9 hours ago, MetsFan5 said:Can you explain more about the sea bass collars? Is all of it edible?
It's almost all edible; there are some larger pieces of cartilage where the sweet meat hangs out and gets sucked out, which don't get eaten. I'm sure that's what most people would do, without eating the crispy fin. But just like with collar at a sushi bar, there will be parts that are inedible. And like fried shrimp shells and heads, there are parts we wouldn't have thought about eating, but then realized how good those parts are if prepared in certain ways.
9 hours ago, MetsFan5 said:I had very poorly shucked oysters last week and was seriously bummed out.
I get aggravated about this enough to not order oysters at many places, thinking this will be the result. I was surprised at Fore Street, as it did not happen last year. Otherwise, to generalize, I think the oysters of Maine are the best in the United States.
9 hours ago, MetsFan5 said:Does the percentage for the staff bother you on bills? I didn’t know Maine did that— I’ve rarely traveled since Covid but expected and accepted it in San Francisco.
The first time I ever saw this type of thing was in San Francisco, years ago. It doesn't bother me, as the alternative would just be to raise all prices by 3%. And I still tip in the 20 - 25% range, depending on the service. Places where tipping may be worrisome (i.e.: tourist heavy joints, I can really understand), as tourists (especially those from other countries) generally don't understand why and how tipping works here in the US.
