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Restaurant Review
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Doris and Ed's

Reviewed by Valerie Sinclair   
Posted February 4, 2008

I’ve been going to Doris & Ed’s for more than twenty years, and each time I return, I am comforted to know what to expect. Once upon a time, when this Shore stalwart didn’t accept reservations in summer, the line of would-be diners would extend way into the parking lot. Sometimes people would get a drink inside and return to the line to socialize with the others awaiting the first lobster of the season. Everyone knew that Doris & Ed’s steamed lobsters, particularly those stuffed with lump crabmeat, were among the best.

Reservations are now accepted year-round, and even though my recent visits take place off-season, I still feel the same sense of excitement when I enter the pristine premises and walk through the bar past the glass-enclosed wine room and into the main dining area. Doris & Ed’s simple, casual elegance gives it a special appeal. Through the wall of windows along one side of the dining room, you can see Sandy Hook Bay. Try to sit near the windows, but avoid the tables along the opposite wall, which abuts the noisy kitchen.

Jim Filip has owned Doris & Ed’s for 28 years. His chef, Russell Dare, who has cooked here for the last 17, makes sure that everything stays the same yet different. Take the menu. On one side, the heading reads The Shore Yesterday; these dishes remain the same year-round. The other side of the menu is titled The Shore Today—in other words, the seasonal specials, all reflecting what’s available at the market. This is a good place to order fresh oysters, of which there’s usually a good variety. (Since my visits, a new category has been added—All The Meat That’s Fit to Eat—featuring certified Aurora Angus beef and Summit Creek natural lamb, among others.)

The menu itself is pretty extraordinary in its depth. I wish I could give Doris & Ed’s a higher rating, but too many dishes are not as well prepared as they could be. On the positive side, the slightly spicy crab cake, topped with fried onion rings and garnished with chopped peppers, is nearly all crabmeat, and the mussels steamed in a tangy red curry-coconut milk broth with diced mango are very good. I recommend the sesame-flavored tuna tartare, accompanied by paper-thin slices of roasted beets, and the creamy al dente risotto with crimini mushrooms, lobster, and truffles. The lobster bisque, though, is thick and pasty, and an otherwise decent seafood quesadilla topped with black beans and sour cream is slightly charred. Four tiny marinated white anchovies would be easier to find on a thinner slice of focaccia and with less salsa and shaved Parmesan.

The steamed lobster is indeed excellent, although the crabmeat stuffing, which costs an extra $8, tastes more like king crab than lump crabmeat, which would account for its bland flavor and dry texture. I love the soft-shell crab, sautéed until crisp and looking a bit like the Loch Ness monster on its bed of risotto; it comes with a tart, caper-studded brown butter that cuts the richness of the crab. The wild salmon is served very rare without the waiter having determined our preference, while the tapenade-topped tuna is rare as requested but needs salt.

Five huge, plump Guatemalan prawns, served complete with heads in a very light and crisp tempura batter with soba noodles and a chili-pepper mayonnaise, are deeply satisfying. Black sea bass with sautéed mixed mushrooms and butternut squash and red snapper accompanied by small shrimp and Chinese long beans are both fine. But I dislike the flavor of the ancho chili–dusted swordfish with fresh tomato salsa and avocado butter, and the bouillabaisse is made from the wrong fish and doesn’t come with any of the traditional accompaniments; it’s a perfectly fine Mediterranean stew but not a bouillabaisse.

The dessert menu, which includes a selection of cheeses, is almost as large as the rest of the menu. Excellent choices include the Key lime pie, Meyer lemon crème brûlée, and caramelized apple and pastry cream tucked into a phyllo cup with kumquat sauce. I like the sweet/tart berry cobbler, topped with decent pastry, but the tasty, intense coffee cheesecake and the chocolate brownie are too dense.

 

Reviewed in: June 2006