May 27

Can’t make it to Greece this summer? A more accessible splurge is the seafood tower at Kapnos Taverna in Arlington.  Kapnos Taverna - Arlington, VA

There are many reasons to take the plunge. The bottom tier gathers a ring of pristine raw oysters around poached jumbo shrimp on a bed of crushed ice. Moving up the display are small tins of salmon tartare and marinated octopus, along with sliced Taylor Bay scallops brightened with grapefruit or, if you’re lucky, razor clams. (Is there a prettier shell than the cigar-shaped case containing Siliqua patula? I think not.) Waving from the top of the tower are lobster, snow crab and … king crab? Owner Mike Isabella says he’s crazy for the crustacean, never mind that it’s more Alaskan than Aegean. It’s his party, and he’ll ply if he wants to. The price of admission is $125, but the monolith can serve six as a snack, four as an appetizer or two as a feast fit for Neptune.

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