
DATE: Sunday, June 22, 1997                 TAG: 9706200262

SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS     PAGE: 05   EDITION: FINAL 

COLUMN: ON THE TOWN IN PORTSMOUTH 

TYPE: RESTAURANT REVIEW 

SOURCE: Sam Martinette 

                                            LENGTH:   91 lines

AT WYNN'S, YOU'LL FIND FEW FRILLS BUT LOTS OF DOWN-HOME SEAFOOD

After visiting Wynn's Seafood a few weeks back to photograph soft-shell crabs, I couldn't help but notice the low prices on the menu.

OK, I had to have another soft-shell, and since I hadn't eaten that day, I thought I should return. I'm glad that I did.

Wynn's Seafood, owned by Bobby Wynn and managed by his sister Shelley, opened in 1990, across High Street from its present location, bracketed by Williamsburg and Peninsula avenues. When the land was cleared for the new Norcom High, they moved to a building dating to 1947 that has housed auto dealerships over the decades.

Divided into crab cleaning rooms, a steaming room where five bushels of crabs can steam at a time, two kitchens and other prep rooms, Wynn's is an extension of the 20-year crabbing career of brothers Bobby and Jimbo Wynn.

Jimbo now runs a gym, and because Bobby likes to be on the boat in summer, sister Shelley, whose previous experience was as a computer systems analyst in D.C., runs the market and restaurant.

``All crabmeat we use, we pick ourselves,'' Shelley explained. ``In summertime, it's about 75 percent of our business. During winter, it's much lower, and that's why we added chicken and other items.''

It's no-frills dining. Order at the counter, and your dinner is packaged to go, even if you plan on sticking around.

``Even though we serve it on Styrofoam, with plastic forks, we strive for quality,'' Shelley said. ``Everything is made in-house.''

The retail market offers fresh seafood, and might include spot, croaker, flounder, whiting, shrimp, scallops, oysters, snow crab clusters, devilled crabs, and more, priced according to market.

``We can order seafood like tuna or salmon, for people,'' she said. "They're not hot sellers here, and too high-dollar to sit in the case, but we can get anything.''

The recipes used are created by the family. ``The fried crab batter and deviled crabs were developed by my father, but most of the soups and vegetables, I do,'' Shelley said.

Seafood dinners, with two vegetables and a hush puppy trio, include whiting filet, or fish of the day ($2.99 or $3.99 for two pieces/$4.99 for three); six large fried shrimp or oysters ($4.99); eight fried scallops ($4.99); a pair of crabcakes, or a crab cake combo with three shrimp and four scallops ($8.99/add $1 for a piece of fish, too); and a half-pound of medium-size steamed shrimp ($6.49).

Seafood snacks, with a vegetable and three hush puppies, include 21 popcorn shrimp ($3.99); and whiting or fish of the day, by the piece ($2.49 for one/$3.49 for two/$4.49 for three). You can get a side order of a half-dozen fried oysters or shrimp ($3.50), a deviled crab ($1.75), a pair of fried hard shell crabs ($2), a soft-shell ($3.50), or she-crab soup ($2.99).

Vegetables are available by pint ($2.50) and quart ($4.75).

Chicken dinners (with two vegetables and three hush puppies) and snacks (with a vegetable and three hush puppies) include chicken tenders (three in a dinner for $3.99/$3.49 for the snack); a breast and a wing ($3.99/$3.49); two thighs and a leg ($4.19/$3.69); a breast, thigh, and wing ($4.89/$4.39); a breast, thigh, leg and wing ($5.79/$5.29); and just about any other combination you can think of. You can get a dinner or snack of a half-dozen livers or gizzards ($2.99/$2.49); a pork chop ($2.99/$2.49), or a pair of chops ($4.59/$4.09).

Chicken is available by the piece, such as a breast ($1.79), thigh, leg, or wing (89 cents); a half-dozen hot wings ($1.99); a dozen livers or gizzards ($2.89); or a solitary pork chop ($1.59). The homemade vegetables include such southern staples as butterbeans, collards, candied yams, cole slaw and potato salad, as well as macaroni and cheese, broccoli and cheese, macaroni salad and more.

A crab cake sandwich, made with 100 percent crab meat, costs $4.29, while a soft-shell sandwich is $3.79. An oyster sandwich with a half-dozen fried oysters is $3.79; a pork chop sandwich, $1.79; and a chopped barbecue sandwich is $1.99.

By the way, my soft-shell dinner, with Lima beans and potato salad, was excellent, and the side orders of scallops and fried oysters were juicy and first rate. Wynn's Seafood isn't fancy, but boy, you can eat. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by SAM MARTINETTE

The crew at Wynn's Seafood includes Zertha Liverman, left, Deloris

Cannon, assistant manger Louis Andrews, Brent Hill, Simion

Washington, LeTisha Jimenez and manager Shelley Wynn. The restaurant

is an extension of the 20-year crabbing career of Shelley's

brothers, Bobby and Jimbo Wynn.

Graphic

AT A GLANCE

Wynn's Seafood: 1629 High St., 399-2722 or fax: 399-3607.

Food: Retail seafood, cooked seafood, sandwiches and fried

chicken; no ABC.

Prices: Most are $3-$5.

Hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Mon.-Thurs.; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Fri. and Sat.