Mooncusser Fish House: Initial Impressions

Excellent seafood is becoming more and more common in the Boston area as a number of new seafood restaurants have been opening within the last few years. One of the latest openings, at the end of July, was Mooncusser Fish House, located in the Back Bay. Ian Calhoun and Vincent Vela, who previously opened 80 Thoreau in Concord, have now chosen to open a seafood restaurant in Boston.  80 Thoreau Chef Carolyn Johnson has also brought her culinary skills to Mooncusser and the result of this collaboration is dish after dish of compelling seafood creations.

Mooncusser is actually divided into two parts, the Moon Bar located on the first floor and the actual Mooncusser Fish House on the second floor. The Moon Bar, pictured above, is the more casual dining area while the upstairs is more high-end. The upstairs area has a minimalist design aesthetic with several large windows that look out onto Columbus Avenue.

Recently, I dined at Mooncusser with a couple good friends, Adam and Andrew, and I wanted to provide some initial impressions of the restaurant. This is not a comprehensive review, especially as the restaurant has been open for less than two months, but I wanted to bring attention to the restaurant based on my dining experience. I've long encouraged people to eat more seafood so I'm always pleased to see a new seafood restaurant which hopefully will get more people enjoying fish and other seafood.

The wine list is compelling, diverse and interesting, with plenty of classic wines, from Bordeaux to Barolo, while also celebrating less common wines, from Spanish Txakoli to Greek Moschofilero. The list is long, without being overwhelming, and should please a wide range of wine lovers. It helps if you know the usual retail prices of the wines on the list (or can Google them) as the mark-up seems to vary dependent on the specific wine. You'll find a fair share of wines that are more reasonably priced at about twice the average retail, with others are closer to three times.

We began our evening with a bottle of Grower Champagne, the 2008 Pierre Gimmonet "Cuvee Gastronome" 1er Cru ($120). I've visited this winery before and love their portfolio of Blanc de Blancs Champagnes. And this bubbly didn't disappoint, with lots of crisp acidity, fine bubbles, complex flavors and a satisfying finish. And as this wine retails for $60-65, the mark-up is very reasonable.

Later in the evening, we also ordered a bottle of an Austrian wine, the 2008 Pichler Riesling Smaragd. A superb Riesling, it was dry with lots of acidity, stony minerality, and delicious peach and apple flavors. Lots of complexity made each taste bring something different to my palate, and it paired very well with a variety of seafood.

We began our dining experience in the Moon Bar, thinking to have some wine and an appetizer or two, though we ended up sharing a number of small plates. The menu in the Moon Bar includes numerous Small Plates ($6-$15), and Sandwiches & Entrees ($15-$24). Of the 17 options, only 3 do not have any seafood such as Marinated Olives and Spicy Greens Salad. This is definitely a restaurant for primarily seafood lovers. They have also just started Lunch Service in the Moon Bar and the lunch menu is slightly different from the regular menu. One of the main differences is the addition of several salads, and you can add a variety of seafoods atop those salads.

Upstairs in Mooncusser, you can opt for a 5-Course Tasting Menu, or select your own dishes off the menu, which is divided into First Courses and Main Courses. There are 8 options for First Courses, priced $10-$18, and there are a couple of the same dishes found in the Moon Bar, but priced $1 more. You could opt for the Seared Gnocchi (with uni, chanterelles, mustard) or Pan Fried Soft Shell Crab. The only non-seafood option is the Baby Kale Salad. There are 9 choices for Main Courses, priced $28-$42. You could opt for Monkfish or Stuffed Skate, and they also have 3 non-seafood choices including Lamb, Guinea Hen, and Stuffed Squash.

At the Moon Bar, with our Champagne, we ordered a number of dishes, revelling in the seafood. The Fried Scallop Ravioli ($15) are made with potato & chives and include a side of green goddess sauce. The Ravioli were light and crispy, with a tender, sweet piece of scallop within. Very tasty.

The Smoked Salmon Choux Buns ($6), a warm choux with chives & paprika, were light with an intriguing smoky flavor accompanying the salmon flavor. Kind of a savory seafood donut which worked well.

The Grilled Squid ($15) comes with escarole, cranberry beans, charred corn, parsley, chili, lemon, and corn aioli. The squid was tender and flavorful and the rest of the dish seemed fresh and clean.

The Grilled Swordfish Souvlaki ($17, though this dish was comped to us) is made with garlic, oregano, lemon, cucumber, tomatoes, chickpeas, yogurt, and pita. They use the swordfish belly so it is very tender and moist, with nice charred bits. Again, everything was very fresh on the plate and this would be a healthy and delicious option.

The Smoked Salmon Pate ($12), made with horseradish, dill, dijon, & lemon and accompanied by walnut toast, was another winner. The creamy pate burst with flavor, and the nuttiness in the bread was an intriguing addition.

The Fish Tacos ($18) are made with beer-battered fish-of-the-day, cabbage slaw, cilantro, red onion pickles and Thoreau sauce (which is on their burger at 80 Thoreau). Tasty tacos with lightly battered, moist and tender white fish, and fresh toppings.

We finally adjourned to the second floor, to Mooncusser itself. Two of us opted for a First course of the Mooncusser Chowder ($12), made with skate, clams, smoked scallop, creme fraiche, & barley crackers. This was quite a large bowl of chowder and I loved the complex flavors within this chowder. It wasn't overly thick or thin, just the right consistency, and there was plenty of seafood within its depths. This was probably one of the best values on the menu and highly recommended.

Another friend ordered the Scallop Tartare ($16), made with corn, purslane, & truffle. You don't often see Scallop Tartare and I got to taste this dish, finding it to be delicious, with silky scallop, enhanced by the sweet corn and truffle accents.

For a Main Course, two of us ordered the Grilled Tuna ($40), with wild rice, walnuts, & peaches. The two large pieces of tuna were cooked perfectly, seared on the outside and raw within, and it was silky and tender, rich and flavorful. And the peaches were amazing, a nice sear on the outside with lots of juicy sweetness within.

And our other friend chose the Whole Grilled Black Bass ($40), with saffron, cherry tomatoes, & chickpeas. Again, this was a perfectly cooked fish, with plenty of tender white flesh within.

Everyone should be eating more seafood as it is one of the healthiest foods you can consume. And Mooncusser delivers with plenty of delicious and interesting seafood dishes. Chef Carolyn Johnson has created an intriguing and tasty menu, which isn't a surprise considering her great work at 80 Thoreau.

Have you been to Mooncusser, and if so, what were your thoughts?