Grand Central Oyster Bar: Shad Filet, Shad Roe "First Catch" On Menu

The Grand Central Oyster Bar’s executive chef Sandy Ingber is dubbed the “Bishop of Bivalves” for his oyster expertise, but is equally well-known for delivering the “First Catch” of a wide variety of seafood at the historic restaurant. Just reeled in today are Shad filet and Shad Roe from the waters of Georgia, reports Ingber.

The favorite will be on the lunch and dinner menu depending on availability for several months “Below Sea Level” at Grand Central Terminal. Shad filet is priced at $30.95 per entrée, while both the shad roe and combo are priced at $32.95. Each is served with the traditional herb-stuffed tomato and crispy bacon.

“We have been very proud over many years to be the first New York City restaurant to have this highly-anticipated delicacy on our menu each year,” says chef Ingber. “We are hoping it will be available fairly regularly through mid-April.”

For further information and reservations, call the Grand Central Oyster Bar at (212) 490-6650. The Oyster Bar is open for lunch and dinner, beginning at 11:30 AM with final dinner reservations at 9:30 PM, every day except Sundays.

Connoisseurs of caviar regard Shad roe as a delicious and tasty alternative.

More on Shad: Shad is related to herring, the American shad is classified as “anadromous” because it spends the majority of its life in salt water but returns to its birthplace to breed in freshwater. Because the shad loses body fat as it labors upstream, the most prized are those that have journeyed the least. The Oyster Bar monitors the movement of shad schools through its suppliers.

The Lenape American Indian tribe called shad the “inside-out porcupine” because of its many bones. The reason it is such a delicacy, and very few restaurants serve it is because of the expertise it takes to filet and de-bone.