Astoria is a paradise of pick-your-own-seafood spots. One of the newer additions, Le Petit Pêcheur on the corner of 40-17 30th Avenue at 41st Street, stands out for its Algerian-French flavors. The Mekersi family opened it late last year; they also run Algerian street-food joint, Merguez and Frites, in Astoria’s Little Egypt nearby.
Hamid Mekersi is the chef and co-owner who cooked at now-closed NYC French restaurants, La Pallet and Les Deux Gamin. His mother’s traditional Algerian home cooking, and his sisters, who live in the Couba suburb of Algiers, also shape his style.
Early evening on a Friday, seniors, couples, and young families make up the early diners. Everyone heads first to the raw seafood bar, where Hamid’s son Mateen Mekersi walks customers through what’s available: four kinds of shrimp, Greek fagri (a limited catch of the day), branzino, monkfish, and oysters. He recommends cooking styles to those who ask.
Don’t forget that the restaurant doubles as a retail market, so if you’re inspired to cook any of the seafood you’ve eaten, grab some for home. Le Petit Pêcheur is open seven days a week from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.