Starters — a crab cake that suffered from too much of the Asian influence, and a raw-bar selection of gorgeous fresh clams, middle-of-the-road oysters and flavorless shrimp — had us wondering.
As at its parent restaurant, the signature dish at Frank Pepe's is the white clam pizza ($18 for a very large medium), which is dressed with large chunks of fresh clams, olive oil, oregano, garlic and a dash of grated cheese.
Its chopped broccoli rape and cauliflower plate-mates also rang true, as did an iron crock of paelha marinheira ($17.95) with a melange of fresh clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops and half a lobster in moist, impeccably cooked saffron rice.
All around, waiters in white jackets and skinny black bow ties weaved between the white-tableclothed tables, serving bottles of chilled white wine and luscious bowls of fresh clams.
Jarred tomato sauce (usually Rustichella d'Abruzzo), simmered with the liquor of fresh clams, garlic and olive oil, makes an unimprovable sauce for pasta.
Linguine alla vongoli, full of fresh clams, and fettuccine Il Castello were almost as good, this last just a little heavy on diced dry chicken and light on shrimp.
A scattering of garlicky fresh clams later became the signature topping.
Fresh clams were minced, broccoli rape was rinsed.
Sure, plenty of tourists find their way to the relatively remote locale, but their reasons for coming — bird-watching, fresh clams, seafood restaurants, sports fishing and a gentler Florida — do little to disrupt the laid-back vibe.
It also sells fresh clams, mussels, crab, lobsters, langoustines and more.
