Flavor and Diversity at Morgan's Fish House

It's an acquired skill to cook seafood perfectly.

Overcooking can jeopardize freshness and flavor, while undercooking certain dishes can jeopardize someone's health.

As a born and bred New Englander and a native of a place whose nickname is the Ocean State, Morgan's Fish House (22 Elm Pl., Rye) had to surpass some pretty rigid standards.

Morgan's dinner menu—filled with eight types of fish, an expansive raw bar and diverse entrees—indicated a promising start to a quiet Sunday dinner.

The choices for appetizers included everything from pan-roasted octopus in a coconut red curry sauce to artichoke ravioli with white truffle essence. We decided to be less adventurous as we started our dinner, choosing bacon corn chowder and mussels in white wine garlic butter ($11). 

The chowder had the perfect balance of cream and corn, and there was just enough bacon to add texture to the dish without compromising its flavor. The mussels were well prepared, but the white wine garlic butter wasn't as impressive. The dish also had the option of a Dijon cream, which may have been a better complement to the mussels.

Though Morgan's entrées featured several types of seafood—from scallops to black swordfish, rock shrimp and lobster—we decided to pick one beef dish and one seafood option.

For any dinner companion who isn't a lover of seafood, Morgan's has several choices. There's the herb-marinated chicken with rosemary garlic sauce and goat cheese mashed potatoes ($24) or the pan-seared filet mignon with port wine sauce, grilled asparagus and a truffle potato cake ($34).

The restaurant also has some lighter options, such as a salad of mixed green cucumbers, shaved red onions and grape tomatoes ($8) or a chopped salad with beefsteak tomatoes, applewood smoked bacon, cucumbers, vidalia onions and maytag blue cheese ($12).

We ordered the sirloin burger with truffle mushrooms and house fries ($13), a dish that was simple but not boring.  The burger was seasoned well, and luckily the sheer volume of truffle mushrooms didn't overpower the meal.

Our second entrée was the scottish salmon with truffle and mushroom risotto and sauteed spinach ($25). The minute the fork touched the salmon you could feel the moistness of the fish. Salmon is probably my favorite type of seafood, and I've had some pretty flavorful—and lackluster—pieces of this fish. Morgan's came close to the best 6-ounce salmon I've ever had (it was a few years ago at a restaurant near Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, by the way).  The truffle and mushroom risotto was the right companion for the fish, though my one complaint was that I would have liked to taste equal parts truffle and mushrooms. The sautéed spinach was a bit of an afterthought on the plate.

We finished our meal with a dessert. I was tempted to try either the vanilla-spiced crème brulee or the warm chocolate soufflé cake with the pistachio gelato (both $9).

I settled on the sticky apple cake with the Tahitian vanilla gelato ($9). The vanilla is Tahitian because the beans come from that region, as our waiter, Ben, told us. Ben carefully guided us through all parts of our meal. He had an answer to every question and was friendly and approachable. He never made us feel our palate was less sophisticated than his.

As for the dessert, I would have preferred a cake with less frills and a little less sophistication. The presentation was beautiful, with raspberry and chocolate sauce and sliced strawberries surrounding the cake.  But, there were too many dates and not enough dessert. If you're a fan of dates, then the spicy apple cake may be perfect for you. If you prefer something simple and sweet, then go with the crème brulee or Bailey's cheesecake ($9).

Morgan's is a great place for an intimate dinner in a slightly larger setting. The restaurant has elegant booths that line its perimeter and tables in the middle of the dining room that each seat two to four people. The lighting is subtle and there are even plasma televisions that show Sunday night football by the bar, playing at a volume that doesn't disturb the restaurant's quiet atmosphere. Morgan's gives your significant other no excuse for why you can't enjoy an intimate Sunday night dinner.