Captain Marden's restaurant in Wellesley is everything a New England fish house should be
Lane Turner/Globe Staff
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What to eat
Clam chowder, of course, which has just the right balance between thin and thick and a deliciously briny broth. A plump lobster roll, with skinny fries and good slaw. If there wasn't a lettuce leaf between the salad and bread, it would show off both better; the chef says many customers would disagree. A lovely tuna tartare, a cross between the one Ming Tsai made at
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What to drink
A new beer and wine license offers a pretty even mix of Old and New World wines. The list is cautious, but serviceable, and comfortably priced. Almost all the brews are from the region.
The takeaway
You'll find grilled seafood, fried seafood, raw oysters, shrimp, mussels, whole steamed lobster, baked stuffed lobster, even caviar — most of the items on a Cape or North Shore seafood menu. Reservations are accepted for groups of six only, so all the duos, trios, and quartets have to wait outside the restaurant, adjacent to an overflowing parking lot. Inside, there are more high-tops than I like (I'd never sit at one by choice), with some seats at a bar. Service is friendly and efficient, hosts are quite good at juggling the waitlist, it's easy to get in and out quickly if you're an Early Bird (the restaurant opens early and closes early), and no one's washing the floor around you if you're on the late side. Marden's has everything a casual New England seafood house should have, including the lines.
279 Linden St., Wellesley, 781-235-3737,
. Entrees $17-$36 (prices on some items vary).
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Haddock at Captain Marden's in Wellesley.
Lane Turner/Globe Staff
Sheryl Julian can be reached at
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