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November 5, 2019 RESTAURANT ROW

That’s MISTER Crab to you, pal

PHOTO | New Haven Biz L-r: Mr. Crab co-owners Clement Zhang, Roy Poon, city deputy economic development director Steve Fontana and Munik Bringel at Monday’s ribbon-cutting on Temple Street.
By Michael C. Bingham

It’s “a little bit of New Orleans here on Temple Street,” said Mayor Toni N. Harp.

It’s a little bit of Black Rock, too, as that is the Bridgeport neighborhood where Mr. Crab welcomed hungry diners for the first time two years ago. Residents there fell in love with the concept, which combines New England style seafood & Southern Cajun spice flavors.

When the time was ripe to spread the wealth, New Haven had all the ingredients the owners sought: a diverse city that attracts professional people from beyond city lines and beyond Connecticut. New Haven’s vibrant and varied culinary culture made its ownership trio “want to be part of this amazing city, too,” according to Harp.

Mr. Crab Seafood & Bar arrived in the Elm City in earnest with a Monday morning ribbon-cutting at the eatery’s second location, 25 Temple Street. Its menu offers New England and Cajun-style seafood and shellfish delectibles as well as po-boys and sliders, and combo seafood boils for hungry duos and larger groups of diners.

It might be crabby to point out that the block of Temple Street between Crown and George is not necessarily a proven winner for restaurants, lacking the steady stream of foot traffic found on Chapel Street just two blocks to the north.

Formerly home to Greek eatery Kalimera, the new mid-block eatery sits opposite the Criterion Cinemas, which generates a measure of weeknight pedestrian traffic. Sharing its (east) side of Temple Street is Laotian/Thai eatery Pho Ketkeo and Hot Pot & Bar.

“It’s on the edge of downtown,” explained Steve Fontana, the city’s deputy director of economic development, “so it’s not the same traffic [volume] as the center of town. Restaurants thrive as destinations [in commercial districts such as Wooster Street, with its critical mass of restaurants] or in places of impulse” such as the Boston Post Road east or west of the City of Elms.

Mr. Crab officially opened its doors for the first time Aug. 27, and for the first two months business has been “okay,” said co-owner Clement Zhang. “It’s starting to pick up” now that the academic year is in full swing, among other variables.

Zhang’s partner, Roy Poon (Munik Bringel rounds out the ownership triumvirate), said downtown New Haven “is a great market for us.” In addition to its vibrant restaurant scene, he said, Mr. Crab buys its clams and oysters locally, and makes a priority of buying from local suppliers to the greatest extent possible.

Server Nichol Phelan was upbeat, citing large dinner crowds, including some reservations for parties of 20 or more, and bustling traffic for karaoke nights on Saturdays.

“Small business is the bedrock of New Haven’s economy,” Harp said. “Small businesses engage local suppliers, they hire local workers and the dollars they [generate] circulate locally.” 

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