New seafood restaurant: First look inside Concord’s Longport Fish Company

From every angle, Concord’s Longport Fish Company has great coastal energy.

It is named for the Jersey Shore borough where chef-owner Nicholas diArenzo spent his summers as a kid feasting on crab. The new restaurant is in the spot that formerly housed EMC Seafood & Raw Bar, which closed during the pandemic, though EMC’s San Jose location remains open. And despite a bland exterior, the new dining room is awash in bright, ocean-blue accents.

Most importantly, the seafood restaurant, which gets local and sustainable seafood delivered six days a week, is diArenzo’s opportunity to make his mark on Bay Area dining. He spent 20 years working his way up on the San Francisco restaurant scene before opening two fine dining establishments, Market Tavern and Prime Table, in Stockton, where he lives with his family.

Entrees like a miso roasted black cod and a spring halibut with asparagus puree show diArenzo’s flair for flavor and technique, not to mention pretty food. Brunch service, which launched this month, offers a tempting poached lobster benedict and French toast made from a brown sugar and vanilla babka baked by Fire Swamp Provisions in Sebastopol. Did we mention the smoked salmon and bagel towers?

Here’s our take from a recent Sunday night dinner.

VIBE: Coastal. Longport is bathed in dreamy cerulean blue, down to the leather stools, water glasses and dramatic, semi-circle banquette, which is the best table in the house. There’s also an open kitchen and a large bar with sand-colored pendant lights and plenty of seating.

FOOD: Large menus generally make me nervous, but Longport’s is just big enough — with raw bar, salads, soups, sandwiches and wood-fired entrees — to ensure something for everyone. If you’re bringing a group, opt for a seafood tower, like The Tugboat ($80), which comes with oysters, clams, ceviche, half a Maine lobster and kombu mignonette. It’s a solid appetizer for two to four people.

Distinctive starters include Spicy Salmon Tartare and Crispy Rice Cakes ($12) and Griddled Corn Bread with Calabrian Chile-Maple Butter ($12), while soups and salads skew on the classic side. There’s a New England Clam Chowder ($6 cup, $10 bowl) and LFC Louie Salad with choice of Oregon bay shrimp or Dungeness crab ($15 small, $32 large).

For that Roasted Miso Black Cod ($38), diArenzo marinates the cod for three days in miso, mirin, sake and sugar. Its accompanying crispy potato terrine is labor intensive: Potatoes are sliced super thin, layered in butter, and pressed overnight before hitting the fryer. Both dishes frequently sell out.

Halibut, a special on our visit, came with colossal asparagus and shaved Brussels sprouts from Stockton’s Zuckerman Family Farms. The dish is finished in a scrumptious green garlic and bacon vinaigrette. Burgers and sandwiches round out the offerings. Even the kids menu is solid. Crunchy, panko-crusted chicken tenders are made from brined Mary’s chicken.

DRINK: A selection of 10 craft cocktails ($14 each) made with local spirits, like Sebastopol’s Spirit Works Vodka and Alameda’s St. George Spirits Terroir Gin. There are also 11 craft beers on draft, most from Northern California, and 21 wines by the glass starting at $12. The bottle list includes a mix from California, France, Italy and beyond, with most offerings in the $45-$68 range.