Captain Jack’s legend is mostly true

John Volo

Although I’d never set foot in Captain Jack’s, I was well versed in

the legend of the place -- impeccable service, unparalleled crab legs

and gigantic slabs of prime rib.

And while many legends are based upon a bit of fiction, I found

Captain Jack’s to be pretty accurate. Which would explain why, for

the past 40 years, families have flocked to Jack’s comfortable

harbor-front setting to celebrate their most special occasions --

birthdays, anniversaries, graduations.

It wasn’t a special occasion that prompted my inaugural visit to

Captain Jack’s. It was a special request by my visiting uncle, who

wished to assist in reviewing an establishment of impeccable repute.

Uncle John was looking for a well-made Rusty Nail, a nice cut of

beef and chivalrous servers. Once inside Captain Jack’s dining room,

we found all three.

It was getting into the dining room during which we experienced

our only hiccups. One came when we declined the bar maid’s offer of

cocktails, and she darted us a look of contempt -- as if we were

refugees from Sizzler. Another came when legend led me to believe

you’re warmly greeted and seated by name -- “Good evening, Mr. Volo”

and “Right this way, Mr. Volo.” In reality, they called out our name

no differently than at the Lazy Dog.

Captain Jack’s gets everyone off to a great start with warm

sourdough and pumpernickel bread served with individual mini-crocks

of butter. For appetizers, we got the expertly sauteed mushrooms and

a delectable jumbo shrimp cocktail. While some lesser restaurants

recklessly attach the phrase “jumbo shrimp” to any cashew-sized

crustacean, Captain Jack’s shrimp live up to their billing.

We were resigned to trying their signature dishes, but also

desired an additional entree. Seafood options included broiled

scallops, Australian lobster tail, shrimp scampi, mahi mahi and

linguine with clams. Red-meat lovers can choose from filet mignon and

sirloin steak. There’s even teriyaki chicken.

All entrees come with a fresh, crisp salad. The house-made blue

cheese dressing was delicious.

The prime rib was indeed gigantic -- approximately two pounds. By

pairing this thick and faintly juicy slab with a comparatively sized

baked potato, we had inadvertently entered the sport of competitive

eating. This is a must for anyone with a hungry, overweight St.

Bernard waiting at home.

We enjoyed a half order of their much-acclaimed king crab legs as

part of a surf-and-turf entree that also included an exceptionally

tender, but rather bland, filet mignon. The crab legs, roughly the

size of my son’s first baseball bat, were remarkably rich and

decadent after marinating in butter.

The Cajun halibut used piquant spices to form a thin crust around

a bountiful portion of firm but moist halibut. I relished this zesty

fish dish even more so than the legendary prime rib and crab legs.

Throughout the evening, our very functional team of servers worked

in unison to ensure our satisfaction. The wait staff was cognizant of

our pacing and reacted accordingly during our three-hour dinner.

When time came to showcase the dessert tray, the darkened dining

room necessitated the server spotlight each dessert with a

flashlight. Cheesecake, carrot cake, various chocolate cakes,

chocolate dipped strawberries -- they all looked tempting.

We chose two truffles. Both were exquisite. Sitting atop a pool of

raspberry sauce, one had a thin coating of chocolate encapsulating a

scoop of raspberry sorbet. The other had white chocolate surrounding

lemon sorbet. This creation sat atop a tasty kiwi sauce.

The legend evolves nightly at Captain Jack’s.

* JOHN VOLO is the Independent restaurant critic. If you have

comments or suggestions, e-mail [email protected].

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