CONCORD'S NEWEST CATCH: LONGPORT FISH COMPANY
From every angle, Concord's Longport Fish Company has great coastal energy. It's named for the Jersey Shore borough where chef-owner Nicholas diArenzo spent his summers as a kid feasting on crab. The new restaurant is in The Veranda spot that formerly housed EMC Seafood & Raw Bar, which closed during the pandemic (EMC's San Jose location remains open). And despite a bland exterior, the new dining room is awash in bright, ocean-blue accents.
Most importantly, the seafood restaurant, which gets local and sustainable seafood delivered six days a week, is diArenzo's opportunity to make his mark on Bay Area dining. He spent 20 years working his way up on the San Francisco restaurant scene before opening two establishments, Market Tavern and Prime Table, in Stockton, where he lives with his family.
Entrees like a miso roasted black cod and a spring halibut with asparagus puree show diArenzo's flair for flavor and technique, not to mention pretty food. Brunch service, which launched this month, offers a tempting poached lobster Benedict and French toast made from a brown sugar and vanilla babka baked by Fire Swamp Provisions in Sebastopol. Did we mention the smoked salmon and bagel towers?
Here's our take from a recent Sunday night dinner.
Coastal. Longport is bathed in dreamy cerulean blue, down to the leather stools, water glasses and dramatic, semicircle banquette, which is the best table in the house. There's also an open kitchen and a large bar with sand-colored pendant lights and plenty of seating.
Large menus generally make me nervous, but Longport's is just big enough — with raw bar, salads, soups, sandwiches and wood-fired entrees — to ensure something for everyone. If you're bringing a group,