The Ballad of Captain Grey
From upon the quay one could say they see no ship at all,
The angry ocean boils and foams, a raving heaving squall,
But in that gnashing maelstrom there is one surviving boat,
And at its helm my hero Captain Grey keeps us afloat,
What little of his coarse black hair not plastered to his head,
Stands in a rigid cock’s comb: an affront to doom and dread,
His trunk-like chest it ripples as he wrestles with the wheel,
Those steadfast squinting onyx eyes glinting with gutsy zeal,
I gaze to Grey from where I cling gasping at the railing,
Of all the men I’ve ever met, Grey he has no failing,
And in our crew there remain but two, not counting me and Grey
Simple Shippy and Quiet Phil cleave with us through this fray
Now Shippy is an oafish lad, not one for deeper thought,
Through hell and worse by our side Shippy, like a hound, has trot,
And Quiet Phil is, simply put, emotive as a stump,
A man could swear that he was dead if not for his heart’s thump.
With Captain Grey we first set sail that sun-swept blue sweet day,
So long ago it now appears we flew from Casco Bay,
For fame and fish our crew of twenty lustily set sail,
With Captain Grey firm at the wheel I knew we couldn’t fail,
As his first mate it was my job to keep the crew in check,
So day and night I sang the Captain’s praises from the deck,
“Stately Grey’s an enigmatic one,” crowed my praising voice,
“But were I to pick from a million men, Grey’d be my choice!”
As I foretold the Captain quick upheld his reputation,
With daring deeds of seamanship that need no lame inflation,
Grey he possessed the perfect plan for all situations,
Homer and Thucydides can’t match his machinations
First Grey posed ever valiantly his eyes cast to the lord,
As in rough seas our un-lashed gear was bucked straight overboard,
Next, he daringly hunkered down inside his locked bunk,
As pirates swung onto the ship and looted every trunk,
Then came the morn he courageously ran our ship aground,
Only a man as bold as he would sail where reefs abound,
And though we fished and trawled and strove our hardest to the mate,
The captain he had bravely bought us useless rotten bait,
Our first port of call saw nearly all mates swim for the land,
Sure we came in eight months late, but such weakness I can’t stand,
I know the hardship of our trip sounds irrefutable,
But Grey’s great plan was so profound it is inscrutable,
We fabled four embarked once more: Shippy, Cap, Phil and me,
Our billowed sails left those yellow doubting culls in the lee,
And despite two more long years at sea we have naught to show,
But given the chance to choose again, with Captain Grey I’d go.
Now the wind howls murder, ice water spits into our eyes,
Black rain falls both up and down and the seas merge with the skies,
We totter in a mast-less tub, on a wet precipice,
But if there’s a man it’s Grey that can get us out of this,
Suddenly strikes a black rogue wave wise Grey no doubt foresaw,
Smashing down it gnashes the ship like a great salty buzzsaw,
Both Shippy dear and Quiet Phil vanish into the brine,
Their loss no doubt necessity to Grey’s cunning design,
As Grey preordained, I now cling with him to a split plank,
I tried to yell a compliment but only sea I drank,
Then in the haze I catch Grey’s gaze and see it straight and true,
Dauntless Grey, my guiding light, knows exactly what to do,
He looses a knife from his boot and raises it on high,
The plank we grip can’t hold two manly men like he and I,
It is his ship, I fast concede, though ‘tis only a slat,
As his blade sinks down ‘tween my ribs that, my good friend, is that,
Oh Captain Grey though my lungs fill with water briny dark,
Your perfect plan is still in motion, though I disembark,
Yes in the end you’ve robbed me of my very life and love,
Yet you I still venerate as I sink to what’s above.
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FOOD: 4.6 Stars |
Full disclosure: I’ve known about Greenpoint Fish and Lobster before there ever was a Greenpoint Fish and Lobster (I’m buds with one of the owners). However, I will say that there is no bias in this rating. What Adam and Vinny and their professional-as-hell staff have managed to pull off food-wise is a triumph. Not only are the sea creatures fresh, their preparation is fresh as hell. |
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PRICE: Greenbacks |
Leave the record deal in Williamsburg. It’s not cheap, but you can get satiated without pulling any bank heists. $$ |
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AMBIENCE: Well-Appointed Galley |
Clean, white tiles are the order of the day. Paired with wooden stools, tables, seats, a decadent white marble counter and a smattering of nautical touches, GFL’s seaworthy ambience is palpable. |
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SERVICE: Ship Shape |
The place was bumpin’ on the Saturday night I visited, but that didn’t stop the beer from flowing and the dishes from coming out right on schedule. |
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EAT OR SKIP: Eat |
Yes, my good friend is one of the owners of Greenpoint Fish and Lobster. Yes, when the fish sandwich landed in front of me, I prayed to Poseidon that it would actually be OK, so I wouldn’t have to fake orgasmic enjoyment as I forced it down. To my delight the sandwich, and everything else I then ordered, was legitimately scrumptious. No bullshit. No exceptions. I would recommend GFL to any lover of sea-based protein and even those who don’t yet believe a sea robin can be succulent. High ten. The hype is well deserved. Can’t wait to go back. |
Greenpoint Fish & Lobster Co.
114 Nassau Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11222
Corner of Eckford Street (Nassau G)
(718) 349-0400
Fish Market:
Mon-Sun: 11 AM - 9 PM
Raw Bar/Kitchen:
Sun-Thurs: 12 PM - 10 PM
Fri & Sat: 12 PM - 11 PM
For Catering/Wholesale/Inquiries:
info@greenpointfishandlobster.com