Kenny’s 5-star review:
Believe the hype.
A year ago: tried coming here on a Saturday night, with the naive notion that I'd be able to get a table. Two hour wait.
Last week. came early on a Saturday night, threw in our names, was quoted two hours, and then got a call back in 15 minutes saying a table was ready.
So yes, I finally got to step foot inside the famed Maison Premiere. I got to order from their amazingly extensive list of oysters. I got to sip on their finest absinthe cocktails (which led to my eventual blackout). But most of all, I can finally tick this place off the bucket list.
Let me tell ya, the guys behind the bar dress the part because they're great mixologists. Loved everything I tried, but especially the Arsenic and Old Lace.
Of course, no visit to MP would be complete without a dozen oysters (or two dozen).
First round: Chesapeake Gold (MA), Irish Point (PEI), and Fanny Bay (BC).
Second round: Island Creek (MA), Kumamoto (Humboldt Bay, CA), and Skookums (WA).
They were all amazing. I haven't had Island Creek oysters since I was in Boston, and the last time I had Skookums was in Nashville (long story). Loved the Kumamotos and the Irish Points as well.
Hard to believe that they can get away with charging $1 apiece for weekday happy hour.
Sadly, we had to pay full price since it was a Saturday, but they were totally worth it anyway.
Making it a point to come back for happy hour, where I will plop down my wallet and tell them to feed me dollar oysters until I explode (or until HH is over).
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EDIT:
It only took me less than a week to come back for Happy Hour. The hostess even remembered me. Like last time, we were quoted a long wait for a table, but it actually ended up being 15 minutes. I think maybe I just have the best luck when it comes to table reservations. Speaking of tables, they gave us a pair of tables by the right side under the mirror. Very cozy in the booths, and no risk of people bumping into you as they walk by.
We wasted no time in ordering oysters. Most were $1, some were $1.25, and then the market price list was also available. Still the best oyster HH selection I've ever seen.
Went with two dozen because why not? Favorites were probably the Effinghams (BC), Chesapeake Golds (MD), and the Holy Grails (MD).
But really, the main reason I had to write a review update was because I also had dinner here and it was AMAZING. Because of the two dozen oysters the two of us had, we wanted to have something a bit lighter for dinner. Well, we totally failed by getting the bread w/seaweed butter. It was basically three types of bread - a thin French baguette, two thick slices of something wheatey, and a mini boule of some sort. It was a LOT of bread. The butter was delicious though. So creamy, with just a touch of flavor from the seaweed flakes.
But the star of the show was definitely the venison tartare. I can't even begin to describe how amazing it was. The taste of the raw meat mixed with the raw smoked egg on a toast point was a wonderful mixture of flavors. Nice gamey flavor in the meat, but not overwhelmingly so. LOVED it. Will definitely come back for this dish.
Also had the sweetbread and scallops. An interesting take on surf and turf. I thought the sweetbreads were just okay, but the scallops were amazing. Among the best I've had in years.
Of course, the service was impeccable, and the weekday waitstaff is also exceedingly beautiful and/or handsome.
Is there anything Maison Premier doesn't excel at? I'm willing to come back over and over again to find out!