good fried fish. we again took advantage of a special available to members of the restaurant's vip mail club. the latest special was for a 1/2 pound of fried haddock for $5.99 or a full pound for $9.99, dine in or takeout. we chose takeout, a side of french fries and the full pound which was a bit too much for just two of us. the fish was perfectly done, grease free, but the fries were right out of freezer case and a small side dish of coleslaw was tasteless.
-----18 jan, 2013-----
delicious sea scallops. as a member of this market/restaurant’s vip mail club, i purchased a pair of discounted gift certificate good for a shared appetizer and 2 entrees. it was set to expire later this month so we decided to use it this past thursday. the dining room was surprisingly busy and the seafood market was doing a good business as well. our waiter provided menus and opened up our bottle of wine, $5 corkage. before ordering, i checked out the display case and was impressed by the size and freshness of the scallops.
we started of again with nick’s calamari, lightly fried calamari with capers, sweet italian peppers, white wine, butter and lemon sitting on top of two large slices of eggplant. this is one of the best calamari dishes i have ever experienced. our scallop entrees included 5 perfectly seared sea scallops that were perfectly done. a creamy black truffle risotto proved to be the perfect accompaniment.
-----23 nov, 2012-----
times 2. this was a first for me; i visited close harbour mid-morning to pick-up some baked stuffed shrimp and coconut shrimp for thanksgiving dinner and then on the spur of the moment returned for dinner that same evening.
this restaurant within a seafood market is not date night worthy. there are candles on the table, but the table settings includes iga quality paper napkins and silverware last seen at denny's. if you can get over these negatives, than close harbour is a good choice for a fresh seafood, casual dinner.
as a vip email club member, i periodically receive special offers including the one we used this evening: $35 for 2 entrees and a shared appetizer. we also took advantage of the more than reasonable $5 corkage fee to bring in a bottle of blackstone zinfandel.
we started off with a unique treatment of calamari called nick’s. it was lightly fried and tender calamari with slices of fried eggplant, capers, sweet italian peppers, white wine, butter & lemon. one word describes all you need to know – delicious!
my wife and i each settled on the sweet potato crusted chilean sea bass that i have enjoyed in the past. this entrée is oven roasted & served over small pieces of candied butternut squash, sautéed mushrooms, wilted greens & brown butter brandi (sic) sauce. the more than ample potions of fish were very moist, but my wife felt hers was not very tender. a modestly priced side order of mashed potatoes was both unnecessary and not very tasty.
on thanksgiving we enjoyed the baked stuffed and coconut shrimp. the stuffing for the baked shrimp was just okay, but the coconut shrimp were plump and delicious
-----01 sep, 2012-----
great lobster rolls. i periodically receive email notification of sales and specials so i recently purchased a pair of discounted certificates good for lobster rolls. these are the type with just lobster and butter, no mayo thank you, served on a grilled hot dog roll. ours were filled with a large quantity of lobster and just the right amount of buttery goodness. we enjoyed these while sitting at one of their outside covered picnic tables. i think these were the best lobster rolls i have found in ct.
the display case was loaded with fresh seafood plus a number of tempting prepared items. there was a sale underway with fresh salmon or swordfish patties for just $1.50 each. we purchased a pair of the salmon patties that i'll be serving for tomorrow's lunch on a grilled hamburger bun
-----20 jul, 2012-----
excellent entree. as members of the restaurant/seafood market’s vip email club, we periodically receive notification of retail sales and offers to purchase discounted dining certificates. the certificate we used last evening was for a shared appetizer and 2 entrees from the house specialty dishes for $35.
the restaurant charges a modest $5 corkage fee so we brought with us a bottle of red diamond merlot that pairs well with seafood (or anything else). our choice of appetizer was crab cakes with a spicy remoulade sauce. billed as prepared with lump crab meat, it had entirely too much breading and the crab looked like claw meat though it may have been broken up lump crab. in either case, the crab cakes were mediocre.
we faired much better in the entrée department with both of choosing the sweet potato crusted chilean sea bass with wild mushrooms, wilted greens and candied butternut squash in a brown butter brandi (sic) sauce. we received a bountiful portion of perfectly cooked sea bass that must have tipped the scale at a ½ pound. it proved to be one of the best seafood dishes i have had in recent memory. service was very good throughout our meal.
-----17 oct, 2010-----
very good dinner. we dined last night at this small, casual restaurant located in a retail seafood market. the menu offered us was far different from what appears on the company's website. much of the menu is taken up by fried dinners, salads and soups. except for the evening's specials, those wishing to eschew fried, can select an 8 ounces portion of any fresh fish in the showcase at a cost of only $15 and the method of cooking (baked, grilled or broiled).
i was not overly impressed by the freshness of the retail seafood, but after much deliberation both my wife and i chose swordfish which was served with the day's fresh vegetable, a delicious puree of winter squash. the fish was grilled to perfection, both tender and flavorful. the wait staff was friendly and the owner stopped at each table to inquire how we were enjoying the meal.