BLT Fish

I thought that the transit strike would empty out the restaurants, but BLT Fish was as crowded as ever last night. My friends and I sat down a little before 10 p.m. We'd originally intended to eat at the downstairs BLT Fish Shack, but the menu from upstairs just spoke to us (as did the relative quietude).

Before our chosen selections, we were presented with an amuse-bouche of smoked salmon and finely minced apple with creme fraiche. We were then surprised by the deceptively humble cheddar-chive biscuits, which in my opinion, were one of the most memorable foods of the evening - moist, buttery and flaky all at once. I tore my steaming biscuit apart and slathered it with butter and maple syrup. As I think back on the amazing popovers at BLT Steak, I wonder if a BLT Bakery could be next for Tourondel.

The grilled Ecuadorian shrimp appetizer was sold out, so I ordered the spicy tuna tartare. It was similar to BLT Steak's rendition in that the square of tuna was served on a layer of avocado. However, it included a dollop of American caviar and was creamy with spicy mayonnaise. Its flavor did not include a hint of soy, but rather zesty lemon.

The menu, which features whole fish by the pound, included sea bass and Cantonese-style red snapper. But when I heard that only one Mediterranean loup de mer remained, I had to order it. My friends enjoyed the four plump grilled Maine sea scallops and the Alaskan king salmon steaks with tangy ginger ketchup and mild roasted garlic aioli. My own loup de mer arrived already filleted; although the fish was moist and rich-flavored, I prefer the spectacle of a whole fish. Not to mention, it fills the plate!

Our chosen sides were the Parmesan gnocchi, baked fennel, garlic mashed potatoes, garlic spinach and grilled asparagus. All were exceedingly rich! The asparagus was topped with thin slices of Parmesan, buttered bread crumbs decorated the fennel, and the gnocchi were half-an-inch deep in cream.

By now our stomachs were groaning. Naturally, I was the only one to order a dessert (the others were satisfied by the complimentary green apple cotton candy and petits fours). Deliberating between the lime millefeuilles and the caramelized meringue, I finally decided on the pumpkin tart. The accompanying ice cream provided an interesting cognitive dissonance; expecting a mouthful of cold ice cream, I was hit with a rush of hot spice. I would've loved to take home a pint of it! And it was only fitting that having begun my meal with a crunchy-topped tuna tartare, I would end it with a crunchy hazelnut-topped pumpkin tart.

Next stop, BLT Prime!

BLT Fish: 21 West 17th St., (212) 691-8888.