Baby kale salad, left, and grilled salmon with a black bean and mango citrus salsa, grilled asparagus, and rice. Photo by Stacey Rupolo.
Some places are known for certain things, and sometimes they can surprise you. The Wharf is typically a spot for locals to enjoy a cocktail or grab a beer with friends, but they also serve some of the best pub food on-Island. It’s been our go-to spot for the best chowder (hit it with some green Tabasco and you’ll understand why it’s a favorite) and the best stuffed quahog — yes, the best. These stuffies are just what you want them to be — packed with quahog and linguica, not bread filling. After trying the typical New England dishes ordered at a pub, we were ready to try dinner out, and this night a full three-course meal that impressed was to follow.
The new 2017 summer menu is in full swing, and focuses on fresh flavors that pair exceptionally well with beer, wine, and cocktail offerings. To start, we had a Baby Kale Salad ($15) tossed in a citrus vinaigrette and topped with sweet strawberries, feta cheese, and walnuts. Kale is such a chlorophyll-rich green leaf that it’s tough to pair with wine, but your best bet is to counterbalance that bitterness of the raw kale with a wine on the sweeter side, like a Kung Fu Girl Riesling from Washington. At 91 Points from Wine Spectator and having won “Top 100 Wine” two years in a row, it’s a solid choice to start the night off.
For an entrée, there are a variety of proteins to order from, and more than a few pasta dishes to entice your palate. Whether you go for the Lobster Ravioli ($36) served with roasted red pepper, Parmesan cream sauce, and garlic bread, or you choose to dive into the Grilled Salmon ($28) with a black bean and mango citrus salsa, grilled asparagus, and rice, you can’t go wrong if you order any of the Chardonnays by the glass. Ranging in price from $8 to $14, it’s an obvious choice to pair the seafood and white wine.
Now, for dessert, if the crème brûlée is on the menu ($9), order it. The dessert is a standout, and it’s unusual to find well-executed desserts at a pub. A classic French dessert, this crème brûlée is simple: Made with vanilla beans, it’s sweet but not too sweet, balancing the crunchy sugar layer brûléed on top. If you’d like to stick to a liquid dessert, the Wharf’s frozen drinks menu is just what summer ordered. Try the Key Lime & a Coconut ($11), made with Bacardi coconut rum and Blue Chair Bay Key lime rum cream for a taste of the Caribbean, or a Mudslide ($11) made with Svedka vanilla, Kahlua, Baileys, and whipped cream. Either one will satisfy your sweet tooth as much as any dessert.
Stop into the Wharf for dinner beginning at 5 pm daily. For reservations, call 508-627-9966 and follow them on Facebook for daily updates on specials and events throughout the summer at facebook.com/WharfPubMV/.
