Row 34: Portsmouth, NH
I (Brittany) have recently become a huge fan of oysters. It was a discovery that I made while we were in Louisville (go figure). I like how oysters taste like the ocean. I like how they make me feel a little bit fancy. I feel a bit more sophisticated when I eat them.My father sent me a link on Facebook about a new restaurant in Portsmouth, NH, Row 34. There is also a Row 34 in Boston. Their website advertised $1 oysters daily from 11:30am-5:00pm. So, of course, I had to go. I know a few restaurants that offer $1 oysters, but none that offer them daily. So, I was excited.
The first thing that you should know is that the restaurant is in downtown Portsmouth. So, like most places in Portsmouth, it doesn't have their own parking. You will need to find parking on the street or park in the parking garage just a short walk from the restaurant. We were dining at 2:00pm on a Friday afternoon, so there were some spots open right outside of the restaurant. We paid a little over $2 for 2 hours.
When I entered the Row 34, I immediately dug the atmosphere. With a grey, black, and silver color palate, the restaurant was decorated in a modern, clean, classic style. There was a bar at the front of the restaurant with a raw bar attached, a heightened "deck" with bar seating around that, and then a lower "dining" area.
The service was friendly. We had a kind host seat us, a friendly waitress, and another employee who cleared our table and filled our waters. The entire vibe of the restaurant was laid back and friendly. It was fancy enough to feel like you were eating sophisticated, but laid back enough that people were wearing jeans with nice tops.
Okay, now lets get to the important stuff, the food and drink.
I checked with the host to make sure that there were $1 oysters, as it seemed too good to be true. The bartender told me that yes, the $1 oyster of the day was from Barnstable, MA. I did not realize that only one oyster would be the $1 oyster. I was excited to try a couple different kinds of oysters, so I was disappointed to find out that there was no variety in the $1 deal.
Regardless, I decided to give the place a shot, and ordered 15 of the dollar oysters. My dad ordered the beer steamed muscles. He ordered Pacific Gem off the beer list, and I ordered The Shore Party off the cocktail list.
After ordering, our drinks quickly followed. The Shore Party was a mix of citrus vodka, agave, lime, and bitters. It cost $9. It was extremely tasty. I could drink that drink all day in the summer, as it was very refreshing and easy to drink. My dad enjoyed his beer, a pale ale called Pacific Gem. He mixed it with Sprite to make an English Shandy.
We then had bread come to the table. The bread was unlike any bread I have had before. It had little peppercorns in it, giving it a slight peppery taste. I really enjoyed it, because it was different than breads you get anywhere else. The bread came with fresh butter sprinkled with sea salt. It was delicious.
Very quickly, our food came out. This place had fast service! My oysters came with a couple different condiments: a lemon, a vinegar onion type mixture, a chili sauce, and the cocktail sauce with horseradish. They also gave me various hot sauces on the table. I was pretty pleased as this was the most I have ever gotten with my oysters before, and I love loading mine up with sauces.
The oysters themselves were magnificent. They were very fresh and very fulfilling. My dad had never tried oysters, and was a little weary, but I got him to try them. He loved them! He is now an oyster enthusiast.
My father had the beer steamed muscles in garlic and scallion and served with grilled bread. As I shared my oysters with him, my father shared the muscles with me. They were delicious and fresh. I used the bread to soak up some of the beer broth. The Mussels cost $12.
We were full after dinner and decided on no dessert. The entire meal came to $50 and some change, so I was impressed. It was definitely an affordable meal in Portsmouth.
I enjoyed my experience at Row 34 very much. Though I was a little disappointed at the lack of variety for the $1 oysters, the restaurant made up for it in quality of food, and the overall experience. I will go again if I am ever in Portsmouth, and recommend tourists and locals to try out this spot.
Regardless, I decided to give the place a shot, and ordered 15 of the dollar oysters. My dad ordered the beer steamed muscles. He ordered Pacific Gem off the beer list, and I ordered The Shore Party off the cocktail list.
After ordering, our drinks quickly followed. The Shore Party was a mix of citrus vodka, agave, lime, and bitters. It cost $9. It was extremely tasty. I could drink that drink all day in the summer, as it was very refreshing and easy to drink. My dad enjoyed his beer, a pale ale called Pacific Gem. He mixed it with Sprite to make an English Shandy.
We then had bread come to the table. The bread was unlike any bread I have had before. It had little peppercorns in it, giving it a slight peppery taste. I really enjoyed it, because it was different than breads you get anywhere else. The bread came with fresh butter sprinkled with sea salt. It was delicious.
My father had the beer steamed muscles in garlic and scallion and served with grilled bread. As I shared my oysters with him, my father shared the muscles with me. They were delicious and fresh. I used the bread to soak up some of the beer broth. The Mussels cost $12.
I enjoyed my experience at Row 34 very much. Though I was a little disappointed at the lack of variety for the $1 oysters, the restaurant made up for it in quality of food, and the overall experience. I will go again if I am ever in Portsmouth, and recommend tourists and locals to try out this spot.
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