Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1198098
NORTHSHOREMAG.COM 20 JANUARY + FEBRUARY 2020 It takes a bit of nerve to put fried clams on the menu at a brand-new eatery in Essex that is sandwiched between Village Restaurant and the double threat of Woodman's and J.T. Farnham's, all three with generations of fierce adherents for that very dish. But chef Mario Capone and his staff are well up to the challenge, bringing the same care to the upscale pub food at Great Marsh Brewing Co. that is on display at the much-loved Bancroft restaurants Capone also oversees. Their fried clams are plump and sweet, dipped in a house-secret blend of flour and seasonings and then burnished to a crispy bronze hue. The generous portion, served with house- made dilly tartar sauce, is perfect with beer—which is, of course, part of the point. Stretching across the top floor of Great Marsh Brewing Co.'s looming 15,000-square-foot brewery, the restaurant brings elevated pub food at casual prices to complement the THE MENU Starters Warm Jumbo Everything Pretzel $7, Fried Essex Whole Belly Clams $24 Entrées GMBCO Burger $14, Fish N' Chips $23, Prime Skirt Steak Frites $26 Desserts Apple Crisp $8, Brownie Sundae $8 Cocktails IPA Flip $9, Amer Biere $9 E AT + D R I N K exterior, painted with butter and crusted with a mix of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, salt, and garlic, gives way to a pillowy-soft interior. The cheese sauce, made with GMBC lager and a secret mix of spices, cream cheese and other cheeses, onion, and red pepper, is really just gilding the lily. The GMBC menu borrows from some Bancroft favorites—fans of the Bancroft & Co. burger might recognize the combo of house-made brioche, juicy beef, and aged cheddar. And the selection of steaks, while brewer's wide selection of beer. You can't have beer without pretzels, and Capone, who serves as culinary director for the trio of restaurants owned by The Webber Group, spent weeks experimenting to craft his dense Everything Pretzel. The chewy Fish and chips and (clockwise from top left) American Pale Ale, West Coast Red, Classic Dublin Stout, and New England IPA V4. Warm jumbo pretzel pairs well with the Munich Helles beer.