WHO IS IN CHARGE The DeLorenzo name has been synonymous with the Danversport Yacht Club since Joseph DeLorenzo made good on his dream of a marina along the Danvers River some 50 years ago. The club has had a public restaurant for more than 40 years, and the latest version is known as the Danversport Grille & Bistro. Paul DeLorenzo started working at the club as a 14-year-old dishwasher. Today, at 54, he is the restaurant’s general manager.
“I constantly hear of people who are surprised to know we have such a nice dining facility that they didn’t realize exists,’’ said DeLorenzo, a Wenham resident. “This has to be because they think it’s private, and also because it is located on the tip of a 20-acre oasis with a long driveway.’’
THE ATMOSPHERE The lengthy driveway gives a sense of seclusion (in fact, my wife, Lauri, and I spied a pair of deer during our recent visit), and the entrance to the restaurant is tucked away around the corner from the opulent façade of the function halls.
Come the warmer weather and the longer days, the restaurant really comes to life, DeLorenzo said, with dining extending to the patio alongside the marina.
“We’re looking forward to continuing our Party on the Patio on Tuesdays in the summer,’’ he said. “People love it.’’
But on a cool, late-winter evening, the restaurant provided a quiet respite. The dining area is divided into three rooms, all of which feature a neat décor that Lauri called “cozy contemporary.’’ For me, it was an irresistible invitation to unwind.
The paint scheme of muted tans and gray-blues, highlighted by gold-edged mirrors, hardwood tables, and comfortable chairs, together with a gas fireplace, helped melt away the day’s stress. The soft lighting and soft music was a welcomed accompaniment to low-key conversation, offering us an opportunity to reconnect.
Our waitress was polite and personable, although the service itself was on the slow side.
ON THE MENU: The appetizer choice was difficult, given the many choices, ranging from jumbo lump Maryland-style crabcakes ($9.75) to chicken quesadillas ($9.50). We decided to share the crab-stuffed portobello mushroom ($9). The big, meaty mushroom came with a healthy dollop of moist crabmeat and cracker-crumb stuffing served with a rich sherry cream sauce and fresh arugula. We also sampled a Caesar salad ($10.50/$5 with entrée), which was solid if unspectacular, with fresh greens, big Parmesan flakes, and a light dressing.
Lauri, a Midwest native who knows her red meat, got the grilled rib-eye steak ($22) topped with Gorgonzola butter and crispy onion rings, with sides of mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. The generous cut was a tad fatty, but the meat was cooked perfectly to order (medium pink).
I nearly chose DeLorenzo’s favorite, the Naked Lobster ($25), with lobster meat sautéed with a sherry cream sauce and served on a bed of roasted tomato risotto and asparagus. But I wanted a little more variety, so I opted for the spectacular baked seafood quartet ($24). This dish truly represents the bounty of the sea, an enormous entree boasting fresh scrod, scallops, lobster, and a pair of sizable shrimp, baked with a cracker-crumb topping. Served with a baked potato, the dish is enough to feed three.
Full as we were, my wife would not be denied dessert. So we pack up our ample leftovers, and ordered the Ghirardelli brownie sundae ($6.50). This freshly baked confection is drenched with hot fudge and topped with Richardson’s vanilla ice cream and farm-fresh whipped cream. It was a wonderful exclamation point on a fulfilling — and filling — meal.
Danversport Grille & Bistro, 161 Elliott St. (Route 62), Danvers. 978-774-8621, danversport.com/grille.
Brion O’Connor can be reached at brionoc@verizon.net.
