Sea Hag is the little sister to Grendel’s Den
Where to The Sea Hag Restaurant & Bar in Harvard Square.
Why To check in on an indie spot that’s an offshoot of the long-running nearby restaurant, Grendel’s Den.
The back story Sea Hag owner Kari Kuelzer of Grendel’s Den in the Square, found a place down the road a bit on Mt. Auburn Street that had most recently been occupied by The Boathouse; Tommy’s Lunch was the threedecade tenant in the storefront until 1992. Kuelzer describes her food as “pub grub, all made from scratch featuring globally inspired coastal fare.” The new owner left a large wooden row boat from the former restaurant and it sits high up in the light brick-walled room; she filled it with paintings and plants. Kuelzer, who grew up in Cambridge, is the daughter of the couple who started Grendel’s Den in 1971.
What to eat Arancini, named for Wulf (as in Beowulf, where the restaurant names come from), is one large luscious deep-fried rice ball mixed with mushrooms and black olives, sitting in marinara sauce. Messy Cobb is a delicious bowl of romaine lettuce with chicken, bacon, blue cheese vinaigrette, and a runny fried egg garnish. Big beautiful crispy fried haddock fillets are in the fish and chips basket, with quite good fries, tartar sauce, and another sauce called “chips shop curry.”
What to drink Beers are both craft and commercial. Wines are a curious mix of commonplace and adventurous.
The takeaway The food here is really well prepared and carefully sourced. Crunchy fish and chips is a perfect version of the dish. Even the quarterpound smash burger is made from locally raised grass-fed beef. Kuelzer, like her parents, is an expert in attracting and keeping clientele, which is what she’ll do at this pub. Stop by for a bite, return for decades.
49 Mt. Auburn St., Cambridge, 617-945-7477, www.seahag02138.com. Small plates, sharable apps $3-$14; mains $12.50-$29.