We "seafood," and we eat it—and these four plateaus brimming with our favorite fruits de mer are no exception.
1. Moshulu
At Philadelphia’s newly reimagined tall ship restaurant, you only need to know two sailing terms for translating the menu: sail half or full mast. Half gives you a chilled tray of shrimp, oysters on the half, tuna tartare and california rolls (yes, sushi belongs on seafood towers too), while full adds an extra topping of succulent crab cocktail. From $49, 401 S. Columbus Blvd., 215.923.2500, moshulu.com
2. Parc
Parc's Grand Plateau is anything but boring. Imagine this: a fanciful three-tiered tower of fruits de mer, including a 1 1⁄4-pound lobster, poached shrimp cocktail, Alaskin king crab legs, razor clam ceviche, oysters, clams, snow crab legs, steamed mussels, warm poached head-on shrimp and jumbo lump crabmeat accompanied by a variety of sauces. $150, 227 S. 18th St., 215.545.2262, parc-restaurant.com
3. Royal Boucherie
A proper evening at at Nicholas Elmi’s French-inspired American brasserie begins with the Royal Plateau. The assortment of jumbo shrimp, oysters, cured scallops, poached lobster and cubed salmon crudo is a fitting centerpiece for other signature plates, like the Champagne-braised escargot or the Boucherie burger. $95, 52 S. Second St., 267.606.6313, royalboucherie.com
4. Friday Saturday Sunday
Picture seafood perfection: a daily selection of delicate crudo, plus oysters and poached lobster or crab chilled in a bed of ice and seaweed, rest at the bottom of a two-tiered tower while four steamed jumbo shrimp happily perch from the top—plus, four slices of mussel toast slathered in garlic aioli and topped with onion confit for munching. $69, 261 S. 21st St., 215.546.4232, fridaysaturdaysunday.com
Photography by: CLOCKWISE FROM TOP, PHOTO: COURTESY OF STARR RESTAURANTS; COURTESY OF BONDFIRE MEDIA; BY ERIC ASHLEIGH; BY ALLISON GUZY PHOTOGRAPHY
