Every aspect of the latest project from Ford Fry (JCT Kitchen & Bar, No. 246) strives to put you in a seaside-vacation state of mind. The Westside compound—a rambling space of whitewashed brick, alabaster tiles, and contrasting dark wooden floors—recalls a giant boathouse. (The restaurant's name refers to a type of dinghy.)

Instant hits on chef Adam Evans's seafood-rich menu include wood-roasted oysters with shrimp butter and bacon; Sapelo Island clams with hog jowl, chiles, and hand-torn croutons for sopping; classic lobster rolls; and Alaskan halibut with hen of the woods mushrooms and sauce bordelaise.

Fry's eye for talent is evident in the cocktails (such as rum-laced Fishhouse Punch) from beverage director Lara Creasy and in the buttered yeast rolls and hot fudge sundae with fried peanuts from pastry chef Taria Camerino.