Current Fish & Oyster in Salt Lake City

As we drove past the vintage brick building, we weren’t sure if we were really at Current Fish & Oyster. It’s only been open a couple of weeks, and at 5 p.m., the silver/gray “Current” sign wasn’t too visible from the street. But other people seemed to know where they were going, because tables were filling up as we walked in. And, once the sun went down, the twinkling lights on the patio were a welcoming sight.

Open the doors, and you’ll find a bustling restaurant with an urban chic, pared-down sophistication.

My friend and I were invited as guests of Current Fish & Oyster, at 279 E. 300 South. It’s a collaboration between the Joel LaSalle of the LaSalle Restaurant Group — which also operates Oasis Cafe, Faustina, Kyoto and Caffe Niche — and Mikel Trap, owner of the Trio Restaurants. The executive chef is Logen Crew, formerly at the helm of Fresco. (Since this post was written, Fresco and Faustina have closed, to make way for a new Italian restaurant, Stanza Italian Bistro and Wine Bar.)

Seafood takes the spotlight here. There are fresh East and West Coast oysters, clam chowder, grilled lobster tail, fish and chips, Alaskan King Crab Lettuce Wraps, smoked clam dip with house-made potato chips and a shrimp cocktail. During a trip to New Orleans, I developed a love for Gulf-caught shrimp & grits, and I was happy to see Gulf Prawns & White Cheddar Grits on the menu.

I counted just ten entrees on the Current Fish & Oyster menu, but the list covered all the bases.

For those who aren’t seafood fans, there are Ricotta Cavetelli, the Un-Common Burger with grass-fed beef, Oven-Roasted Chicken and Prime Flat Iron Steak.

To me,  it’s wise to have a smaller menu with well-executed dishes (along with nightly specials for a change of pace)  than long lists of mediocre items.

For being open only a few weeks, the staff seemed like a well-oiled machine. Our server was attentive, without hovering. She just seemed to appear at the appropriate time for a drink refill or the dessert menu. She also answered our many questions about the menu with confidence.

The menu offers Cold Plates and Hot Plates, which can function as appetizers, snacks or a meals. My friend and I shared an order of Crab Cakes ($14), giving us each a nice-sized cake flanked by a little chopped fresh asparagus. Unlike what passes for crab cakes in some restaurants, there was a high ratio of sweet, meaty crab shards to breading.

For an entrée, I ordered a Seafood Cobb Salad ($18) which showed off a plump shrimp, a little pile of shredded crabmeat, and a large scallop that was perfectly seared on the outside and meltingly rare in the middle. The avocado-ranch dressing provided flavor without overpowering the salad.

My friend ordered the Caramelized Organic Salmon ($24). We asked about organic salmon. It’s not the same as wild-caught Alaskan salmon, which can be very expensive. Our server said “organic” is farmed salmon, but using organic methods so that it’s a better product. I believe she mentioned it came from Nova Scotia and the Shetland Islands.

Farmed seafood is a controversial issue, because our demand for seafood has outstripped the supply of wild-caught salmon, shrimp and other fish. And it’s about double the price of farmed products. That’s why most of the shrimp eaten in America is farmed in places like Thailand and Vietnam, and we get farmed salmon from Canada and Chile. But, I digress. I’m just going to say that the salmon was moist, mild and meaty, and the soy-sake marinade gave it a rich glaze.

For dessert, we had a Mezzo Chocolate Pot De Crème ($8), boasting dehydrated Champagne mousse, roasted white chocolate, crème fraiche, and fried sage leaves. The chocolate flavor was deep, rich and complex. We tried, but couldn’t really discern the Champagne, which the server told us was dehydrated so that you got the flavor but not the alcohol. Perhaps it simply enhanced the chocolate without standing out on its own. I enjoy fried sage leaves, but I’d never had them on a dessert before. I like the idea of mixing “savory” herbs with sweets.

I’m not a huge oyster fan, and I’m not a wine or cocktail drinker, so I can’t voice an opinion on those two factors. But I noticed that the Current logo is etched on the wine glasses; a very classy touch!

There are a lot of things I liked about Current Fish & Oyster. I liked the clean, pared-down design. I liked the friendly, knowledgeable service.  I liked the fact that there are spotless, individual (“one-seater”) restrooms marked for use by both men and women. (Ever stood waiting in a long line by the women’s door, while the men’s room is empty?)

And yes, I really liked the food! There are other places in town that do seafood classics, but Current gives them a little twist without getting over-the-top.

But I’m still old-fashioned about a couple of dining issues that seem to be an integral part of the newer restaurants.

I don’t like tables that feel too close for comfort. When a party of five tried to squeeze into a four-top table next to us, my friend and I ended up scooting our table about a foot in the other direction to avoid being elbow-to-elbow with them. They were nice folks, but I didn’t want to hear about the details of the business deal they were putting together. Next time, I will probably request one of the booths, which looked more roomy.

I like having a normal-voice conversation, without straining to hear above the din. For the most part, Current accomplishes this, while still maintaining an upbeat, “busy restaurant” feel. There’s an open kitchen, but we weren’t seated too close to it, so we didn’t hear much of clinking dishes or chattering among the kitchen staff. By about 6:30 p.m. on a Thursday night, the tables were filling up and the room was filled with a pleasant buzz of conversation. But, again, if you’re seated at a too-close-together table, it’s impossible not to eavesdrop on the folks at the next table. And again, this potential problem could be solved by requesting a booth.

I’d go back to Current for a special occasion, or if I was going to a movie at The Broadway, or if I wanted to impress an out-of-towner with Utah’s more sophisticated dining scene. Given the prices, I couldn’t eat there for everyday lunches.  But it would definitely be a nice occasional splurge.