The Cast Iron Kitchen is at the site of the former Quarterdeck restaurant, next to the Quarterdeck Fish Market on Main Street in Maynard. Tired of the restaurant business after 27 years, Chris Basile of Harvard sold it to John Gagnon of Maynard two years ago. Although many people lament the loss of the Quarterdeck’s seafood menu (and humongous portions), the Cast Iron’s menu always has several seafood items that are supplied by the Quarterdeck. In addition to the regular menu items there is often a fish special as well.
After the soups and salads, the menu is divided between “little plates” and “big plates.” You can order little plates as appetizers to share, or combine your favorites with a salad to make a meal. I think they work best as appetizers to share. The salads are not particularly notable, although I find the romaine salad to be a straightforward and pleasant accompaniment to a meal. The wilted greens are, well, wilted. Despite the delicious blue cheese puff pastry that comes with this salad, I don’t recommend it. You can add steak tips, chicken, shrimp, or scallops to the salads, but I can’t see how that would work with the options presented, such as arugula and feta, or iceberg hearts with pecans. It would be nice to have the option of a simple salad of mixed greens.
Although the menu overall is basically American, several of the small plates provide an international flair. Each of these little plates is a generous amount to share with two or three people as an appetizer. My favorite is the sizzling shrimp tapas ($7.95), a Spanish dish served piping hot in a small casserole with lots of garlic, grilled bread, and olive oil. The shrimps are plump and cooked to perfection, and the grilled brioche is great for soaking up the delicious garlicky olive oil. Next on my list is the tuna tartare ($9.95), a surprisingly generous portion of raw tuna with diced avocado and toasted sesame seeds served on crispy panko triangles (there are three) and a side of wasabi. Very fresh and delicious, this is the one to get if you are making a meal of the small plates and you want a good protein fix. Two notable mentions are the sautéed onion and blue cheese “pizzas” and the pork chimichangas (both $6.95). The fried artichoke hearts ($7.95) are good, but the portion is on the small side. I have not tried all the small plates, but of the mix that I have tried, there was only one disappointment: the cheese, potato and ham croquettes ($5.95) were bland. The cheese was not distinguishable, and although you can see little flecks of ham on the inside, the only flavor that came through was potato. The Dijon dipping sauce could not rescue this little contender.
In the category of “big plates,” I consider the Cast Iron’s signature dish to be the braised short ribs ($21.95). Gagnon starts with an 18-ounce beef short rib, and slow cooks it until it breaks down to a velvety, melt-in-your-mouth texture that has the concentrated beef flavor of a rich stock. Served with “cheesy smashed potatoes” and glazed carrots, this is an outstanding dish.
Another excellent meat dish is the steak frites ($19.95). The name of this dish translates internationally as beef with potatoes, with no absolute rule on the cut of beef. To more adequately reflect the quality and upscale-ness of the Cast Iron’s interpretation, I would rename this dish as “petite tender medallions,” as some other restaurants have. The cut of beef used for this dish is known as “teres major steak,” a seldom-used muscle in the shoulder that is second only to the tenderloin filet in tenderness. It requires some skilled butchering to extract this muscle, which is becoming something of a trend in more upscale restaurants. It is a surprising find in a casual neighborhood restaurant. Served with thin fries and roasted asparagus, the meat has a light coating of cracked black pepper and is splashed with a shallot and cognac sauce.
A notable mention for a meat dish is the linguini Bolognese ($13.95). This is a straightforward pasta dish with a generous ground beef and tomato sauce. The beef has a nice bite without any grittiness, and it has a clean (not greasy) feel to it. There is a touch of cream in the otherwise light tomato sauce, so don’t forget that lactose pill if you need it or you’ll have to pass on this very satisfying dish.
If you’re more partial to seafood, the scallops with goat cheese and corn griddle cakes ($20.95) is excellent when done to your liking. Don’t be bashful about telling the waiter how you want your scallops cooked, as the default is to sear them in brown butter and serve them on the raw side. I like mine “medium” and I make it clear I do not want sushi. This dish is served with three small “corn and goat cheese griddle cakes” and roasted asparagus. The cakes sound heavy but in fact are light and fluffy and very tasty.
The tuna steak ($19.95) is another winner on the seafood menu. It is cooked rare by default, but I ask for medium rare and specify that means a warm, red center. The chef has hit it right every time, and I have had this dish about a dozen times over the last two years. Kudos to the chef on this one, as I have trouble getting it right in my own kitchen.
If you like a fish fry, the fish and chips ($13.95) is very good, lightly breaded instead of a thick batter, and not overly salted. Often the special will be a fine fish such as a halibut fillet to add to the otherwise spare seafood offerings of the menu.
There are some disappointments at the Cast Iron Kitchen, but not many. I would stay away from the spinach-and-feta stuffed chicken breast. I admit I had this dish only once, but it was dry as dust, and is served with a “grilled romaine heart” that tasted like an accident; lettuce ash is beyond description. I recently tried the vegetable pot au feu, the veggie version of their shepherd’s pie. I don’t usually go vegan, but having had the tuna tartare small dish, and loving eggplant, I went for it. Alas, no eggplant at all, which was listed on the menu as the main ingredient. The waitress explained it was actually “seasonal vegetables.” What’s “in season” in April? No problem sending it back though. At the same dinner, my partner, John, chose a special—penne pasta with a sausage tomato sauce. It had more sodium per bite than I get in a year, and was overpowered by so much fennel it tasted like a box of licorice candy fell into the pot.
The Cast Iron Kitchen is a friendly place, laid back casual, and has live background jazz on Sunday night. It has a full bar, with quality spirits and a good selection of decent wines. The service is usually pretty good, sometimes excellent (it depends on who you get). The menu doesn’t change too often, and the delivery is very consistent. The trick is, give this place a decent chance, find the dishes that suit you best, and stick with those.
Reservations are recommended on weekends between 5:30 and 8 p.m., as there is a “rush” and the whole place fills up at once.