The Landing Restaurant
81 Front St., Marblehead
781-639-1266; thelandingrestaurant.com
Hours: 11:30 a.m. - midnight, daily
Credit Cards accepted
Accessible to the handicapped
Reservations accepted
If you lived on the North Shore, there was a buzz around Marblehead in the '70s when a segment from the film "Coma" was shot on the deck of The Landing Restaurant. In the scene, Michael Douglas and Geneviève Bujold dined and took in the breathtaking views of the harbor.
Thirty years ago, that was enough to lure me into the restaurant and watering hole, where I sampled the fare, enjoyed a couple of pints, and returned often. Back then, there was a long-running debate about whether The Landing matched up to the estimable Maddie's Sail Loft bar and restaurant. Maddie's is gone, a victim of changing demographics in this old seaport. But The Landing's lights are still on, and the same glorious view of one of the largest ports in the state is on display.
Last Sunday night we were seated right away, and watched the harbor go to sleep at dusk. All of the seats have a water view, and you don't have to have anything to eat or drink to feel relaxed.
We began with side orders of bruschetta ($9) and salad ($7). When we told Wendy, our waitress, that we'd be sharing our appetizers, she smiled and returned with two small plates. "Here's some share plates for you. Enjoy," she said.
The salad was fresh and delicious - field greens were garnished with cucumbers, tomatoes, and fried carrots, and topped with a citrus balsamic dressing. The bruschetta was warm, and served like a small pizza. Fresh tomato relish was served on grilled ciabatta with pesto.
While waiting for the entrees, we listened to soft jazz and took in the view. I sipped a 2005 Heron pinot noir ($8.50), smooth and with an aroma of blackberries.
Things hit a snag when our entrees arrived. The salmon bianco ($18) - salmon tips sauteed with broccoli, peppers, garlic, shallots, and covered with a rigatoni - was undercooked and had to be sent back.
Wendy was gracious in helping us choose a substitute. My wife settled on grilled salmon ($20). It arrived fully cooked and delicious; char-grilled, topped with orange-scented, sun-dried tomato butter, and served with rice pilaf and mashed potatoes.
I chose the baked scrod ($18). The fish could have been served warmer, but overall I was satisfied. The white fish was baked with white wine and olive oil, topped with cracker crumbs, and served with mashed potatoes.
Meanwhile, Wendy brought out more share plates and checked every few minutes to see how our food was and if she could do anything else for us.
The homemade vanilla cheesecake ($7) was rich and tender, and had a properly crunchy crust. The cappuccino ($3.50) was frothy and had a nice cinnamon kick. Too bad the harbor was dark at 9 p.m. I'll be back in late June, when the sailboats and yachts seem endless in this old port and stretch past Marblehead Neck. That's something to behold.
STEVEN ROSENBERG
