Getting a Seafood Fix at the Inn at Peaks Island

We has taken the 10:15 ferry from Old.Port for the quick 15 minutes ride to Peak's Island.    Our plan was to get some lunch, go to a museum and take a leisurely stroll around the island.  The island is only about 700 total acres and one and a half miles at it's widest point. There are golf carts.and bikes you can rent and it is also easily walkable since it is mostly flat. 

Lunch was at the Inn on Peak's Island. 

There are only two restaurants I found that are open for lunch.  This one and Island Lobster Company.  The Inn had a direct view of the ferry so would be good for some people watching when the next ferry came. 

They had a varied menu, of course focusing on seafood but also lots of vegetarian dishes. 

We both started out with the seafood chowder. 

This was a delicious one.  If you have travelled to New England, there are two general styles of chowder you will find. Some are thickened with a roux.  Those can often get muddled by the agent used to thicken it - flour if it is a roux and sometimes corn starch.  The other style is more of a thin broth that is slightly thickened only by the addition of diced potatoes.  This chowder was of that variety which is my favorite.  

The broth tastes like the sea. Fresh, creamy and a bit briny. Lots of flavors came through including celery and onion.  But the star was really the seafood.  Large chunks of lobster along with pieces of fish, clams, shrimp and scallops. Simply seasoned and served with the classic New England oyster crackers.  

My wife got the mussel appetizer. 

 There were well cooked in a creamy broth accented by chorizoamd a bit of lemon.  Delicious morsels!!   And of course, some toasted bread to soak up that broth.  While the mussels are good, it is really the broth that you will crave.  I would have liked the bread to be a bit more toasted for some crunch but that is a minor issue. 

I had the fish and chips.  Sometimes you will see a ched overthink what should be a simple dish.  Or try to put a twist on it.  Fish and chips should just respect the fish.  And this one did just that. 

Two beautiful haddock filets, simply breaded with some flour and deep fried.  Cooked perfectly and seasoned with a little salt right out of the fryer.  The fries were thin and crispy and appeared to be fresh cut. I never even tried the tartar sauce since the fish was so good by itself.  The Cole slaw was crunchy and a bit sweet with just enough vinegar to contrast with the fish.