Mare Oyster Bar Opens on Friday

The new Mare Oyster Bar, which is replacing the former Mare, plans to open in the North End this Friday. The restaurant comes from Mare owner Frank DePasquale, who runs several other neighborhood spots including Bricco and Umbria Prime. The repurposed new space features an oyster bar with a shucking station in full view surrounded by a handful of seats; the main dining area seats 50. Local oysters are the focus, with a half dozen entries from regional farms. Also on the menu are other seafood dishes like truffle crusted tuna, a burger, and a hot or cold lobster roll. For the full menu, see here. It's hard to think of Mare's transformation as anything but an attempt to capture the success of Neptune Oyster, which is also in the North End. Is there enough room in this hood for two oyster bars? Can the new Mare rival the already immensely popular Neptune? Can you order the lobster roll to be served at a nebulous temperature somewhere between hot and cold? Stay tuned.

· Mare Oyster Bar to replace Mare [EB]
· Mare Oyster Bar menu [Official Site]