The Sardine Room

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aphrodisiac--romance can't help but flourish.

During this month of pink hearts and red roses, my husband and I will be drawing up bar stools at the Sardine Room in Plymouth. New last year from the Yaquinto family group that includes the neighboring Fiamma Grille and Compari's, the Sardine Room faces Plymouth's charming town square. The bar--dispensing both seafood and drinks--and an open kitchen line one long wall of the narrow space. Opposite sit a few booths and a lengthy banquette, with tables of various heights dotting the center and front. Decorated with stylish contemporary finishes, the room is sophisticated and fun yet comfortable--though when filled, which is often, rather crowded and loud, making two side-by-side bar seats even more desirable.

We like to begin with a martini or glass of white wine and a selection of iced oysters. The Sardine Room usually has six or seven different varieties representing both the East and West coasts. If we don't recognize the names, we ask for the plumpest, briniest ones, those tasting most of the sea. The oysters have always been fresh and delicious, and we try to savor them slowly and not slurp them down in unrestrained gluttony. But they certainly whet our appetites, especially during happy hour, when a variety selected by the house can be had for $1 each. At happy hour, we'll continue with other specials--hand-cut fries with aioli and an order of porchetta sliders make a decadently satisfying duo.