When the e-mail announcing The Mermaid Inn’s new Blue Plate Special appeared in my inbox on Monday, I took notice. A lobster sandwich, fries and a bottle of Blue Point Toasted Lager for $20? Count me in. I’ve enjoyed several meals at Mermaid Inn in the past and found the food delicious, the atmosphere charming, and the service excellent. So Wednesday evening I met my friend and fellow degustation advisor, Chris Cuzme, at the East Village location. I had made reservations but we opted to eat at the bar instead. The bartender was attentive and our orders were quickly taken. Tasty crackers are provided to take the edge off of your appetite and the beer bottle is served very cold with a small water glass to drink out of. Blue Point’s Toasted Lager is a clean beer with a subtle toasted maltiness and enough hops to balance but not distract. I consider it a great food beer as it pairs nicely with almost anything. Mermaid’s lobster sandwich is no exception. The lobster salad is on a brioche roll instead of the traditional bun and is served with fries seasoned with Old Bay. This is a tasty combination – the sweetness of the lobster salad melding nicely with the buttery bun and contrasting with the spiced saltiness of the fries. And it washes down nicely with a swallow of the Blue Point. In lieu of a dessert menu, a small pot of chocolate pudding is provided at the end of your meal along with a Fortune Teller Fish, a novelty that I remember fondly from childhood. This was a delightful meal.
What you need to know: The Blue Plate Special is available from 5:30-7 pm daily and sounds like it will change monthly. The restaurant filled quickly around 6 pm – I recommend making a reservation on OpenTable just in case. You can always choose to sit at the bar if there is room. The special is available at both locations – the original in the East Village and the newer on the Upper West Side. How good of a deal is it? The sandwich normally costs $26 and I’m guessing the beer runs $5 or 6 (I forgot to check), so this is a heck of a bargain. I’ll be returning several times before the end of the month and I recommend you do the same.