Row 34: Lunch & Cocktails (Tuna Melt!)

Although Island Creek Oyster Bar in Burlington, one of my favorite seafood restaurants, had to close, it was replaced with a new location of Row 34. And it's still a great place for seafood! 

There are currently three locations of Row 34, Boston, Burlington and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, with a fourth location, in Kendall Square, Cambridge, coming later this year. The Burlington location has recently expanded its hours and is now open Tuesday and Wednesday, from 5pm-9pm, Thursday from 11:30am-9pm, Friday & Saturday from 11:30am-10pm, and Sunday from 11:30am-9pm. 

Recently, I stopped by Row 34 in Burlington for lunch. When it was Island Creek, I loved their Tuna Melt, a simple dish which they elevated to an excellent comfort food. The Tuna Melt was still on Row 34's lunch menu so I was drawn there, as it had been far too long since I enjoyed that sandwich. I never order a Tuna Melt anywhere else as they never seem to measure up. 

Now, they have always had an excellent wine list, with lots of intriguing and delicious choices. However, they also have a fine cocktail program, offering some fascinating choices, and for this lunch, I opted for a couple cocktails, both using ingredients which you don't find often in cocktails. 

A Baijiu cocktail? I had to check it out and I wasn't disappointed. The Westward Winds ($13) is made with Oaxacan rum. Ming River Baijiu, passion fruit, lime, and Campari. It was delicious and well-balanced, not overly sweet (with hints of bitterness) and with rich fruity flavors, and the taste of the Baijiu shined through. Refreshing, it was a touch of the summer during this cold winter. And it's also a very good example of the potential of Baijiu in cocktails. 

I also enjoyed the They Reminisce Over You ($13), made with Plantation Single Cask 2009 Long Pond Rum, lime, demerara, manzanilla sherry, and tiki bitters. Once again, the cocktail was well balanced, not too sweet, with a delicious, complex taste of tropical flavors, salinity, and citrus. As a lover of Sherry, I also love cocktails where it is a component.

We began lunch with the Baked Oysters ($16), made with chorizo and scallion butter. The plump, tender oysters were enhanced by the meaty chorizo and were dripping with butter. Raw oysters are tasty, but baked oysters shouldn't be ignored. It's a different sensory experience, worthy of your attention. I could have easily consumed another dozen of these beauties.

We also chose a Side of Cornbread ($8) with maple butter, and it was moist, lightly sweet, and quite tasty. This is the type of cornbread I prefer.

The Beer Battered Fish & Chips ($23) offers an ample piece of moist, white fish, in a delicious light coating, with plenty of thin French fries. The freshness of the fish is obvious and it's a great choice for a traditional fish & chips dish. 

The Tuna Melt! Ahi tuna, with cheese and pickles. The tuna mixture doesn't ooze mayo like many similar sandwiches, and it's clear it is mostly tuna. The melted cheese and pickles enhance the sandwich, with different flavors and some acidity. So delicious! The main difference from the version that was once served at Island Creek is the bread preparation. Previously, the bread was served more like a panini, with visible grill marks, adding more of a crunch to the sandwich. For this tuna melt, it was more like the bread was lightly toasted, so there wasn't as much crunch from the bread. 

Overall, Row 34 satisfies with its seafood menu, wine list and cocktails. It's the best seafood restaurants in the Burlington+ area and I'm glad it's open on additional days for lunch. 

Have you dined at Row 34 in Burlington?