Captain Marden’s in Wellesley opens April 22 at 5pm—we got a sneak peek a few hours ahead of time
After a four-month closure for renovations, Captain Marden’s Restaurant on Linden Street will throw open its doors for a grand reopening today at 5pm. The legacy seafood spot, a Wellesley favorite since 1960, now boasts a fresh interior look and a new, elevated menu. Diners can still get lots of their old favorites, like a big piece of haddock with a couple of in-season, fresh vegetable sides, owner Roy Marden says. But Chef Jordan Bailey, formerly of Lumière in Newton, has revamped many menu items, bringing creativity with new ingredient pairings and exciting combinations.
Think menu items like Squid and Mussels Fra Diavolo with pasta calamarata, Calabrian chili roasted tomatoes, olives, and herbs; Tuna Tartare with avocado, lime, ginger, soy & sesame, and toast; and a selection of four different caviars.
Familiar dishes remain such as New England clam chowder, fish and chips, lobster roll, and more.
We were there too early to sample the menu, but we did score a treat that every diner will get before their dinner is served. Cornbread shaped like a fishy. We’ve had our issues with cornbread at other places (including, sadly, our attempts at home). Sometimes it’s so dry you can cough for hours and still not dislodge the last crumb. Sometimes cornbread is too sweet, or sits like a lump in your stomach.
Not Captain Marden’s cornbread. The texture is perfect; the construction nice and light; the sugar content doesn’t veer into dessert territory; and the fishy-tail tip has a fun crunch to it. In fact, fishy-tail arguments may break out at the table, similar to the Easter-time chocolate bunny ears controversy. Should you eat the cornbread fish tail first, or save it for last?
Something the entire staff is excited about is the raw bar. When customers enter, one of the first things they’ll see as they’re led to their seats is a pristine arrangement of oysters, clams, crab legs, lobster, and more, glistening on a bed of ice, situated at the end of the six-seat bar. A flat screen will be tuned to essential events, like Red Sox games. And there will be no more jostling elbows at the bar with customers picking up take-out orders. Staff at the new, generously sized host area will allow the grab-and-go set to get what they came for efficiently, without having to walk through part of the dining room.
The interior design is modern, with high-top tables; comfortable, with upholstered booth seating; and inviting, with classic table seating. The porch area remains, with a u-shaped banquette added to the seating options.
“We’re really excited to see people who have been coming here forever to come back and love it, and we’re also really excited to welcome people who haven’t always thought to come here to experience it and enjoy a fresh take,” Roy said.
Captain Marden’s is waiting for a beer/wine license to come through from the state. (Unfortunately, BYOB is not allowed when going through that process.) So for now, it’s a dry restaurant. Once the license is in hand, a carefully considered wine and beer list will be available.
The 56-seat restaurant’s hours are Tuesday-Saturday for dinner only, 5pm-9pm. The Fish Market is open Monday – Friday, 8am-6pm; Saturday, 8am-5:30; Sunday, 10am-5pm.
In addition, the Cod Squad food truck serves from the parking lot Mondays (11am-7pm), and for lunch Tuesday-Saturday. A word to the wise: The food truck starts to get busy this time of year with events, so it’s a good idea to check Captain Marden’s website/socials before coming down.
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