It’s hard to argue with the philosophy as one tastes a half-dozen East Capes from Prince Edward Island, Canada ($4), which invite a rush of salt that quickly dissipates. Pair that with a glass of Domaine Jean-Paul Balland Sancerre ($18 glass, $72 bottle), and you have yourself a wonderful start to a meal that can go in several different directions.
Plates of oysters, baked scallops, flounder, escargot and a lobster roll at Nico Oyster and Seafood Wednesday, June 4, 2025 in Mount Pleasant.
Fish and fries
Bold flavors abound at NICO, where Jay Flatley serves as executive chef. So moments when bland bites hit the table are more pronounced. Take the whole snapper ($MP), the daily catch during a recent visit.
Inexperienced fish carvers reveal themselves while attempting to extract the filet. The snapper curves around the crowded platter, leaving little room to slice and dice. Tiny bones are a byproduct, making us wonder if the juice is worth the squeeze.
That depends on the diner, but good bites arrive when the fish is squirted with a burnished lemon and followed up with a bite of tomato Provençal, the vegetable baked and stuffed with a crumbly topping.
The lobster roll ($36), with large chunks of shellfish hovering inside a golden house-made brioche bun, is also an acquired taste, for it’s of the creamy variety.
Tail, claw and knuckle meat are layered in a Cognac aioli that’s well balanced, even for those (me) who like their lobster roll with less mayonnaise. But something is missing — perhaps citrus, seasoning or a slice of Bibb lettuce for a little crisp freshness.
The stainless steel cup of french fries that arrives on the side, however, needs no revisions.
I grew up in Pittsburgh — that’s Heinz ketchup country — but potatoes have yet to meet a better match than the Camembert fondue at NICO. You likely won’t need to ask your dining companions if they agree.
Members of our table traded turns reaching over a plate of octopus ($18) — the tender tentacles sous-vide for seven hours, finished in the oven and garnished with a tuft of local pea shoots — for another dunk in the velvety cheese, whose sheen is the product of a bechamel combined with shallots and egg yolk.