Oceanos in Fair Lawn, NJ: hitting its stride

Intro:

From our first to our most recent visit to Oceanos, we've noticed a continuous refinement in the cooking, and the overall approach.  It might be our imagination, but it seems that Oceanos is blossoming into what it wants to, and should, be:  a Mediterranean seafood restaurant with overtones of a classic Greek estiatorio.  At first I thought the combination could lead to, or was an indication of, a lack of focus.  Judging by what has evolved here, I clearly had no reason to worry.

The approach:

Owner Nicos (Nick) and his father (and executive chef) Peter Panteleakis know seafood.  I'm pretty sure Peter is picking the day's selections out himself by hand.  That kind of attention to detail and that kind of passion for seafood translate onto your plate:  you're getting pristine seafood.  When I joked with Peter about the extra time and effort that goes into overseeing every piece of fish, he responded immediately with his gentle smile "I have to."  Peter, who has been in the restaurant business in the Fair Lawn area for a few decades, knows no other way.  And his customers are all the beneficiaries of that dedication and experience.

Recent food:

There are only a few months a year that soft shell crab is available.  But you don't have to remind Oceanos about this:  they're on the case.  The  soft shell crabs we've had at Oceanos have been some of the meatiest and freshest-tasting in memory.  And trust me, that's a lot of memory.  And, you can have them one of four ways (deep fried, sauteed, lemon/butter, garlic/olive oil).  We chose deep fried recently, are were really thrilled from first bite to last. It is one of the dishes that compels you to say "let's come back tomorrow for more."  And we just might do that.  I would say that if you get an order of soft shells (fried), a side of their excellent twice-cooked (Belgian-style) french fries, and a couple of glasses of champagne, you'll have yourself one helluva meal.

Close-up of soft shell crab, hopefully showing how meaty these things are

Not to be outdone by soft shell crabs, Copper River salmon is another seasonal fish, available for only a few weeks a year, and one you probably don't come across as often as the crab.  These salmon are nice and fatty and have a complexity of flavor that I don't find in run-of-the-mill salmon.  In fact, I don't even like salmon (unless it's raw).  But the Copper River salmon is a unique fish, and is not to be missed.  And Oceanos pulls through...

A perfectly cooked piece of fatty salmon topped with a mild ginger and scallion sauce is served with some basmati rice.  The skin is crisp and the flesh is tender and luscious.

Also worth trying are the roasted beets with and almond-garlic spread, crab cakes (some of the best we've had), the plump and perfectly-cooked sea scallops, and oysters.  The oysters here are handled with the respect and consideration that oysters demand:  the liquor remains intact.  I'm amazed at how many restaurants screw this up.

The environs:

We've also noticed that the room with the smallish bar is considerably more lively than it was during earlier visits.  The widescreen TV is kept on during dinner service (it's not intrusive), the music is ramped up a bit, and the room just seems more what it should be in my mind:  a more casual alternative to the main rooms.   However, even with a big Saturday crowd, neither the main rooms nor the bar room get very loud.  I'll take lively over loud any day.   

The restaurant is very nicely decorated with dark wood tones and white table cloths.  All very clean and to-the-point.  Servers are dressed sharply and seem professional and proficient.

Summary:

Get your bad self down to Oceanos.  If it's a weekend you should certainly make a reservation.  Apparently, the word is getting out.

Oceanos website : 2-27 Saddle River Road (right off of 208 North) : Fair Lawn, NJ : 201.796.0546

More on Oceanos here.

Comments

[Julia]

My husband and I were regulars at Peter's Whale before their transformation into Oceanos. It's nearly unrecognizable after the renovation, except for the wonderfully friendly purveyors and excellent food. The menu update adds a few extra dollars but more than makes up for it with the improved ambience. I'm already telling everyone who will listen about our experience, and reminding them that copper river salmon will only be around at most a couple more weeks.

[chefdave]

It is now official...we are going to try Oceanos. This is about the 4th piece of praise I have heard for this place in the last 3 weeks, all from very different yet very reliable sources.

[tommyeats]

Chef David, are you calling me "different." ;)

[Ev]

Oceanos had an ad in today's NYT...in the NJ section, on the page next to the Dining column. It says they'll only have Copper River Salmon for two weeks.

[Rail Paul]

...copper river for just two weeks...

My fish guy said the same thing. The Yukon salmon run begins in late June or early July.

ChesBay soft shell crabs are already starting to slow down in the market, too.

[Rail Paul]

Dee and I had dinner at Oceanos on Wednesday night, based on the comments here.

Nice place, exceptionally engaged staff, obvious pride in the restaurant and in Greek heritage.

Soft shells in garlic and white wine were good. Not superb, but good. Dee found her lobster and shrimp with peppers and linguine to be suitably spicy and tasty, but a little sloppy.

Good wine (Amethystos 2003, very pinot-noirish).

Good value, nice place.

[:: christina]

I am trying Oceanos tonight... will let you know how my taste buds respond.

[tommyeats]

christina, did you have a nice dinner?

[:: christina]

Boy oh boy... YES, I absolutely had a wonderful dinner! You were pretty dead on too. The staff was great and the food - yummy. There was a wait on Saturday (naturally) and I enjoyed a few drinks at the bar. The desserts were ENORMOUS. Definitely a place to return.

[eva]

Oceanos Restaurant is a little Greek gem in Fair Lawn. I was there for lunch this past Sunday and I was totally impressed with the friendliness, service, food, and ambience. Everyone, starting with the owner Panagiotis (Peter), to the bus boy, was extremely cordial. The food was excellent and the presentation very attractive; white-linen candlelit tables, rich dark wood floors, cozy banquettes, beautiful glassware and dinnerware, soft lighting and background music complimented the ambience. This is definitely a first-rate restaurant and I intend to go back there again. I would highly recommend it for a lovely lunch/dinner.

[tommy:eats]

there's an excellent article on Oceanos in the Bergen Record by Bill Pitcher here (click).

[Daniel]

We had a very nice, simple meal at the bar last night. Great crab cakes, fresh oysters, excellent whole fish, well-made martinis. And it's in New Jersey!

[karen]

I had also read that great article, a few weeks ago, and convinced my non fish eating friends to dine there. They really enjoyed their meal, but felt the bar room was a bit noisy, ..it WAS on a Saturday night.

Went back with another friend, last night, and it was less noisy.

We shared the Oysters Rockefeller, a greek salad and those wonderful soft shell crabs. We couldn't decide how to have them so one of us ordered them scampi style and the other, francaise style. I had to bring one home, I was so full.. I know it wont be as good as it would have been, last night, but I'm still looking foward to it.

Great meal