Cape Cod Times Review                                                       

Colorful decor with canal views at Aqua Grille

Compared with, say, the awe-inspiring ocean vistas of Chatham or Provincetown, the town of Sandwich may seem, to some, a bit lacking in the Cape’s characteristic seaside charms.

“There’s no water in Sandwich,” as an acquaintance once put it to me, but I live in Sandwich, and I would beg to differ.

 

Though Sandwich’s town marina is unapologetically industrial, there’s something appealing about this workaday waterfront setting.

Boat traffic on Cape Cod Canal can be fun to watch and, if you’re really lucky, a gleaming cruise ship might pass by. It happened to me one foggy night. The ship looked like a five-story building gliding through the mist.

Without a doubt, the best perch for canal gazing in Sandwich is Aqua Grille. From the outside, it looks like an upscale clam shack, but inside the décor is an interesting mix of nautical kitsch and bright, contemporary furnishings and fixtures.

You enter through the very aqua cocktail lounge, where there are many aqua booths, as well as a curvy cocktail bar. You can dine in the bar area, if you like its hip, modern vibe. There is also the main dining room, which feels a little more formal. It has a stylish fireplace, which to me, seems to have a cool, retro 1950s look. Many more tables are offered on the fully enclosed porch, which has the best canal views. Diners often come here to watch the sun set over the Sagamore Bridge and the restaurant’s vigilant staff is always quick to lower the awnings if the light gets too intense. In my many trips to Aqua Grille, the service has always been pleasantly genial and well-timed.

Aqua Grille and The Paddock in Hyannis are owned by the same investors, but their respective chefs and menus are completely different. Aqua Grille’s menu is long and eclectic, with dishes that borrow flavors from Asian, Mediterranean, Italian, Mexican and even German cooking traditions. Sometimes this works, and sometimes it doesn’t.

For appetizers, the house-made gravlax ($7.95), fried calamari ($8.50), ultra-fresh shrimp cocktail ($1.95 each) and smoked chicken and goat cheese quesadilla ($8.95) were all very good. In fact, Aqua Grille is a great place to graze on some of the Cape’s best “bar” food. The cocktails are nicely turned out, too, and the excellent wine list offers prices that are surprisingly low by Cape Cod standards.

Aqua Grille’s forte is surely its seafood preparations. Baked, nut-crusted halibut in orange beurre blanc sauce ($22.95) is a house specialty. The nut crust is crisp and delicate, and the sauce has bright, citrusy flavor. The fish is accompanied by creamy scratch-made whipped potatoes and buttery, crisp-tender green beans. Even humble baked cod with bread crumbs ($18.95) is done very nicely here, with thick, juicy cod filets. The lobster salad ($20.95) is served with a plate of chilled greens, blanched haricots verts, and generous chunks of avocado and tomatoes. It’s competitive with any lobster salad served on the Cape. The hefty plate of fried fish tacos is good, too, served with key lime aioli and a black bean salad ($14.95).

I’ve sampled a wide variety of the dishes served at Aqua Grille and I’ve often been surprised at how successfully the kitchen turns out such an ambitious array of entrees. A few flawed recipes aside, Aqua Grille is an entertaining spot in a unique setting, especially on a busy summer night, with food that is, quite often, exceptional.

Terry Ward Libby is a freelance writer, cookbook author and former off-Cape restaurant industry professional. She has written about American regional and international cuisine.