A Seafood Two-Fer: P.F. Market in West Caldwell

P.F. Market
West Caldwell
1090 Bloomfield Avenue
973-227-1007
Open: Lunch and dinner, Mon-Sat
Price: $$

Style: Seafood market and eatery decorated with faux lobsters, crabs and a sailfish. Daylight brightens the dining rooms through the French doors on the ground floor and the wall-to-wall windows upstairs.

The Scoop: Michael Karamanis opened P.F. Market after working for his family’s wholesale seafood business in Roselle. The initials stand for Pacific Fish, the name of the company his father, Stelios, started in 1978.

The Menu: Nothing faux about the fish. Everything is fresh. Lobster bisque features large chunks of meat; so do the lobster rolls, which come two to an order in split-top buns. For appetizers, the Calamari Chino—tossed in a honey-ginger sauce—is a tangy departure from the typical side of marinara. The grilled octopus special, served with long hot peppers and fingerling potatoes, has a crunchy exterior that gives way to tender flesh. Big eaters might cotton to the Po’ Boy (pictured), a flounder fillet, lightly breaded for a golden crisp, on thick slices of Texas toast with a side of shoestring fries. Desserts include a classic tartufo and a generous scoop of Greek yogurt layered with honey and walnuts.

Heads Up: There’s free valet parking on Friday and Saturday nights, but no valet the rest of the week. Reserve a table on weekends; the two dining rooms fill up fast.