Sharky's Grille

A good deal if the ocean remains elusive this summer

by Margaret LeRoux

Sharky's Grille & Meeting Place 31 Main Street Marlborough (508) 485-6600 Hours Sun.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Major credit cards Full bar handicap accessible

Sharky's Grille & Meeting Place in downtown Marlborough is many miles from the sea. But its name, the menu, and the live hammerhead shark in the tank fools you into thinking you're in Gloucester or on the Cape. Which is what happened to us recently when a friend and I went looking for seafood. Everyone else we know was spending the holiday weekend at the beach; we satisfied our seaside-town yearnings at Sharky's.

The tables sport cute little wooden dinghies of condiments and the glass candle holders are filled with sand and seashells, almost everything about Sharky's reinforces the ocean decor. There are even mounted sharks on the walls.

Sharky's is both a pub and a cafe. The porcelain- tiled floor is just like the one my grandparents, and probably yours, had in their bathroom. Booths lining the wall are decorated with brass rails, and the light fixtures are old fashioned globes. Ceiling fans turn lazily. The place feels like you stepped back in time 30 years or so -- until our no-nonsense waitress approached and brought us back to the present with a recitation of boutique brews available from the bar. My friend chose Sherwood Forest Ale ($3.50), made in Northborough and bearing a strong resemblance in color and in taste to Bass ale. I enjoyed an Australian chardonnay, Jacob's Creek ($4.95).

The appetizer list -- shark bites --features stuffed quahogs ($3.99), conch fritters ($5.99), calamari ($5.99), and steamed mussels ($6.99). There's a long list of pub regulars, too, such as chicken wings ($4.99), onion rings ($3.99), and personal pizzas ($5.99).

We passed on the appetizers in favor of a cup of clam chowder ($2.50) and a garden salad ($2.99). The chowder was full of clams and potatoes, and the broth tasted of lemon juice, one of the more unusual and tasty variations we've sampled. The salad was mostly crispy romaine with wedges of tomato and a couple of marinated peppers. The blue cheese dressing had chunks of cheese in it. Our waitress delivered a basket of hot, crusty rolls; they weren't home-baked but not bad.

Sharky's offers sandwiches at lunch and in the evening, so if you're not too hungry you can satisfy yourself with a shark burger ($5.50) or several variations of grilled chicken ($5.99). There are also a Rueben and a Philly cheese- steak sandwich ($5.99) as well as a jumbo hot dog ($4.99).

"From the sea" includes Atlantic salmon ($11.99), swordfish ($11.99), baked-stuffed scrod ($9.99), baked-stuffed shrimp or scallops ($12.99), fish and chips ($9.99), and, of course, mako shark ($9.99). The most expensive item offered is fried captain's platter of scrod, scallops, and shrimp ($14.99).

You can also have scallops over pasta ($12.99), seafood fra diavolo ($13.99), or a combination of scallops, shrimp, and lobster in a garlic cream sauce ($14.99).

If you're not in the mood for seafood, try veal Francais, piccata, or parmigiana (all $11.99). Other "from the land" options include boneless center-cut pork chops ($7.99), marinated sirloin tips ($8.99), and chicken with rice pilaf ($7.99).

My selection was red snapper ($10.99) offered grilled, Cajun (which was my choice), blackened or broiled. It came with a choice of rice pilaf, baked potato, or French fries. I chose baked potato. The fish was fresh and firm, but it was on the grill too long; the bottom was burned. There were two large fillets, however, with more than enough flaky white fish to make up for the blackend portion. The potato skin was crisp -- no foil-wrapping here -- though the lukewarm insides were the result of being too long out of the oven before serving. I have to compliment the preparation of sliced zucchini, summer squash, and onions that accompanied the fish. Usually, I push these vegetables aside after just a taste. But these were sautéed till crisp but tender and were delicious.

My friend chose the swordfish sandwich ($6.99), which included a heap of crispy, hot French fries so good that I kept stealing them. So was the swordfish, a hefty cut of fillet, seared and seasoned with spicy Cajun blend. It came on a deli-style bun with lettuce and tomato for garnish.

Tonight, we had room for dessert: Boston cream pie ($2.99) and key lime pie ($3.99). Both were good, if not outstanding. Altogether satisfying and a bargain if you can't make it to the Cape. Our bill totaled $40.84 before tip.