Yankee Brew News Archive

Pub Review: Elm Street Oyster House

Originally Published: 04/96

By: Gregg Glaser

"The original idea was to offer only American-made microbrewed beers, and that's all we serve. And it's successful. Our customers like it, and they keep coming back."

The above words were spoken by Tomas Esteves, the manager of the Elm Street Oyster House of Greenwich, Connecticut. Tucked into a small, but cozy, space on West Elm Street, just off Greenwich's main thoroughfare, "The Avenue," the Oyster House has offered its customers an ever-changing selection of American microbrewed beers since opening in October 1994. The eight taps, no bottles here, currently offer Elm City Black & Tan and the newly released Harvest Ale, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Red Hook ESB, Rhino Chasers Amber Ale, New Amsterdam Blonde Lager and New Amsterdam Light and J.W. Dundee's Honey Brown Lager. (Actually there is one bottled offering, St. Pauli non-alcohol beer, but does that count as beer?)

Esteves said he and the owners have no plans to carry the well known, mass-produced American beers, or their pseudo-micro products, or any imported beers. "We're the only bar or restaurant in Greenwich that has an all-American, all-micro lineup of beers," says Esteves.

The beers on tap at the Oyster House change on a monthly basis. Anchor Steam Beer, Elm City's Blackwell Stout, Red Hook's Wheat Hook and Shipyard's Old Thumper appeared in the recent past. Saranac Pale Ale will replace Sierra Nevada next month, and as more winter seasonal beers are available Esteves will add them to the taps. "I'll probably put Woodchuck Cider back on this year, also," says Esteves. For some time now, the two top-selling beers at the Oyster House have been J.W. Dundee's Honey Brown Lager and Rhino Chaser's Amber Ale. "These beers outsell all others, four-to-one," says Esteves.

The bar at the Oyster House is small, holding only about 40 people, but it's warm and comfortable with soft lighting and a handsome wood bar. Behind the bar is a large canvas painting of Madame X, bare shoulders and all, a copy of the famous Sergeant painting. Sixteen-ounce pints are either $4.00 or $4.50.

The eleven-table dining room seats about 40 people, and fills up every night of the week. Brightly colored murals of fish, painted in the primitive style by Greenwich resident Jeffrey Damberg, ring the upper walls of the dining room. Fresh fish is the specialty of Oyster House chef and part owner, Billy Kay. Entrees include Grilled Salmon with Horseradish Crust and Tomato Dill Concase, Seared Tuna in Wasabi and Sesame Crust with Oriental Vegetable Salad and Pan Seared Scallops with Cajun Rub in Five-Pepper Cream Sauce over Penne. Prices for entrees range from $15.95 to $21.95. Wine is the drink most often ordered in the dining room, and the Oyster House offers a selection of over 52 wines, all of them American except for two of the "house pours."

The oyster bar, obviously the Oyster House has to have a raw oyster bar, features a daily selection of six different types of oysters from waters all over North America. A lunch menu of salads and sandwiches, as well as entrees, is also offered to the Oyster House's busy lunch crowd of Greenwich business people and the town's many "ladies of leisure." In case you didn't know, Greenwich is a wealthy town.

Along with Billy Kay, the other owners of the Oyster House are Jim Sullivan and Jan Favry, who also own restaurants in Westchester County, New York: the Rye Grille in Rye and the Lexington Square Cafe in Mount Kisco. Plans are in the works for new restaurants in Rye and Scarsdale.

The Elm Street Oyster House is located at 11 West Elm Street. Lunch is served Monday-Friday from 11:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Dinner is served on Monday-Wednesday from 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 5:00pm-11:00pm and on Sunday from 5:00pm-9:00pm. The telephone number is 203-629-5795.

Pull quote:

"The original idea was to offer only American-made microbrewed beers, and that's all we serve." - manager Tomas Esteves