The Ocean’s Bounty, With Touches of Odessa
FRUITS OF THE SEA The main dining room at the Buccaneer Crab House.
By JOANNE STARKEY
THE Buccaneer Crab House sailed into Freeport late last summer, landing not on the Nautical Mile with most of the other seafood restaurants but in the center of downtown on Merrick Road.
Though there are a few nautical touches, like the treasure chests flanking the fireplace and the hanging fish nets, this is anything but a rustic seafood shack. The setting is a large Victorian house oozing charm: shiny, pale wood parquet floors, a gas fireplace, dark wood paneling and pillars, pocket doors and a bay window trimmed in stained glass.
The restaurant is owned by Paul Grafman, the chef and a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, along with his parents, Irina and Igor Grafman. They have created a warm atmosphere, welcoming first-timers and treating repeat customers like old friends. The servers are all smiles and eager to please.
The elder Grafmans came from Odessa in Ukraine, and favorites from their homeland can be seen on the menu. One night the soup was red borscht, an excellent brew loaded with carrots and cabbage along with beets; sour cream was served on the side.
At lunch there are more Russian dishes, some of which are being introduced at dinner as specials (but which were not available during my visits, alas). They include pelmini (meat ravioli) and vernike (dumplings) with fillings of potatoes, sour cabbage or sweet cherries.
The main thrust of the menu, however, is seafood. The crabs mentioned in the restaurant’s name are offered as an appetizer ($10), as an entree ($18) or as an all-you-can-eat special on Thursday nights ($19.95). I liked the crabs Maryland style, coated with spicy seasonings; other options are Louisiana boil (with a different spice mix) and butter and garlic sauce. On Thursdays, all three types can be sampled.
The best appetizer was the meaty crab cakes. There are two on the plate, crowned with a dab of house-made tartar sauce and teamed with drizzles of spicy rémoulade sauce and a pile of pico de gallo (chopped tomatoes, peppers and onions). Other good openers were the shrimp cocktail and the tender baked clams lightly topped with buttery crumbs. Skip the bland Caesar salad.
The fried seafood plate was a winning entree. The shrimp, small scallops, fish fillet and clams, lightly breaded, arrived with a pile of crisp French fries.
Those looking for a very low-calorie option should try the fish in a bag. A fillet of basa (catfish) is steamed in white wine inside a parchment package that also contains julienned carrots and zucchini, chopped tomatoes and mushrooms.
The steamed snow crab legs were another hit, fresh and sweet. The Buccaneer bouillabaisse, full of impeccably fresh seafood, pleased the diner who ordered it but broke with tradition by being very spicy. The linguine with six tender littleneck clams got mixed notices: The clams were tender, but there was just too much underseasoned pasta with them.
There are five meat choices for landlubbers. We were pleased with the tender braised short ribs, and the creamy mashed potatoes served with them were excellent.
Desserts are few but house-made and good. The bread pudding is moist and studded with raisins. (Ask for whipped cream, which is fresh.) The brownie is warm, chewy and served with ice cream. The other offerings are sorbets and ice creams made elsewhere.
The Buccaneer Crab House is warm and friendly, with appealing, lightly cooked seafood. I plan to return for lunch to try those Russian dumplings.
The Buccaneer
Crab House
108 West Merrick Road
Freeport
(516) 442-1151
WORTH IT
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