Saltwater Crab to bring coastal flavor to Midtown
Saltwater Crab is the newest addition to the dining scene in Midtown.
Located near Overton Square, this seafood restaurant with a “coastal influence and a Southern draw” opened July 1 at 2059 Madison, the space that was most recently Indian Pass Raw Bar.
The restaurant owner is Gary Lin from Atlanta. A seasoned restaurateur, he owns five restaurants in his hometown. For his first foray in Memphis, Lin has put together a team of longtime Memphis restaurateurs that includes Cliff Ward (Second Line), Andy Knight (Loflin Yard, Carolina Watershed, Railgarten), Sam Miller (Erling Jensen) and Brad Callicutt (Lafayette’s).
The food
Knight will head up the kitchen. “The menu will have influences from not just the Gulf Coast, but all coasts,” he said. “We really wanted to play around with the menu and the different seafood preparations.”
The menu features an eclectic mix of seafood dishes and dining options. Knight said while the menu is seafoodfocused, they will offer “land” dishes for those who don’t like fish.
Starters include dishes like Crab Bruschetta ($12), BBQ Beer Shrimp ($13) and Fried Chicken Wings ($7).
Raw oysters will also be available, with three to five varieties from around the United States featured daily.
At a glance
Saltwater Crab Where: 2059 Madison Ave. Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, except on Friday and Saturday when the restaurant will stay open until 1 a.m. Online: saltwatercrab.com
Entrees will include a selection of market price seafood dishes. Knight said the offerings will change weekly, if not more often, based on what is fresh and seasonal.
Knight pointed out that catfish is not on the menu because they are offering only coastal seafood and fish.
The opening menu includes fishes like wild-caught Alaskan salmon ($19), which is available grilled or blackened in lemon caper sauce, and blackened redfish ($24). Corn-meal dusted fried oysters ($16), seared sea scallops ($24) and Alaskan king crab legs (market price) are part of the offerings.
Land options include a New York Strip ($28) and a braised pork shank ($17).
When you order an entree, you choose from a selection of sides such as charred broccolini, smashed and fried confit potatoes, fried truffle oil polenta, miso butter Brussels sprouts and Southern-style coleslaw, to name a few options.
“We are letting our customers choose their side dishes so they can get exactly what they want,” Knight said.
Expect the sides to change seasonally as Knight likes to shop at area farmers markets for fresh produce.
Salads, soups and sandwiches will also be offered for guests looking for more casual fare.
When discussing the menu options, Lin described the restaurant as “three in one.” In addition to the more traditional seafood menu options, Saltwater Crab will also feature a sushi bar and seafood boils.
Sushi
Lin brought in Budi Kikirigaya, the owner of Budi’s Sushi in downtown Atlanta, to consult on the new restaurant’s sushi bar and menu, as well as train the staff.
“We want to offer the best sushi in Memphis,” Knight said of the decision to enlist out-of-town help.
The sushi selection includes an assortment of specialty rolls.
Rolls include a king crab and mango roll topped with salmon and mango sauce ($16) and a tempura lobster roll with asparagus, spicy kani salad and avocado topped with white tuna and eel sauce ($18).
Seafood boils
Grab a lobster bib: Saltwater Crab will feature seafood boils. The seafood for the boils is seasoned with a house Cajun seasoning and comes with corn on the cob and red potatoes.
Guests order their choice of seafood by the pound, and it arrives steaming hot at the table in a platter.
The selection of seafood options is extensive: blue crab, snow crab legs, shrimp (headless or head-on), clams, mussels, crawfish and lobster tail.
It’s a messy but fun way to enjoy fresh seafood with a group.
There is also a large outdoor covered patio for guests to enjoy dining al fresco. Expect to find live music on the patio on weekend evenings.
Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, except on Friday and Saturday nights, when the restaurant will stay open until 1 a.m.
“We plan to offer a limited late menu, as well as service industry discounts for our restaurant neighbors when they get off work on the weekends,” said Cliff Ward, front of the house manager.
Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer. chandler@commercialappeal.com, and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.