It’s been a harrowing couple of years in the restaurant trade here in Greater Boston. As we’ve been watching this summer on Hulu’s ‶The Bear,″ small restaurants struggle to keep their heads above water in the best of times. During pandemic shutdowns, the waves got too choppy and many of them sank.

One such casualty was the Post 390 chop house in Boston, a friendly spot with a great wine list and bar program that lasted for a decade. But last summer, the owners gave the space new life by opening The Banks Fish House (406 Stuart St, Boston, 617-399-0015, thebanksboston.com). For us, it became the new upscale answer to the question we receive most from out-of-towners: Where do I go for good fish in Boston? One of us used to be a coastal New England fisherman, so we’re especially appreciative that most of the fish and shellfish on the menu come out of New England waters.

In something of a triumph in these hard times, Banks has thrived. Last night we attended its first birthday party, complete with champagne and freshly shucked Island Creek oysters from Duxbury. One server carefully spooned Ossetra caviar onto kettle potato chips (a very good combination, by the way). We tasted a nice smoked bluefish pâté on toasts and tuna tartare with mango salsa. Servers also passed bacon-wrapped scallops and mini-lobster rolls. The dish that most surprised us and which we might try to recreate at home was the delicious clam chowder flatbread that the lady at the top of the post is serving. By the way, the birthday cake was fluffy and the frosting was thick.