Savor the Sea: Healthy Oceanic Treats in NYC
- January 9, 2024
When you have a hankering for something from the sea, a Mediterranean restaurant is your best bet. This cuisine is famous for making the most of the bounty of the Med or whichever seas happen to be closest. For the best seafood in NYC, you can always rely on your friendly neighborhood Mediterranean restaurant to bring the flavor and fun.
Research has shown that eating fish is great for your health – your brain, heart, eyes, and just about every part of your body benefits. Seafood is packed with goodness, from omega-3 fatty acids to an array of B vitamins. It’s high in protein, low in saturated fats, and truly delicious when prepared with skill and love. Let’s take a look at some of the seafood treats awaiting you on our menu.
Crisp & Crunchy Delights from the Deep
It’s no secret that fish is great in the fryer or on the grill. Variations on fish and chips are a staple dish around the world. There’s nothing like biting through a crispy, crunchy skin to the soft, juicy core, the perfect balance of textures.
Starting your meal with some Fried Calamari is a surefire way to get lunch or dinner off to a tasty start. Calamari has a mild flavor, so it’s a great way to set the scene without overwhelming your taste buds and overpowering your main dish. If you want a little more flavor and spice, look no further than our Homemade Tabasco and Calabrian Chili Aioli, both definitely worth a double dip.
If you want to bring the crunch into your main meal, our Grilled Shrimp is calling your name. Shrimp has become one of America’s most popular seafood options, and for good reason. This versatile little crustacean has a delicate, nutty flavor that is equally at home in a curry or stir fry. For us, though, nothing can top the simplicity of a grilled shrimp, making it the star of the dish. Served with our Jerusalem artichoke puree, swiss chard, miso butter, and oyster mushrooms, it’s elevated to a delicacy.
Fresh & Flavorful Fish
Hungry for more? Let’s dive into the world of fish. Fish is one of the most diverse food categories, encompassing everything from tuna to lionfish. There are so many tastes and textures to explore, from sweet to rich umami, from delicate and flaky to firm yet tender. It’s one of the highlights of NYC seafood.
If your fish is good quality, you can even enjoy it raw. Hailing from South America, ceviche is an ideal light starter for just about any meal. Our Hamachi Ceviche capitalizes on this fish’s rich, buttery flavor. Its slightly sweet taste can be lost when the fish is cooked, but in our ceviche, it’s given room to shine. Combined with grilled avocado, cucumber, and our ginger and jalapeño vinaigrette, it adds a touch of salsa to any meal.
Our Wild Stripe Bass is robust enough for even the very hungry, oozing with so much flavor you’ll want to savor every bite. Its subtle flavors are complimented by our smoked tomato and red pepper puree, not to mention the Turkish spinach, yogurt, and green chilis. With a perfect sear, it combines a crisp, flavorful outside with that ideal soft and flaky inside, a fishy masterpiece on the tongue.
Fusion Flavors Fresh From the Mediterranean
Shawarma is a dish that holds a special place in our Mediterranean hearts, and it’s the perfect template for a bit of seafood innovation. Traditionally made with beef or lamb, shawarma is a style of cooking and eating that evokes classic East Mediterranean flavors. Since fish isn’t generally firm enough to cook on a spit, it all comes down to the spicing and slicing.
Our Branzino Fillet “Shawarma” is our perfect example of what happens when shawarma meets seafood. Branzino is an incredibly versatile fish with enough firmness to give you a real shawarma bite. Cooked in our traditional mix of spices and aromatics, it’s tucked into a fresh pita – or served straight on the plate for the carb-free crowd – with plenty of spinach, grilled tomato, and preserved lemon, drizzled generously with tahini, amba, and arisa sauce (made with harissa).
Savoring the NYC Seafood in Style at 19 Cleveland
The next time you’re considering visiting a seafood restaurant in NYC, why not think outside of the box and go Mediterranean instead? It might be one of the best-kept secrets of the restaurant world – for some of the best seafood NYC has to offer, head to our part of town. 19 Cleveland’s menu is full of fish and seafood delights to try.
Make a reservation, order online for pickup or delivery, or pop in whenever you’re in the mood to treat yourself to some mouth-watering, flavorful seafood.