Rodney's Oyster House

Alright, this will be the last time I dine with Rich Guy for awhile. He's heading back overseas until the fall. I was able to con him out of his house key explaining that I would look after his house. Now it's time to PARTY! It's like that time he left the keys to his apartment once. He also left the keys to his M3 hanging by the door. Guess what I did? Anyways, it was his turn to service the car today, so I picked him up for lunch. We also picked up Vandelay and Whipping Girl along the way to Rodney's Oyster House. Meeting up with us was MagMagMug, an old friend visiting from Hong Kong. Rodney's is another place I haven't been to in ages and I took this opportunity to go there. I'm sure my kids would not be thrilled with eating oysters.

We started off with a platter of oysters which included Fanny Bays, Kumamotos and Kushis. Provided alongside the oysters were an impressive array of condiments which included Tabasco, Worcester, different hot sauces, shallot vinaigrette and horseradish vinegar. The Kumamotos were the consensus choice. They were delicately soft, sweet and really easy to eat. The Kushis and Fanny Bay Pacific Oysters were also very fresh and sweet; however, they had a much stronger aftertaste. That would explain why that Kumamotos are sometimes referred to as the beginner oyster since they are so easy on the palate.

Oysters on the half-shell are always a treat; but the Po' Boy was something we were looking forward to. Myself, Vandelay and MagMagMug all ordered it at a very reasonable price of $10.25. An authentic Po' Boy consists of fried seafood on a French roll similar to a Banh Mi. However, the one served at Rodney's is served on a Portuguese bun with 3 fried oysters. Yes, it's not the original; but it's good nonetheless. The Po' Boy is really a very simple sandwich; yet, it's got that good combination of oyster flavour and the crispy fried coating. Add some of the available hot sauces and you really have a tasty sandwich. Whipping Girl opted for the special of the day which was Halibut & Chips. Another fabulous value at only $13.99! The two pieces of fresh, flaky halibut were perfectly fried in a light, non-oily batter.

Since Rich Guy was buying, I added a New England Clam Chowder as well. For some odd reason, it arrived last. Whatever the case, it was creamy without being too heavy. Furthermore, it was delicately seasoned so I could actually taste the ingredients. Only complaint would be that the soup was lukewarm. Rich Guy went for the Manhattan Clam Chowder and it was equally good. He didn't get a chance to try the soup hot (or was it lukewarm?) because he left the table for quite awhile to take a call. Probably business, to maintain his richness. However, with all this eating lately, he might end up as only moderately Rich Guy.

A really solid meal at Rodney's once again. It's in their name and they do oysters justice. Service is friendly, if not very casual and loud. But honestly, that is part of the ambiance here. It's not exactly fine-dining, but it's good eats. It's really too bad that they don't serve the Po' Boy during dinner. Moreover, the dinner menu gets considerably more pricey, although there are different items available.

The Good:
- Really fresh oysters
- Reasonable lunch prices
- Fun, casual atmosphere

The Bad:
- If you don't like oysters, there is not much else here
- Dinner is pricey