First and foremost, Ria Mar has my favorite Summer time (hell, let's be honest... any time) drink.. SANGRIA!! They have both red and white Sangria and you can order it by the half pitcher or full pitcher. It's delicious. Tart and sweet, refreshing, delicious and fruity. Yum. I often find myself heading to Ria Mar with nothing but Sangria in mind, knowing I'll find dinner when I get there.
On a recent visit with LP we decided to order an item called the stuffed scallop. We were both assuming it would be something like clams casino... a large scallop with some stuffing placed in a decorative shell... it wasn't quite what we expected. What came out to us was a gigantic mound of stuffing sitting in (strangely) an oversized clam shell. Instead of several larger scallops with a dollop of stuffing this softball sized dome of stuffing held within it a handful of small bay scalops. It was basically stuffing stuffed with scallops... so odd. Luckily it was delicious... the stuffing had a great taste... fresh from the bell peppers and onions, and a little zesty from some lemon and garlic. The scallops were cooked well, and not at all chewy. The whole shebang was topped with melted cheese (it was mild... probably mozzarella if I had to guess). We enjoyed it, despite our initial confusion.
LP is a creature of habit, at least when it comes to Ria Mar. She is simply in love with the shrimp in Spanish rice and told me that she doesn't remember the last time she ordered anything else. The huge pot (seriously, its like a pasta pot!) is filled to the top with aromatic safron rice and sweet, garlicky shrimp. It's classic, delicious, and a great deal... the giant portions easily ensure lunch for the next day, if not dinner, too.
I ordered the seafood Spanish style. It's a serious amount of shellfish (a 1lb. lobster, shrimp, scallops, clams, and mussels) in (yet another) gigantic pot of broth. The broth is what makes this really special... a delightful, rich yellow color, it has a load of garlic, white wine, and Lord knows what else in it. It lends a lot of flavor (and a hint of color) to the shellfish, but what it's really good for is bread dunking. The seafood is cooked well, with the exception of the lobster (which gets a bit overdone from being in the broth so long, I suppose?) They also give you a giant plate of yellow rice on the side, but I was so focused on seafood that I barely acknowledged it. I ate this for three days... the portions at Ria Mar are seriously oversized.
Don't think that seafood is all that they do, though. Matt loves this place because of their prime rib. A giant (shock!) slab of meat, cooked to perfection nestled in between a mix of veggies and, my personal favorite side dish, the yellow mashed potatoes. I don't know what makes them yellow (my father told me once but I forgot) but I know that they are delicious. Smooth, creamy, a little salty and perfect, I love when Matt orders them because it means I get to steal a few scoops. Anyway, the meat is really tender, perfectly season, and nicely trimmed, with enough fat to keep it juicy but not enough to waste precious plate space
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.Ria Mar is a real find if you are super hungry and want some delicious, classic Portuguese food. Added bonus? The bar area has the option of the dining room menu with all of the standard fare, or a bar menu, full of sandwiches or simple platters. The portions are enormous, the waitstaff is incredible and very friendly, the Sangria is not to be missed.
Ria Mar
25 Whitehead Ave
South River 08882
732 257 2714
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