The Shop in Portland, Maine, Is My Ultimate Summer Hang

This is Highly Recommend, a column dedicated to our very opinionated editors’ favorite things to eat, drink, and buy.

If you do something simple the wrong way, that’s a one-way ticket to boredom. Case in point: Unsalted potato chips. (Just, why?!) But if you do something simple the right way, it’s like the world just makes sense. The folks at The Shop in Portland, Maine, understand this, and absolutely nail it.

There are no elaborate seafood stews or grilled whole fish or ambitious desserts at this seafood joint from the crew at Island Creek Oysters in Massachusetts. It sells oysters, caviar, and tinned seafood spreads. That’s it. The oysters, usually local Maine and Massachusetts varieties, are just $1.50 each and come on large trays of ice with the classic fixings: lemon wedges, horseradish, cocktail sauce, and shallot mignonette. The caviar is also produced by Island Creek and best enjoyed on top of said oysters (not to mention very affordable). The tinned fish—smoked mussels, oil-packed tuna, beautiful sardines—is served with slices of sourdough bread, spicy mustard, butter, chives, flaky salt, sauerkraut, pickles, onions, and saltines, and is arranged in such a way that you almost don’t want to disrupt the harmony of the composition. Almost.

But then you and your friends dig in. Maybe you order one more, and sip local pilsners and refreshing, light-bodied natural wines while you wait. Then another round of oysters—actually, let’s make that two. Caviar, too. After a few more beers, you’ll look down at your watch (people still wear those, right?) and realize you’ve been sitting in the airy, sun-soaked room for just about all afternoon. Then someone will ask who needs another pilsner. And you’ll give a joyous nod, as you continue living out the best day of your summer. Simple, done the right way.

Go there: The Shop

Originally Appeared on Bon Appétit