The Clam Fine Dining Report

Here at the Gloucester Clam, we realize the need to engage and inform our audience on a broad variety of subjects. In an effort to become more of a glossy, stylish publication, we’ve decided to run a recurring segment on the fine dining available here in Gloucester.

Our first review on our fledgling blog is on the Addison-Gilbert Cafe. We’d heard great things about this restaurant and finally had the time to check it out. Upon entering the establishment, it smelled a bit like sanitizing solution, but my date and I overlooked that for the promise of a French Countryside-inspired five-star meal. We took a quick look at the specials board on the wall before seating ourselves.

While the Cream of Chicken soup of the day was undoubtedly a fresh, interesting take on Cream and/or Chicken, the breakfast options on the regular menu were calling us, as it was brunch time.

While the choice of large, ceiling mounted menu was a tad unorthodox for such a well-ranked local eatery, we understood the intentional irony the ownership and head chef were after.

My date chose a vegetable omelet scramble inside a whole wheat wrap, while I had a plate of sausage and home fries. Both came with a self-serve coffee. This was another unexpected offering, but we found the “slumming it” aspect most refreshing.

Vegetable Omelet in Whole Wheat Wrap

My date’s vegetable omelet in a Whole Wheat Wrap was well-presented, but fell short of expectations on taste. It could have been vastly improved with morels or a drizzle of truffle oil.  It was obvious the whole-wheat wraps were not house-made, which was a disappointment.

Home Fries and Sausage Plate

When it came to my plate, it was clear they did not make the sausage in-house either. Again, I overlooked this transgression. Despite its pre-formed appearance, it was quite delicious. The potatoes had a wonderful appearance, texture, and were well-cooked. They had a creamy mouth feel, but lacked adequate seasoning. Again, the addition of fresh ingredients such as garlic scapes or rosemary would have done wonders for the dish.

In conclusion, we were underwhelmed by the taste of the dishes, but you can get out of here on a budget. The somellier seemed confused by the wine choices. Perhaps a new head chef is in order to keep the quality high.

Until next time, au revoir!