Moby Dick's: Shellfish Pleasures in West Haven & Raw Bar Specials!
Moby Dick’s needs your help. The small-but-mighty bar/restaurant, which is quickly gaining fame as one of West Haven’s hottest spots, is trying to hit the one million mark by the end of 2024: that is, 1,000,000 oysters shucked and supped. So far this year Moby’s has served about 150,000, each with a squeeze of lemon, a bit of cocktail sauce, a drizzle of mignonette, and lots of fun.
Where else but Moby’s would you find food and drink specials every day of the week, including an $8 burger platter on Mondays and, on Wednesdays, a solo lobster roll with brown butter on a properly grilled hot dog bun, plus fries on the side, for $18? Tuesdays there are raw bar bargains, while a full sushi bar is featured on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. It’s no wonder that Moby Dick’s has racked up “best-of” awards, including “Best Seafood” by the Chamber of Commerce, since opening in 2022. “
It’s been a roller coaster ride!” exclaims the energetic Nicholas Ruickoldt, who co-owns the joint with his dad, Dougie “The Rake” Ruickoldt (so named for his poker prowess), and West Shore Fire District Commissioner Evan Mink (the youngest commissioner on record, btw). He’s referring to a rocky start in which red tape nearly strangled the project. But the trio, with scant experience in the restaurant business, soldiered on. And we’re glad they did.
The eatery is located in a 1908 building on Campbell Avenue in the center of town. Home to various dive bars over the years, it first got the name “Moby Dick’s” in the 1970s. After that, it changed hands six times and eventually became Peyton Place, an Irish pub. By the time Nicholas and his crew eyeballed the building, it was half its original size, boarded up, and beyond rundown. (There was firewood piled on the floor, among other Grey Gardenish touches). You’d never know it now: with 14 seats at the bar, 14 in the dining room, and eight on the sidewalk patio, what it lacks in size Moby’s makes up for in charm. Original details, such as prints of vintage schooners behind glass portholes, take their place across from a bistro-style copper bar. A large sign reading OYSTERS looks over the room, which is supported by old-world arches uncovered during renovation. It is there that bartender/catering manager Gabriella Pereira mixes craft cocktails and pours brews, including Moby’s own Whale Tail Pale Lager.
But there’s more to Moby’s than meets the eye. Insiders – particularly those who have boats moored nearby – know that Moby’s is also a retail fish market. It’s true: on the lower level (read: basement), Moby’s Market offers seafood by the piece and by the pound, including shrimp, clams, Copp’s Island oysters, lobster meat, crab, and tuna. “We get loads of boat traffic,” according to Nicholas, who says that shrimp platters to-go are a go-to for shipboard soirees.
As for the regular menu, Nicholas and Evan agree that the Surf & Turf Burger – a beef patty with lobster meat and house made siracha chive butter – is the MVP. Other favorites include the Mussel Pot for Two in a creamy champagne broth, and linguini with clam sauce (a.k.a. Drunken Clams). You really can’t go wrong with Moby Dick’s seafood offerings: the raw bar is top notch, and it’s great fun to sample some of the more creative treatments, such as the Oyster Shooter (with vodka, lemon, and a Bloody Mary floater). But there are two standouts that shouldn’t be missed. First is the Tuna Sashimi Oyster, a freshly shucked beauty with a square of sushi grade tuna plus seaweed, tobiko, and sesame soy ginger sauce. It’s an $8 bite that’s worth every penny – a perfect amuse bouche. The second is the lobster bisque, a creamy, dreamy cup of heaven, some of the best bisque I’ve had in years. When they say it's loaded, they mean it.
It's not just the food and drink that makes Moby’s a draw: the place is a great hang. It feels like the beating heart of West Haven – even the chef, Angel Lozada, is a WH native. There’s a Moby Dick’s softball team (2023 champs), ongoing promotions to benefit local causes, and lots of folks who know each other by name – some of whom might even have their initials carved into the bar. “We know everybody in town,” says Evan. “Not everybody likes us.”
He’s joking, of course. But if anyone needs another reason to like Moby’s, here’s a biggie: they are fully dedicated to the Collective Oyster Recycling and Restoration program, which means that, when you and your pals consume oysters number 231,562 through 231,586, the shells will go into a special recovery bucket to be washed and returned to the oyster reefs of Long Island Sound. See? Even Mother Nature likes Moby’s.
