Brick & Fish

As we would the delicious Anchor & Hope chowder ($9), the creamy soup modishly poured from a pitcher onto a layer of minced littleneck clams, bacon, and white corn kernels, though the prevailing flavor was more corny than clammy. But the most delicious and rich starter was the warm sea urchin ($15). The presentation is unusual and alarming: a whole dangerously spiked urchin shell plopped on a stark white plate, but ah, the extraordinary and beautiful filling it contains: sea urchin roe, Dungeness crab, mashed potatoes, and diced, subtle aromatics. This is an irresistible signature dish, one of the most memorable things we've ever eaten.

We're less enamored of the sea scallops ($24), four plump brown ones set atop Napa cabbage in a light cream sauce, garnished with golden raisins and toasted almonds. They might have worked better at half the size as an appetizer. Similarly, the lobster roll, though picture-perfect in its buttered, top-split toasted roll, served with Old Bay kettle chips and rather characterless coleslaw, is not quite our dream. There's a touch of heat in the mayonnaisey sauce, along with the classy hints of chervil and tarragon, that somewhat obscures the essential lobster flavor.

Only three desserts are offered (all $9), and we try all three: a lovely moist multilayered chocolate cake strewn with chopped pistachios; bread pudding with peach puree; and our favorite, the rarely seen coeur à la crème, fromage blanc whipped with cream to a mousselike consistency, served in its classical heart shape along with sliced strawberries and three lavender-scented shortbread cookies. As we admire the snake-tattooed back of a tight-jeaned, stiletto-heeled babe sitting near us, we remember Anchor & Hope's encouraging online words: "Wear a suit or jeans. Have four courses or just champagne and oysters. Eat early or eat late." To which we would add: Order the warm sea urchin.