I’ve had the amazing fortune of getting good grub around the globe. Anywhere my travels have taken me, I’ve found extraordinary places to eat. Some have been casual and inexpensive. Others have been upscale and costly. Yet, they all have served creative, flavorful, good quality food.

Since I do encounter so many great dining spots, l feel as though I should pass along some favorites. To kick off these periodic, brief reviews, I’ll share a bit about a restaurant at which I recently ate, Fish in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Located in the home of Asbury Park’s first post office and outfitted in wood and earth tones, Fish possesses a clean, contemporary atmosphere and an inspired but pricey menu.

As the name would suggest, Fish specializes in seafood. Clams, cockles, mussels, black cod, octopus, fluke and bronzini all make their way to the tables. Likewise, more familiar names such as shrimp, scallops, salmon, tuna, halibut, lobster and crab turn up in appetizers, pastas and entrees.

Among the delicious seafood dishes tried by my friends and me were mahi with mashed potatoes, asparagus and tomatoes (pictured above) and peekytoe crab tagliatelle with peas, shallots, mascerpone cream and a sunny-side up egg. Not to be left out, the meat-lover in the group enjoyed a mixed grill of chicken, chorizo and flat iron steak with a piquant chimicurri sauce.

Surprisingly, the only miss of the night was my usual standby — lobster mac ‘n’ cheese. Perhaps it was the heatwave. Perhaps it was the gouda and jack cheese sauce. Perhaps it was having it so many times in the past. Whatever the cause, we all agreed that this entree lacked pizazz. Nonetheless, Fish still provided a noteworthy dining experience, one that I would happily repeat again.