You can always count on the Mermaid Cafe

October 09, 2014 12:00 am • Last Updated: April 10, 2015 2:12 pm

By Tim Cotter

Readers probably think restaurant reviewing is a pretty neat gig. And, for sure, eating on someone else's dime is a good deal, especially since part of the job is to sample all areas of the menu, from apple martinis to zeppoles.

But since we're dealing with people's livelihoods and telling readers how to spend their hard-earned money, there's pressure to get it right. You would think the easiest part of the process would be just showing up. A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I were in Mystic and stopped for lunch. I figured we would have lunch, return later for dinner, and I'd have my review. That plan ended as soon as we sat down to a table with crumbs on it. Looking around, I noticed the floor hadn't been mopped or swept. The whole place -including the rest rooms - had the look and feel of midnight on a Saturday, not noontime. When the food was mediocre at best, I started to think about Plan B.

On a Friday night, we stopped at a restaurant in New London, where, unfortunately, the talent in the kitchen didn't match the ambition of the menu. (And isn't it Restaurant 101 to have clean bathrooms?!)

Onto Plan C, which, because of my deadline, had to be a winner. So we headed for the Mermaid Cafe, a frequent stop for us for lunch and occasionally for dinner.

Our daughter, Mary, ordered the Granite City, a roast turkey BLT with avocado ($10.95). This sandwich came on maybe the best baguette ever and with delicious hand-cut fries.

I'm not a quiche guy, but the combinations at Mermaid often tempt me. While I still passed, my wife, Betty, went for it: bacon, turkey and tomato ($7.95). A generous and tasty slice of quiche came with a side salad of fresh veggies.

The soups here are can't miss so I started with a cup of white bean and greens soup ($3). Thick and scrumptious.

Trying to behave, I settled for a chef salad ($8.95) of chunks of ham and swiss cheese and rolled up slices of turkey. There were nice touches throughout this salad, including raisins and walnuts among the mixed greens, tomato, cucumber, peppers, onions and olives. Turns out, being good can be fun.

Other tasty options include the Linda, chicken salad with celery, walnuts, mayonnaise and lettuce on a Brioche roll ($7.95); a fried oyster po' boy ($12.95), and fish tacos ($10.95), cod on tortillas with shredded cabbage, avocado, and housemade salsa.

The only disappointment was that the rooftop deck was closed for the season, even though the temp was in the 80s.

Just the same, the dining room offers a pleasant view of the Pawcatuck River and the boats docked there. You might even spot a train speeding by across the river.

The three of us returned this past weekend for dinner, where Mermaid offers its lunch menu plus specials.

The specials menu is heavy on local, fresh seafood. On this night, that included fried whole belly clams ($21.95), a 6-ounce sirloin with four shrimp ($18.95), sesame salmon ($16.95), corned beef and cabbage ($15.95), and fried Stonington sea scallops ($15.95).

It's rare that we have clam cakes and chowder after Labor Day, but when we saw they were the special appetizer, we figured why not. Betty had New England style chowder, and I went with Rhode Island. Both were loaded with clams and potatoes, and thankfully the New England wasn't overly thick. The fritters were golden brown and crispy on the outside and fluffy inside, and also loaded with clams. They were as good as any we had this past summer. Three clam cakes and a cup of chowder was $6.50. The extra cup of chowder was $3.50.

For our entrees, Betty and I both ordered off the specials menu. She picked baked haddock ($15.95) and I chose baked stuff chicken breast ($14.95).

The fish was lightly coated with bread crumbs and herbs. The chicken breast was stuffed with sweet Italian sausage and bread crumbs. Both were served with potatoes perfectly roasted in the oven and green beans that tasted like they had just been picked from the garden.

Mary went with one of my favorite sandwiches, the Martha, grilled cheddar cheese and tomato on thick whole wheat bread ($5.95). Instead of the fries, she picked pasta salad as her side - shells, red peppers and onions lightly coated with a balsamic dressing.

The table next to us was lucky to get the last slice of apple walnut pie, so we shared a good-sized bowl of warm apple crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream ($5).

Mermaid Cafe makes it look easy. Simple dishes, with nice touches, expertly prepared using many local ingredients - the menu credited Stonington's Davis Farm, Sea Well Seafood in Pawcatuck, The Farmer's Cow and Pelloni Farm in Ashaway, R.I.

Clearly, some other restaurants should take note.

And the rest rooms were spotless!

T.COTTER@THEDAY.COM

TWITTER: @TCOTTER_THEDAY