Where to The new Row 34 in Kendall Square, where the air-conditioning is cold, the ceilings are high, and the tables are spaced far enough apart to do business in peace.
Why To sample seafood in sleek surroundings from a trusted name.
The backstory The Kendall Square location of Row 34 is new, but the brand isn’t: The original opened 10 years ago this fall in Fort Point. Owners Shore Gregory and Jeremy Sewall have a knack for placing restaurants in just the right neighborhoods, with a dynamic blend of office workers and locals. Now, there are locations in Portsmouth, N.H., and Burlington; this is the fourth.
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Chef Jeremy Sewall has built a storied career: He used to run Brookline’s excellent Lineage and Kenmore Square’s Great Bay, and he was part of the team who helmed Island Creek Oyster Bar for many years. He also consulted for Eastern Standard, may it rest in peace. Gregory, meanwhile, headed Island Creek Oysters once upon a time.
Think of Row 34 as Legal Sea Foods for a new generation. I mean this as a compliment: It is reliable and convenient, but also a little edgy. Sure, you’ll find lobster rolls and clam chowder done well, but you’ll also discover treasures like cheesy shrimp pimento spread, cataplana (mussels and clams in a buttery saffron broth), and crab fried rice, plus local oysters aplenty, including their namesake.
There’s also a purposeful local beer program and, at this location, a cocktail list overseen by Big Heart Hospitality alum Brian Callahan, plus a private event space. Here, you can talk IPOs — and IPAs.
What to eat: What to eat, indeed. We couldn’t decide, so we started with The Board ($39), a medley of smoked and cured appetizers: little jars of whitefish pâté and that glorious shrimp spread, plus tins of spicy smoked mussels and glossy cured salmon. (We all agreed that the tangle of pickled onion crème fraîche on the side was purely ornamental.)
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Cataplana ($35) is another must-order: Here, the traditional Portuguese seafood stew is rife with clams, mussels, and spicy nubs of ‘Nduja, a pork sausage that offsets that rich, velvet-thin saffron broth. Homemade spaghetti ($29) with smoked haddock, asparagus, green garlic, radish, and parsley oil is a surprise springy hit; crispy crab-fried rice with soy and bok choy topped with a poached egg ($34) doesn’t suffer from a lack of very crispy crab, but it could’ve been spicier; our obliging server brought us hot sauce.
For dessert, Sewall’s seemingly bottomless, signature butterscotch pudding ($11) — overflowing from a mason jar, with clouds of whipped cream and sugary-sweet puffed rice — was quickly devoured.
There are also lobster rolls ($49, creamy or buttered); an assortment of fried plates (try the airy fish tacos, which were a hit at Sewall’s Burlington pop-up, La Ventana, during COVID); and simple grilled salmon ($32). Non-pescatarians will find a bacon cheddar burger ($18) and a roasted half-chicken ($25). But, really, seafood is the focus.
What to drink: One small quibble: More cocktails, please! One friend tried the aptly named Elevator Music ($15), whose raisin-forward rye-sherry-walnut blend made her instantly weepy and sleepy. Maybe categorize that one as an after-dinner sipper. Same for the Church Road Cobbler ($15), a frothy strawberry elixir with Pimm’s and amontillado sherry, which our server generously split into two portions for sampling. Delicious dessert drink, and deserving of its own menu real estate.
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Better paired with seafood: the deceptively smooth Greener Pastures ($15), a herbaceous, tequila-celery agave blend that tasted like spring. Row 34 also has a robust beer program ($10 and up, with a few pricier and rare Lambics thrown in).
The takeaway: On a Friday at twilight, pre-patio setup, the dining room was starting to fill with a smattering of office types, a few families with kids, and a duo with serious camera and lighting apparatus who were either aspiring influencers or fishery grad students. During the week, it’s easy to imagine the buzz, especially with new lunch service. On a weekend night? I’d suggest turning the lights (and air-conditioning!) down low and adding a few more cocktails to make the mood even more worthy of the food.
314 Main St., Cambridge, 617-819-1120, www.row34.com
Kara Baskin can be reached at kara.baskin@globe.com. Follow her @kcbaskin.