By Tara Dickinson

City Oyster Delray Beach Delivers A Sinfully Good Time

The glow of City Oyster Delray Beach signature City Oyster and Sushi Bar neon sign lures you towards the entrance with the anticipation of a festive time and a great meal. A boisterous crowd, dimmed lighting, and candlelit tables creates a warm and welcoming atmosphere. After being seated in an absurdly large and comfy booth, my guest and I tried some of the signature cocktails offered and ordered the crab and spinach dip appetizer. One chip-full of this sinful dish and we knew it would be hard for the kitchen to top its deliciousness. Wow, was this primo! Chunks of real crab, sharp cheesy layers of flavor – this might have been our favorite dish.

We joined in a fun restaurant-wide singing of happy birthday for one of the younger diners and then agonized over all the delectable menu options for our main course. Sushi, steaks, fresh seafood – scallops, crab legs, lobster, exotic fish – the choices were murder for this Gemini brain.

In between our appetizer and dinner service, we snuck in a tasting of the fresh oysters offered that day, as well as some sashimi bites. On a rotating basis, City Oyster Delray Beach offers at least two-dozen different types of oysters from both the East and West coasts. This evening I sampled five hailing from British Columbia and other oyster farms in the West. Point Reyes was hands down the showoff and gold start winner of the oyster show, though every selection was just as eyes-rolling-up-in-your-head satisfying.

As the sun sets outside, cheers sporadically ring out from the front bar: patrons are watching a few of the evening’s baseball games. It was time to dig into the main event. A double serving of mini-lobster tails is always sure to impress and the seared scalloped risotto was no slouch either. Again, wow! Seafood can be a tricky little beast, as it is quite delicate and so easy to over cook. Chef Dennis Teixeira hit the mark, 110%. The tender lobster and succulent scallops – surrounded by basil infused corn and cherry tomato risotto – were both mouth-wateringly delicious.

My dining companion mentioned that she had made special trips to City Oyster Delray Beach from Boca Raton specifically for the pecan pie in a jar dessert, so I obviously had to give that one a go. And if a crème brûlée is ever offered on a menu? I always have to taste that as well. Kiss any diet you might be on “goodbye” with one bite of that pecan heaven, layered with buttery ice cream, chocolate,  and other tasty ingredients. The portion is large enough to share but trust me – you won’t want to. The crème brûlée was just as outstanding; a French classic fired to perfection.

Photos courtesy of City Oyster and Sushi Bar.

Three hours later we waddled out the door, one new set of satiated customers who have already made plans to come back next week. Big Time Restaurant Group has done it again, with City Oyster Delray Beach now on our top ten list!