Fish Bar's Fine Seafood Sandwiches | Lakeview, Chicago

Michael Kornick's new Fish Bar is a small, bustling ode to the sea.

There are two oyster options (one East Coast, one West), fried shrimp, clam chowder, a daily changing fish carpaccio and an emphasis on sustainable seafood. But being that its neighbor, Kornick's DMK Burger Bar, claims sandwich mastery, we beelined to the section of Fish Bar's menu revolving around the bun.

There we found a lobster roll (market price, recently $18) loaded with Maine crustaceans and celery mayonnaise. Instead of covering the lobster itself in mayo, Kornick spreads the cumin-spiked mayonnaise on the buttered and toasted bun, dressing the sweet lobster meat with a scant coat of olive oil and salt and pepper.

Other bun-based meals are similarly noteworthy. Kornick's codfish sandwich ($7) features a beer-battered fillet dressed with a tarragon- and caper-laden tartar sauce. The Maryland-style crabby patty ($11) has an unexpected kick from jalepeño seeds and the ample Old Bay seasoning mixed into the bun's mayonnaise smear.

The just-opened Fish Bar isn't without its flaws, but it's a fine addition to the city's seafood-sandwich scene. It's also an excellent spot for dessert, with pies–recently a tart, creamy key lime–by Hot Chocolate's Mindy Segal.

Fish Bar, 2956 N. Sheffield; 773-687-8177 or fishbarchicago