Can you believe June is almost over? It felt like this month was a blur of work, end-of-the-school-year functions and delicious meals, at least in our house anyways! June is always a fun month because it’s my daughter’s and my birthday on the 14th, which gives us an extra excuse to get out of the house for a special meal! This year we had our hearts set on a seafood tower and my first thought was Mastro’s in Malibu, but my daughter had a final exam the next day and it was just too far. So instead we headed over to Connie & Ted’s, which we knew would make our birthday dreams come true! (Kidding…kinda.)

  
We were introduce to this awesome restaurant by our good friends Scott and Nancy (Scott owns Bennett’s Ice Cream in the Farmer’s Market at the Grove). Owner Michael Cimarusti was inspired by his grandparents, the restaurant’s namesakes, who immigrated from England and ultimately settled in Rhode Island with their family in the 1940s. He is committed to sustainable fishing practices and marine conservation, so you’ll always be able to check where your seafood is coming from!   

 The fresh, simple preparations let the seafood speak for itself, and the fish and oyster offerings change daily. For starters, we all got a cup of their New England clam chowder which is gluten-free if you don’t put in the crackers they bring you on the side. Because they don’t add a thickener, the soup is more watery than your traditional chowder but no less delicious since the clams are flavorful and they do not skimp on the goodies! My dad also went big and had the Oysters Rockefeller. One must-order dish is their fresh-baked rolls, which come to the table so piping hot they’ll burn your tongue! (It’s worth it. So, so worth it, especially if you order the steamers so you can soak up the extra sauce. We didn’t have them this time, but the first time we were here we got the Seafood Marinara with only clams and had them hold the tomato sauce so it was more like a white wine and garlic sauce! Delicious.)

  
   
   Next, we moved on to the Chilled Seafood platter where we each got a peeled shrimp, some lobster tail, crab meat and oysters! They do not mess around with their portion sizes here, so come hungry because you will want to eat everything. For entrees, we had cobb salad, a whole Porgy (a kind of whitefish), halibut, salmon, and an order of calamari. The fish comes prepared three ways: plain and simple, herb-crusted, or topped with herb oil and lemon, with your choice of one side.

 To finish it off, we went for a sampling of their dessert menu with a Honey Vanilla Bean Whoopie Pie, Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie, Olaliberry Ice Cream and Nectarine Sorbet.  

This month marks their 2nd anniversary, so swing by in the next two days to take advantage of their $25 lunch and $40 dinner three-course menus (preparations change daily). “Reservations are available by calling (323) 848-CRAB (2722) or on Open Table.” Valet parking is available for under $10.