Chatham Squire: Still Tasty After All These Years

So how does a restaurant thrive for over 40 years in the restaurant business? A visit last month during our Cape Cod vacation to The Chatham Squire may provide some insights. Our family stepped into the bustling scene on a weeknight toward the end of the summer, and settled into the convivial atmosphere. Dark wood panels and plenty of decorations with a nautical theme definitely speak to its Cape location.

Most of us ordered the clam chowder to start, and it was definitely a very good rendition of the classic. Flavorful, nice amount of good clam and potato, not overly salty. So the Squire solidifies its base of loyalty with classic Cape fare like chowder in an atmosphere to match.

But then they can also branch out and do some creative items well. I ordered Pan Seared Tuna, which is described on the menu as served with a “Cajun spice rub; served over baked cheddar grist and finished with a five bean tasso ham ragout.” It might sound like a lot going on, but it work out very nicely. The tuna was nicely spiced, and the beans and cheddar added a good hearty quality to it.

Beer might be the beverage of choice at the Squire, but I was able to find some pretty good wine selections to go with mine. I’m finishing this post quite some time after enjoying the meal, so simply recall that it was a Washington state red blend that was a good pairing for the tuna dish.

There were three generations of us sharing this meal, and everyone seemed quite pleased–not easy to satisfy such a range of tastes. This included being able to accommodate my son with multiple food allergies; they seemed quite attentive to his issues and served him up a burger he enjoyed.

Let’s hope that the Squire manages to keep balancing the tradition and creativity so that we can all enjoy many returns! Thanks to my sister Pam for the photo of my son showing off his burger, flanked by my mother and me.