Oceana - View this location on map

The good ship Oceana, a two-story town house decorated to resemble a yacht,; has found a new surge of energy. Oysters on the half shell, each topped with a dollop of sturgeon caviar, are perfection. But the more complicated appetizers show what the kitchen can do. It brings a light touch to sweet lobster with lovage dressing. It uses fragrant pea leaves to send out a fresh green scent in a well-executed risotto that's plumped out with hen-of-the-woods mushrooms and chubby rock shrimp. Perhaps the most impressive entree is loup de mer, topped with a thin golden crouton and poised on a bed of coconut-flavored basmati rice. The desserts, although they often have a homey or even rustic touch, are presented elegantly, a prime example being pistachio semifreddo and chocolate crumb chiffon. In restaurant years Oceana, which opened over a decade ago, is entering late middle age, but it shows no sign of faltering. Closed Sun. NYT review
55 E. 54th St., New York, New York

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