab, and lobster meat.
 |
| Not Your Mother's Chowder |
The sea urchin
texture tastes like the "foie gras of the sea" -- gooey, warm, and
salty, it is hard to separate its flavors from the surrounding chowder,
which is buttery with a hint of lemon.
 |
| Beauty in Bowl Form |
Overall, the entire dish
completely warrants
Aida Mollenkamp's
Best Thing I Ever Ate FILLED WITH ENVY coronation, and it is only the warmth of the bowl itself that keeps
us from licking the remainder of the substance into our mouths.
 |
| First Sea Urchin Experience Is Deemed a Raging Success |
The fish and chips and lobster roll
entrees are equally pleasing, though we both mildly prefer the former
dish (presumably because it comes with
tartar sauce).
 |
| Give Us a Plate with Condiments and We're Instantly More Interested |
The flounder in
the fish and chips is fully fried but in a light, non-greasy shell, and
it is very similar to the beer-battered variety from
Philadelphia's
Dandelion.
 |
| We Should Have Been Born British |
 |
| Flounder from The Little Mermaid Would NOT Approve |
While the lobster roll is scrumptious overall, we give the
fish and chips a one-up over it mostly because the brioche bun seems to
overwhelm the lobster meat (and even more importantly, the mayonnaise)
itself (additionally, the sandwich comes with the same chips which we
received at the beginning of the meal, and while they are wonderful,
we've already grown a bit tired of them).
 |
| Time to Change Up the Side Dishes, Anchor and Hope |
 |
| Bready McBreaderson, Mayoress of BreadyTown |
Anchor and Hope's food helps
to explain why the place is bustling despite its location down a rather
shady alley, and we are almost pleased that we missed out on all of our
Napa
Best Thing I Ever Ate dining opportunities so that we could fully
appreciate a meal here.
 |
| Throw Us a Lifesaver, Cause These Pounds Are Creeping on Fast |
After all, being the girls who go to a restaurant and order JUST the
sea urchin is a bit too far on the side of "weirdo" for even us to be
comfortable with.
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