62. November 4th, 2010 Picture.

Ratty and I decided that we'd like to go out for drinks and appetizers on Thursday after work.  Ratty and I both work in the same neighborhood, so we decided to try out a brand new restaurant in the Fenway called Island Creek Oyster Bar.  We had been going back and forth between ICO Bar and another new place called Citizens Public House and Oyster Bar, but ultimately settled on ICO Bar, or so I thought.  After work, I headed over to ICO Bar and grabbed two seats at the bar, and patiently waited for Ratty to arrive.  It was absolutely pouring outside, and even though I had offered to pick Ratty up, he said that he would just walk over to the restaurant.  I sat and sat and sat, wondering where he was.  I had Tweeted that I was sitting at the bar anxiously awaiting his arrival, and it was only a few minutes before he called in a plight of utter confusion.  He was at the other restaurant, wondering where I was.  He thought we had settled on the Citizens Public House and Oyster Bar, while I thought we have decided on ICO Bar.  Whoops!  I mean, it's not that crazy, the names are extremely similar and they are both in the same area and both were brand new, I am sure this wasn't the first, nor the last time this type of mix up would occur.

It took Ratty a few minutes to walk over to where I was, but when he arrived I made sure that there was a nice martini waiting for him.  While he dried out, we both sipped our drinks and admired the interesting decor.  Okay maybe that last part was only me.  I was super impressed with how cool the restaurant was.  Island Creek is an oyster harvesting company that is extremely well known in New England.  They operate out of Duxbury MA and grow/harvest/market/sell and shuck their own oysters.  They have built up quite the reputation and opened their first restaurant in the Commonwealth Hotel, next to Eastern Standard.  They are very good at keeping their name out there, so even those who don't like oysters, like moi, know who they are.  Last year they teamed up with Harpoon Brewery to create an Oyster Stout that was sold in limited batches in the spring.  I had the pleasure of tasting it at Harpoonfest last March, and let's just say it was an acquired taste.  One that I so much didn't care for.  That aside, I still really like their company, and it's pretty evident that I am not the only one.

The inside of the restaurant looks like the inside of a fishing shack, or boat dock.  They somehow managed to do this in an upscale way.  I know, this sounds crazy, but stay with me.  The walls are made of old clapboard and drift wood, large mason jars are filled with rope and twine, stacks of old milk crates line the shelves in the bar, which created this casual, nautical vibe (so weird that I would like this place, right?).  There were slight industrial touches, with groupings of stainless steel pendant lights and metal chairs.  It was just really, really cool.

{This is what Ratty and I dubbed the perfect table.  Tucked away from the noisy dining room and the perfect spot to sit and spend the night having dinner and drinks with friends.}

{The menu is all fresh seafood, not surprising, and boasts lobsters caught by the chef's cousin Mark on his commercial lobster boat.  The selection changes daily, based on what is caught that day, so I will definitely need to go back and see what new things they have!}

{Snug Harbor Smash, with rum, lime and mint, was absolutely fantastic.}

{The cocktail list is filled with eclectic drinks, like the Perennial, that mixed lemon and fennel together.  I had it, I hate fennel, but it was really delicious.  The bartender, who quickly became our best friend, as most bartenders do, made it for me before I had a chance to argue and I am really happy I tried it.  I do not like licorice, but it was subtle and really enhanced the lemon flavor, which is the best part of the drink, obviously.}

{The shrimp cocktail was unbelievable.  They were ridiculously big, like comically large, and so fresh.  I could eat nothing but shrimp cocktail for the rest of my life.  Someday when I'm uber rich, I will be able to do this.}

{Clam Chowder.}

{For dessert, Ratty and I got milk & cookies.  It was this frothy, vanilla milkshake that was out of this world, with an assortment of cookies and brownies.  That vanilla milk was amazing, I am still dreaming about it.}

We went for drinks and apps right after work, and casually spend 5+ hours sitting at the bar.  It was a pretty great impromptu night out!  I definitely want to go back and see what new things popped up on their menu.