Aquagrill

SoHo
210 Spring St. @ Sixth Ave.
(212) 274-0505
http://www.aquagrill.com

After desperately roaming the narrow streets of SoHo for a place to eat lunch (Blue Ribbon, Raoul's, Fiamma, the list goes on), we stumbled into the only one with lights on, Aquagrill. Apparently, restaurant owners do not let customers dictate their schedules in SoHo. To my satisfaction, the semi-accident was a winner in the end.

For starters, the choice of oysters will really blow your mind. We're talking dozens! In fact, so many they require a separate menu. Not my cup of tea for my first meal of the day, but I'd imagine you could find some special ones, if oysters float your boat.

The bread options were notably fantastic. So warm and oniony, the little piece of heaven literally melted in my mouth. Jalapeno cornbread, although not a personal favorite, was a crowd pleaser. Even Regan, who's usually a stickler with the healthy stuff, did not hesitate with a second helping.

Under normal circumstances, I would warn you to steer clear of the New England clam chowder. Thankfully, the option was not a permanent fixture on the menu. Just in case, do not order! The base was pure cream and excessive SALT. I managed to pick out the clams one by one, which still had intense residual saltiness. Potato and clam ratios are always a make or break determinant for New England clam chowder. In that test, Aquagrill scored high. The potatoes were barely noticeable while the clams were enough to fill the sea. Just the way I like it, but the salt was entirely too much of a distraction and destroyed any potential the soup had.

For my main course, I indulged with a decadent lobster salad. The seafood was accompanied with other all-star ingredients including: avocado, beets, grapefruit, and a champagne vinaigrette. All the components blended harmoniously. At a "market price" of $26, I felt a tinge of pain to pay that for a salad. In reality, the cost was actually fair given the amount of lobster meat. I was easily served an entire lobster worth of meat (and not just the claws). The vinaigrette was overly thick but tasty nonetheless.


Stop by Aquagrill for an enjoyable break during a day of shopping in SoHo. Its seafood fare will be light enough to allow you to continue to try things on, even after the lunch. Hopefully, they won't be serving the New England clam chowder.

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