Connie & Ted’s
Live Uni + Butter Toast
Jo’s Wicked Good Chowda – New England, Manhattan, Rhode Island Sampler
Lobster Roll with Hot Drawn Butter and Fries
Fried Clams with Bellies, Fries
Hot Buttered Rolls
Macaroni and Cheese
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Huckleberry Whoopie Pie
Indian Pudding – Cornmeal and Molasses, Vanilla Ice Cream
Blondie – Vanilla Ice Cream, Salted Caramel Sauce
Espresso on Ice
With the Kings/Ducks Stadium Series game facing off at 7:00 and traffic in LA ever-awful it was good fortune that I discovered Providence chef Michael Cimarusti’s take on the classic East Coast seafood shack to be open from lunch through dinner on weekends and rounding up a couple of friends a 4:00pm arrival time found trendy West Hollywood hotspot “Connie & Ted’s” just over half full, free parking and impressive service just two of the many rewards for dining at the off-hour. Featuring an extensive beer list as well as espresso shots pulled to order it was with drinks in hand that we sat perusing the menu amidst the spacious blonde-wood and polished-tile dining area and minding the classics it would not be long before orders were placed, items both raw and cooked beginning to arrive shortly thereafter in a progression of flavors building in heft with each subsequent plate. Clearly the sort of place where quality sourcing pays great dividends in simplistic preparations it should come as no surprise that with a name like Cimarusti at its helm dishes such as live urchin served in its shell with buttered toast, fried clams with their briny bellies, and a 1-lb lobster roll with drawn butter would prove reference standard but moving on to items slightly more open to interpretation it was in the trio of chowders that the quality of the kitchen truly shined; each piping hot with great depth of flavor and complexity, the NE-style a personal favorite but the spicy RI version not far behind and each nicely complimented by both the house-made oyster crackers and the delectable buttered rolls. Never one to leave without dessert, the sweet side of Connie & Ted’s would follow the Northeast trend in serving up both a decent rendition of classic Indian Pudding and an impressive whoopee pie stuffed with huckleberry cream and jam alike, but it was without a doubt the restaurant’s signature Blondie that stole the show as crispy golden edges gave way to a pudding soft center gilded with rich vanilla ice cream and thick salted caramel – the perfect accoutrement to a second iced espresso ending a meal that happily lived up to traditions and expectations established nearly 3,000 miles away.
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