Back Eddy

Swinging seafood for happy humans

by Ian Donnis

One Bridge Road, Westport, Massachusetts, (508) 636-6500
Open daily through Labor Day, 12-4 p.m., 5-10 p.m.
Pub menu until 11 p.m. on Fri-Sat.
Post-Labor Day hours: Tues-Sun, 5-10 p.m., and Sat-Sun, 12-4 p.m.
Major credit cards
Sidewalk access

It's not unusual for diners arriving at Back Eddy, a popular four-month-old seafooder in the summer town of Westport, Massachusetts, to encounter an 80-minute wait for a table on busy nights. But rather than an annoyance, this delay provides a chance to explore the two bar areas that complement this restaurant's laid-back personality. Plus, it's hard to get irritable at a place where they snap your Polaroid to help find you when your table does come up.

Located on the banks of the Westport River, Back Eddy occupies the site of a clam shack that burned down about a decade ago. The shack was replaced by a larger structure that went through several incarnations as the more formal, upscale Moby Dick. Given Chris Schlesinger's enthusiasm for the sensibility of the beach, it was a no-brainer when he had a chance to buy the 230-seat establishment.

A frequent visitor to Westport, Schlesinger is best known for the casually sophisticated pan-equatorial fare served up at the East Coast Grill in Cambridge. Back Eddy, which shares a similar emphasis on fresh seafood, is in many respects a seaside East Coast outpost -- a happy development for those who make the easy 35-minute jaunt from Providence via I-195 and Route 88. The chef is Tim Partridge, an East Coast alum and native of Swansea, Massachusetts.

Faced with the aforementioned 80-minute wait during a mid-week visit, a friend and I promptly landed two seats at the U-shaped bar in a handsome pub area next to the main dining room. Mobiles featuring cut-outs of fish dangled overhead, as two bartenders attended to a lively crowd of youngish vacationers and cigarette-puffing, bourbon-sipping old leathernecks.

Things got better with the arrival of a very generous bucket o' steamers ($9.75). Served in a miniature net with accompanying drawn butter and clam broth, these super-fresh clams were sweet with the taste of summer and among the best we've had. Bass Ale, one of an array of beers on tap, and a well-made margarita served as refreshing counterpoints.

Diners in the pub, unlike those outdoors, are free to order from the dinner menu, but we opted for a tapas-style meal with a few of the hoisin-glazed pork ribs ($2.25 each) and colossal cocktail shrimp ($2.50 each). These are stellar snacks. Served on a mound of tangy Asian slaw made from Napa cabbage, red cabbage and jicama, the meaty pork ribs were permeated by the fermented bean-garlic-ginger flavor of the hoisin glaze. The shrimp, super-fresh and truly colossal, came with side doses of minced horseradish and cocktail sauce.

Reflecting Back Eddy's mix of tradition with a few surprises, other pub choices include a clam roll ($6.75), fried oyster po'boy ($7.75) and Thai-style chicken salad ($6.75). Fresh clam and roasted corn chowder and fresh thyme ($4.50) was another stand-out from Partridge's kitchen. The warm broth was just right -- vibrant with the taste of corn and not overly rich. Combined with our earlier selections and a few drinks, the chowder was an excellent end to a thoroughly satisfying meal.

The only blemish on the visit was our somewhat churlish bartender, who was inattentive, even considering the active bar scene, and acted insulted when asked to explain the composition and preparation of a special scallop entree.

Returning to Back Eddy with a date on a bustling Saturday night, we encountered the standard 80-minute wait. Gravitating to the two-tiered outdoor bar area, which offered a view of the water and a lad tending a huge kettle grill, we quickly scored a table, along with some cooling salmon ceviche ($6.50) and grilled shrimp with a nice red vinegar-apricot marmalade glaze ($2.50 each).

Moving inside a short time later, we feasted in earnest. My friend found the grilled salmon ($18.75) buttery with a wonderful smoky flavor. She enjoyed the tomato-sweet onion chutney, but found the grilling effect repetitive with a side of asparagus. For my part, a daily special of a roasted double-thick pork chop in the New Bedford style, with littlenecks, chourico and braised fava beans in a parsley-onion sauce ($20.50), was unadulterated enjoyment. The huge chop, served in a slightly salty broth laden with treats, was moist, tender and cooked to perfection.

Back Eddy is not without its flaws, most of which have to do with its early success. The restaurant is loud when it's busy, and servers sometimes get sloppy or forgetful when the place is going full-tilt. That said, it remains a winning destination for anything from a casual meal to a celebration.