We head north of Boston for this week’s restaurant review!

I recently dined at Capt’s in Salem, MA as part of a media dinner coordinated by Boston Food Bloggers. Four other wonderful bloggers were in attendance as well: Emily from Mindfully Emily, Tara from Wine Me a River, and Alicia and Kelly from tidbits.

Let’s get right to the food. We first sampled an array of appetizers. Included in this were the Lobster Bisque and Creamy New England Clam Chowder. The chowder was a little runny, but all and all…very traditional (with the exception of smoked bacon) and solid. I didn’t care for the bisque. It was just too thick and salty for my liking, but I did enjoy the sizable chunks of lobster.

One of Capt’s can’t-miss appetizers is the Buffalo Chicken Cornucopia! This dish offers a very unique take on a somewhat overdone concept…Buffalo Chicken. I tend to shy away from dishes like this because more often than not, the chicken is way over-sauced. That’s not the case here. The tender, pulled breast meat is the star, representing a perfect starter course to be shared by 2-3 diners.

We then were allowed to choose a main course entrée from the menu. I went with the Sushi Grade Tuna, but also had a bite of the Tender Sea Scallops and Sustainably Raised Salmon Filet. In short, all three dishes were fantastic. Why? Two reasons…the seafood was very fresh and it was all grilled over charcoals…a technique that isn’t too common in restaurant settings. These delicate selections just sucked up that charcoal flavor, especially the tuna. I couldn’t be happier with my dish.

Fruit Tart

And although Capt’s offers an assortment of steaks (and even super premium selections), I’d highly recommend sticking with the seafood. My bite of steak was good, but the fish was memorable.

Speaking of memorable…we ended the evening with a sampling of several desserts. I’d pass on the Crème Brulee, but certainly not on the Caramelized Apple Cheesecake nor the Pear and Cranberry Seasonal Fruit Tart. Both were heavenly, especially the cheesecake. It wasn’t dense and heavy, and the simple crust and soft apples just stole the show.

Capt’s casual waterfront setting and warm atmosphere, along with its well-prepared menu selections, make this restaurant a Salem gem.