Cap’n Tobey’s - Good Food and Good Fun
Down by the wharves, amidst the multimillion dollar yachts, the high-end restaurants, and the fancy boutiques, is a place where you can go as you are, a place where t-shirts are de rigueur, where you don’t have to arrive with a platinum card, and where the only requirement is that you be ready to have some fun.
Brothers Chris and John Roche, since they took over the restaurant and bar in 2006, have transformed Cap’n Tobey’s on Straight Wharf into the kind of local eatery you go to for good food, tall cold pint glasses of beer, thirst quenching cocktails, and fun camaraderie.
Captain Tobey’s has been a Nantucket landmark since it opened in 1955. Still there are its familiar blue-and-gold sign shaped like a ship’s wheel, its red-trimmed bay windows, and its heavy front doors complete with portholes. The nautical theme is prevalent but not kitschy. There are some fishing nets, oars, lanterns, and rope in the decor, but also a beautifully hand-carved wooden bar (made by their father), photos of classic island images, and tables artfully decoupaged with island memorabilia. Overall, the ambiance is of a seaside bar and restaurant, but there’s a warmth to the place and a sense that the brothers don’t take themselves too seriously. Except when it comes to food and service.
Both Chris and John have experience from high-end establishments (Spago and 21 Federal), and this shows in what they present at Cap’n Tobey’s. Waitstaff is youthful, friendly, and eager to please. Libations are generous (try their Black Whale), and the wine list is well matched to the food and very approachable, with the selection ranging from $29 to $57 a bottle. The menu offers a range of hearty meals at fair prices. There’s plenty of pub food, but also some ambitious main courses featuring upscale dishes. Seafood gets top billing, as it should on an island 28 miles at sea, but there’s chicken, burgers, steak, and baby back ribs to please the rest of the crew.
During the day, Cap’n Tobey’s offers a cool respite from the hot summer sun and a terrific spot for a quick and tasty lunch. Unless there’s a game on, then you can take your time and quaff some cold ones while you cheer on your team. The entire menu is served all day from 11 am till 10 pm.
Lunch favorites include Lobster Bisque and New England Clam Chowder, which is best, believe it or not, poured over their hot and crispy batter-dipped fries in a starter they call “Gravy Fries.” Amazingly good!
In addition to their hefty half-pound burgers, sandwich choices at Cap’n Tobey’s include an excellent Lobster Roll, a very good Grilled Swordfish Sandwich, classic Fish Fry and Fried Clam Sandwiches, a “Twisted BLT” with pancetta and truffle honey (“traditional” is also available), and a Steak & Cheese with a housee sauce made with five cheeses that Chef John Roche says “may not be authentic, but it’s gosh, darn good!” Because the full menu is served from opening, you can enjoy your main meal mid-day.
Salad is another good choice for a hot summer’s day, and Cap’n Tobey’s salads are meal-size! Chicken, steak, salmon, or shrimp can be added to any selection. Back this season is their popular Lobster Salad, a very generous portion of delicate lobster meat in a sensational vanilla brown butter vinaigrette. Juicy wedges of orange and fresh greens top the lobster salad.
Later in the afternoon and evening, Cap’n Tobey’s can become loud and happy in the downstairs pub area, especially when the game showing on their large-screen TVs gets exciting or when patrons take to a game of shuffleboard or foosball at the new tables in the back. If you’re in the mood for something quieter, Cap’n Tobey’s has a very comfortable and spacious upstairs dining room that is family friendly and has great views of the wharf area. It is in this newly refurbished upstairs room that we enjoyed our recent dinner.
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We started our meal with a table-pleasing assortment of appetizers. The Fried Clams are traditional New England whole belly clams: fresh and tender and tasting of the sea without being “fishy.” The breading is golden brown and crisp, and the tartar sauce has just the right amount of pucker.
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Also very tasty is the Fried Calamari. The cornmeal breading on these morsels gives the tender rings and tentacles a distinctive and delicious crunch. We liked the calamari as much with the tartar sauce from the clams as with the sweet chili dipping sauce that came with it. As expected in a seaside eatery, in addition to fried clams and calamari, Cap’n Tobey’s also serves up generous platters of Fish’n Chips, Fried Shrimp, Fried Scallops, and a Fried Platter for Two that is sure to satisfy the heartiest appetites. |
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Another very well done New England treat are the Stuffed Quahogs. The trio of clam shells are filled to overflowing with a moist and well-seasoned stuffing featuring chopped clam and bell pepper. Asiago cheese is melted overtop and a spoonful of fresh, cool pico de gallo tops each one.
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Chef John Roche’s Crab Cake Sliders might just be our new favorite pub snack. A welcome change from the hamburger version offered everywhere, these small crabcakes on soft buns are moist and delicious. A topping of cole slaw adds an appealing crunch and cold contrast to the hot crab cake. Sundried tomato mayonnaise is provided on the side, and we recommend you smear some on the bun top to complete these mini-sandwiches.
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We also enjoyed the Steak Quesadillas. The large tortilla is stuffed full of succulent steak, onion, bell peppers, and a luciously melted blend of cheddar and montery jack. Hot off the griddle, the steak version is served with sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, and dipping sauce so that you can customize your wedge. These fresh and filling Quesadillas can also be prepared with chicken or with shrimp.
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| Roasted Chicken with rosemary gravy, Tenderloin Medallions in an herbed butter sauce, and Baby Back Ribs slathered with a fabulous housemade barbecue sauce are the very good non-seafood entree selections at Cap’n Tobey’s. |
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We enjoyed two of Chef Roche’s fish entrees: Salmon and Halibut. The Salmon was presented deliciously seared outside and moist and flaky inside. The garlic cream sauce added a sweetness that highlighted the fresh flavor of the fish and was very good with the whipped potatoes tucked underneath. Even the mixed veggies—carrot and asparagus—were perfectly tender-crisp.
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The Halibut, too, was very fresh and very well-done, grilled and topped with a creamy and slightly smoky tomato beurre blanc.
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Pasta dishes are another way that Cap’n Tobey’s showcases fresh seafood. Lobster, scallops, shrimp, and clams all take center stage, each matched to a special sauce. We especially enjoyed the Lobster Newburg. Chef Roche’s version of this is sensational! Served with angel hair, he combines plenty of bite-size chunks of lobster meat with fresh tomato in a rich newburg-style sauce. Dig deep in this generous plateful of pasta because there’s lobster throughout.
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The Scallops are every bit as good, beautifully seared and served over a tangle of fettucine tossed with a luxurious basil cream sauce, toasted pine nuts, and fresh grape tomatoes.
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If you have a little room left after your meal, then the dessert you want to order is the Lemon Cream Cake. Light and delicious, this is a two-layer coffeecake with a thick layer of luscious lemon cream in the center and a crumb and powdered sugar topping.
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