Citizen's Public House & Oyster Bar

The other night Chris and I ate at Citizen's Public House & Oyster Bar and it was awesome, once again (we also had round 2 at Basho right after - but I'll save that for another day) - Side note, Chris and I often have multiple dinners in one night because we like food – or because we’re fatties. Regardless, Citizen's has become a regular in my restaurant circuit ever since it moved in to the space directly below my building. A few things you should know about Citizen's – it’s very cozy, it's very loud, and the menu is somewhat small, but everything I've eaten there has been delightful. If I had to classify the restaurant, I would say that it has a tavern feel, with a sophisticated menu – and surprisingly, the food can be rather affordable.

It's pretty cool - the water comes in milk bottles and the bread is amazing & served with a creamy salted butter. 

Summer Fluke Ceviche

When we went this past time I ordered the Summer Fluke Ceviche & the Hand-rolled Gnocchetti. Oh my god. The ceviche was so light and flavorful, and was mixed with oranges, cucumber and pickled fennel garnish. It was served with crackers on the side but I just used my fork to eat it. This is the second ceviche I've had there, and both have been delicious. 

Gnocchetti

The gnocchetti was also really good. The flavors were intense, and the dish actually turned out to be a heavier than I had anticipated. One negative about the dish was that the presentation was slightly odd. I don’t know if it was the bowl being too big, or there wasn't enough broth, but something appeared off, and was somewhat difficult to eat. - I like to be able to easily shovel the food into my mouth :) 

Chris ordered the meatball off the snack menu and the pepper seared flat iron steak with a pommes puree, fennel and parsley salad, and star anise jus. The steak was delicious and cooked to perfection – and Chris finished the entire thing. The meatball is a favorite of his because it's super juicy and tender, and although I wish it was served with pasta, it really is a great starter.

Meatball

Flat Iron Steak

Obviously all gone

I should mention that we opted to sit on the outside patio for dinner. I would highly recommend it. The patio is composed of roughly ten tables, and is lined with little trees. It’s also much quieter than dining inside, and offers some pretty excellent people watching – especially prior to sox games. The wine list is also pretty great, however there are only about eight wines offered by the glass - and they don't even offer a pinot grigio by the glass which made me slightly depressed - until I ordered sauvignon blanc and got over it. As we sipped our wine and chatted, Chris asked me what I was going to say in my blog about our dinner. I told him that I was obviously going to write about how amazing the food was that night, but that I felt obligated to mention some of my other favorites that I’ve had there as well. So – here goes….

Chris enjoying his wine

The Lobster Benedict – small yet filling. I ate the entire thing and was satisfied but not overly full. This is on their Sunday brunch menu – along with some other amazing meals. My brother got the breakfast pizza from there once when I was with him and that was huge and awesome!

Prime Steak Tartar – simple, clean flavors. The presentation is stunning. The tartar is stacked up in the center of the plate, and an over-easy egg yolk is delicately placed on top.

Warm Ricotta & Honey – great starter.  Nothing crazy or interesting about this, but it was still really really good.

The oysters are another favorite of mine, as well as the grilled clams with jalapenos. I would recommend either if you’re looking for a lighter meal. One thing I wouldn't recommend is the clams casino. Not worth $3 per clam. My rule of thumb is if my mom can make it better, I would rather not order it. I tried Citizen's and my moms are definitely better.

Finally, Chris has ordered the Carpetbagger and said it was delicious, but felt like there was way too much butter on it – so if you like butter this is your meal!

Overall I have never left Citizen’s disappointed. It’s a great place to go on the weeknights when you’re looking for a lighter dinner and a great glass of wine. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone, however I would caution that if you’re looking for a quieter or more romantic place this may not be your best bet as it does get a little loud.