The New England motif at Captain Brien's Seafood and Raw Bar is authentic.
The Spina family brought their passion for true New England food to Marco Island in 2001. They are well-known for the fresh seafood, Yankee pot roast, grouper and roast beef sandwiches.
"No one goes away from the table hungry," noted Brien Spina.
This family-owned restaurant finds brother-in-law, executive chef Brian Laurent, in the kitchen.
The rest of the family works in the front of the house, with parents Santo and Jackie greeting guests.
The breakfast menu is new and has all of the usual breakfast items.
"We will soon add some seafood inspired dishes to add to the menu like omelettes or benedicts with crab meat and asparagus," Capt. Brien said. "We want more seafood things on the menu.
"We want to keep the New England there and have something different on the menu."
There is a Nantucket Benny with two poached eggs, topped with jumbo lump crabmeat and lobster finished with homemade hollandaise.
"The corn beef hash is really homemade, baked from a brisket," Brian noted. "It is a real favorite."
"Outdoor dining on Sundays is really big with our customers. It is the largest outdoor breakfast dining area on the island, " Chef Brian pointed out.
Breakfast prices range from $4.95 for one egg with a choice of meat, served with home fries or grits and toast or Back Country biscuit to $10.95 for the Nantucket Benny.
A large raw bar is featured as you enter the restaurant. Besides the usual raw items diners will find a conch salad and three varieties of clams, little neck, middle neck and cherry stone.
"We have the best selection of shell fish on the island," Chef Brian noted.
"Everyday we can tell customers about the different oysters and where they are from," Brien added.
New appetizers on the menu are the sesame seared tuna, roasted Jalapeno and lobster con Queso, artichoke bake and skillet roasted mussels. "The mussels are a very popular dish. Roasted in a cast iron skillet with a dash of garlic and white wine. It gives it a rich flavor," Brien pointed out.
New salads include the sesame seared oriental tuna salad with sashimi grade tuna.
"Our Yankee slow roasted pot roast and roast beef sandwiches are still very popular," they said together.
"Those who try the pot roast always come back for more. Of course grouper is the number one best seller," added Chef Brian.
Sandwiches come with a choice of fries or slaw and range in price from $7.99 to $9.99.
Eighteen seafood entrees served with two sides are all priced under $20 except for the new Ahi tuna steak at $26.99.Land lubbers will find beef or chicken meals priced from $11.99 to $ 26.99. There is a children's menu.
"We won the best key lime pie award this year at Mackle Park," Brien said. "That was nice. Our new dessert is mango cream brulee. It is excellent with chunks of mango in it."
Several TVs are placed around the room and at the bar, intermixed with all of the nautical decorations.
Joan Kelly is a former public school teacher and has several years experience as a restaurant hostess. She has lived in Southwest Florida since 1987. She can be contacted at
eatmarco@comcast.net.
İMarco Island Sun Times 2007
