Excellent, affordable seafood
Monday, February 25, 2008
Mermaid Inn recently re-opened with a spruced up menu and newly renovated digs, and I must say the place continues to fire on all cylinders. Yes, it can be difficult to get a table during peak dinner hours, but if you're willing to come a little early or later in the evening, you will be rewarded with simple, excellent seafood at a very fair price. Also, don't hesitate to have dinner at the bar - it's just as enjoyable. Stand-out appetizers include the beautifully crispy fried oysters with creamed spinach and truffle oil. The clam fritters were a little bit tastier when they were made with shrimp, but they're still crazy-enjoyable, served with a lemon-caper aioli. The tasty shrimp soup Veracruzano is a spicy tomato/seafood broth studded with plump shrimp and served with grilled bread. On the entre side, I very much like the pan roasted codfish with "New England chowder sauce" (basically cream, bacon and clams). The poblano mashed potatos that accompany the otherwise excellent grilled mahi mahi can be a little heavy, but the dish remains a winner. The lobster sandwich (basically a lobster roll on a hamburger bun) is certainly good, but I can think of a few places (Ed's Lobster Bar comes to mind) that are a little better. I've never had the only non-seafood entre, a double-cut pork chop, but it certainly looks tasty. Dinner ends with a complimentary cup of chocolate pudding with a dollop of whipped cream, and a Chinese fortune-teller fish to tell you what to prepare for as you stride out into the evening. The interior is casual and comfortable, and sort of evokes the inside of an old yacht. Service is generally very good.
Pros: Top-notch seafood, fair price
Cons: Can be difficult to get a table