My significant other is adverse to lines/crowds, so I’d never been to NO. However my second SO (Spring Onion) is game and she suggested we try NO while my spouse was on a business trip. We arrived around 4:30 on a Friday. There were about 4 groups in line ahead of us, but we were seated in around 20 minutes, which passsed quickly since it was great to catch up with my daugther. During that time there were multiple persons trying to jump the line, but the hostess was pretty attentive and managed to deflect every one.
We were seated at a two-top that had been joined with another two-top to create a four-top, with two men who had been ahead of us in line sharing the four-top. It was …cozy, but we were starving and grateful to be seated, so it didn’t phase us. We started with an assortment of oysters, a plate of white anchovies, scallop crudo, and sardines with burrata and crispy prosciutto. Glasses of a nice picpoul from Marine Layer that we ordered with the oysters didn’t arrive until we finished our 4th plate, even though I asked what happened to them. Next we shared the famous lobster roll, tuna crostini, and one sea urchin each. The lobster roll…well the lobster was generous and fine, but the roll was spongy. I wouldn’t put theirs in my top 5, so I don’t quite understand why it gets the accolades. Row 34 does a better lobster roll…and many places in Maine. We finished with the johnny cake, and with its sweet honey butter, it actually made a nice desert. That was by far the most unique dish. We enjoyed it.
I loved the vibe of NO - it reminded me a bit of the original No Name, before they expanded.
