Dining Out
Boston Globe's Review of the Blue Oyster Grille
By PAUL E. KANDARIAN, August 31, 2003
 

The Blue Oyster Grille in Onset, a quaint village in Wareham reminiscent of the old Cape Cod, opened two months ago as part of the Harbor Watch Inn. It is the largest restaurant in Onset and commands the most spectacular view, with the refurbished Victorian inn sitting on a bluff overlooking the boat-speckled harbor.

Meg Kistin, owner of the inn and restaurant, conducted an extensive search for a chef when she bought and renovated the building earlier this year. She found a good one in John Sutherland, formerly of Tosca in Hingham, the Scituate Harbor Yacht Club, and Kimball's by the Sea in Cohasset. In addition to the main menu, there is one for the casual fare served at the Harbor Terrace, the inn's covered outdoor bar by the pool. Both include a nice mix of fish, steaks, veal and salads.

Part of the overall ambience of the restaurant is the triangular-shaped bar, which features inlays of postcards of old-time Onset, including a shot of the inn back when it was the Glen Cove Hotel. In addition to the regular dining area, there is a screened-in porch dining area at the front that has a sweeping view of the harbor.
But a great bar and terrific scenery can't replace good food. Fortunately, the Blue Oyster Grille comes through in fine fashion, with plentiful portions at lower-than-average prices.

On a recent evening, we started with garlic mussels ($7), fresh from Prince Edward Island and steamed with white wine, garlic and fresh herbs. They were served with grilled foccacia bread. This bountiful dish was tasty, and while the delicious bread makes for great dipping in the broth, we would have liked a bit more garlic.

We moved on the cheese torte for two ($7), an amazing not-so-little appetizer with layers of Boursin and goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, pesto and pine nuts wrapped in smoked provolone and served with assorted crackers. Served over a bed of baby field greens with reduced balsamic vinegar, this is a cool treat for a warm summer night.

On another night we tried what is becoming the restaurant's trademark appetizer, the Cape Cobb salad ($10), an incredibly diverse concoction of baby field greens layered with grilled corn, asparagus tips, goat cheese, apple-smoked bacon and the most generous portion of fresh lobster medallions you'll ever see on so inexpensive a dish.

For our main meal, we ordered veal scallopini ($17), veal sauteed with oven-roasted tomatoes, wild mushrooms and a garlic Madeira demi-glace served over angel hair pasta. The highlight of the dish, besides the tender veal, was the thick, roasted garlic cloves that melt in the mouth.

We also tried the chicken avocado melt ($16), featuring chicken breast dredged in masa and topped with avocado slices and Monterey Jack cheese. The dish is finished with sour cream, tomato concasse and chives, served with citrus rice pilaf and vegetable. It was our favorite part of the meal.

The dessert menu includes Chocolate Decadence ($6) and tiramisu ($6). We sampled creme caramel ($6), a silky smooth homemade custard topped with crunchy caramel and finished with whipped cream and fresh berries.

Onset is a little off the beaten path, just the way the natives like it, about 4 miles from traffic-clogged Route 25 and the Bourne Bridge, but if you're looking for good food, low prices and a wide-ranging view, it's well worth the trip.