IN THE KITCHEN
Photo by Dina Rudick for The Boston Globe
To get the picture, you have to understand this: Art’s is owned by the dynamic brother and sister who ran the iconic Arthur and Pat’s in Marshfield for more than 30 years until the weather-beaten beach place simply couldn’t be resurrected after the bruising winter of 2014-15. Art D’Allessandro is the cooking talent in the family and De D’Allessandro, the talent front of house. Although Art’s is a big upgrade in size and infrastructure, the siblings are still delivering “food with personality” (their old slogan), which is to say they care – about their food, their guests, and their staff. A pretty new space with amazing views, fabulous decks for dining, great eats, and a big following have made Art’s an instant hit since opening in April.
THE LOCAL
Photo by Dina Rudick for The Boston Globe
The restaurant is perched above Hull’s Sunset Bay Marina, on the second and third floors of the marina building at the site of the former Seadog Brew Pub. The peninsular town juts out into Boston Harbor, so Art’s has a bird’s-eye view of the city. The stunning panorama is all water and sky and islands — Peddocks, Thompson, Spectacle — with the Boston skyline rising sharply in the distance.
ON THE MENU
The all-day menu has everything from bar bites and starters to big salads with protein add-ons, all sorts of seafood, usual and unusual sandwiches, tacos, a daily breakfast option, and creative specials. After three visits, we haven’t even made a dent in it.
If you’re looking for the quintessential New England summer fix, Art’s has it. The fried fish is light and crispy, and comes with homemade tartar sauce — a must-have that most places don’t. The fish and the sandwiches come with a choice of fries or coleslaw and mixed greens. The shrimp, scallops, whole belly clams, and cod in the seafood platter ($32) are all tender and just right. Same for the fish n’ chips ($18). And the fish sandwich ($14) is a great option with a lighter price tag. The Crazy Caesar ($18) is a plate of romaine with beautifully cooked, springy shrimp, packed with hunks of fresh mozzarella, roasted cherry tomatoes, asparagus, and shaved Parmesan, in a light, garlicky dressing. The added-on marinated steak tips (plus $9) in the classic Caesar ($10) are tender and juicy, and the steak sandwich with chimichurri ($19) is a grilled, boneless rib eye with a buttery richness. The chicken pesto sandwich ($14) hits the mark beautifully, and the lobster grilled cheese ($18) is as irresistible as a grilled cheese can get. Funny, although it’s packed with lobster, you can’t really taste it, which makes you wonder what Art’s $5 grilled cheese (kid-friendly choice) might be like. The thick-cut slab bacon ($5) is an interesting bite — smoky and bacon-good. The pastrami and Swiss omelet ($14) breakfast special one day has caramelized onions from heaven. And, the satisfying Mediterranean platter ($18) features homemade hummus with piles of Kalamata olives, perfectly roasted red pepper, carrots, cucumbers, feta cheese, artichokes, and mushrooms. For dessert, do not miss the coconut layer cake ($8). It’s out of this world.
Art’s, 2 A St., Hull, 781-773-1382, www.artsinhull.com.
Joan Wilder can be reached at joan.wilder@gmail.com.
