Emerald Fish Restaurant

Hidden gem. Who would have thought that tucked into a big, old strip mall, would be such a cozy, comfortable restaurant with an enticing menu? If you like seafood with flair, this is your place. We tried one of the specials featuring walu and also selected, from the regular menu, the tilapia-- both delicious-- a bit of an italian touch with sauteed spinach and gnocchi as compliments. Big portions, enough to share because you'll want to save room for dessert. We selected the peach cobbler with homemade blueberry ice cream. The cobbler had the right amount of crunch, not soggy at all. The BYOB feature was a plus, as was the excellent wait staff-- very friendly and accomodating. We are looking at the Susquehanna Bank Center schedule for the rest of the season, so we can once again combine dropping off/picking up at the concert with a trip to this restaurant.…

Not Sure What The Chef Was Thinking That Night. I read right here on CitySearch to go for the blackboard specials, so I ordered the lobster tartlet and the skate fish. The tartlet was flaky and hot, but the lobster atop was not! Our bread was so hard my date was afraid to hurt someone cutting it. The skate fish was breaded in a catfish breading, and tasted very tender, but it sat on ravioli which was swimming in a Southwestern broth that didn't have much taste. Come on, fried fish on broth? Creative, but NOT good. We didn't make it to dessert because there was a LOUD group of kids at another table and we had to run away from them.

The good: I got to try skate fish for the first time, and the place is beautiful- interesting doors!

The bad: The combinations of foods were creative, but they didn't work.

The ugly: Not the waittress- she was very friendly, but forgot a lot of things, probably because she was overly chatty!…

A welcome surprise in a Camden County Shopping Center.. The Scene
There aren't a lot of interesting seafood restaurants in Camden County, so it's a welcome surprise when you stumble upon the bright little green fish beckoning from the doorway in the Barclay Farms shopping center. Inside, Emerald Fish is inviting, with its Pottery Barn décor punctuated by bold and silly fish paintings. The open kitchen adds a nice touch of warmth, informality and security.

The Food
Owner/chef Laura Kaplan turns out perfectly done traditional dishes like tuna, salmon, crabcakes and shellfish with a Mediterranean influence. But it's better to be daring and go for one of Kaplan's imaginative blackboard specials. The peppy waitstaff is happy to give a thumbs-up (or one of those behind-the-hand thumbs-down) when you can't decide between the grilled blue marlin with kiwi citrus salsa and the flounder stuffed with scallop/shrimp mousse. The biggest disappointment here is the salad--the greens are fine, but the dressing is dismal. Order yours dry, then pour on some of the dipping vinaigrette that accompanies the bread and warm pita.…