Located on Rogers Street, directly on the waterfront in Gloucester, Latitude 43 is a popular local restaurant that offers a variety of dining options. Coming highly recommended by the docent at the Sargent House, dinner here was a greatly anticipated event.
Parking on Rogers Street can be difficult. On Thursday night a bank parking lot became the obvious choice but having to dine with the possibility that one’s car may be towed is less than perfect. Latitude 43 has its own parking lot, small but with an early reservation a spot was available. That took a lot of stress out of what should be a relaxed dining experience.
Three dining options are offered here, the pub, the sushi pit, and the restaurant. This writer was in the restaurant. An outdoor deck is available but thundershowers were predicted and did occur during the meal so the indoor option was a good choice. The entire wall is glass however so boats and glimpses of water are offered. At one point, the entire sky was filled with seagulls, it was quite impressive.
The choices are extensive here and not all of them are seafood, steak, chicken, pork, and pasta are also offered. While there were no specials, there is the Baked Local Day Boat Fish and on this day it was haddock with crumbs and beurre blanc, boiled red potatoes, and seasonal vegetables.
The starters are eclectic and offer some excellent choices. This couple tried the fried oysters which are served with Creole aioli and the watermelon salad which includes marinated feta and baby arugula in addition to the watermelon. Both were satisfying choices. The oysters were succulent, cover in a light breading and so juicy they literally burst in your mouth. The watermelon salad was very refreshing with the salty feta and the peppery arugula lightly dressed with an orange chili dressing.
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Service was excellent from the minute the restaurant was entered. Drinks were received quickly, orders were taken in a timely fashion; the waiter was well informed about all the menu items. It was a lovely experience.
For entrees, the salmon with pineapple salsa, sweet potato and spinach and the day boat fish were ordered. The fish was excellent on both plates, the salsa has quite spicy and added a nice flavor. The vegetables except for the spinach were a little undercooked. Keeping the color is one thing, but in a potato, hard is hard and not all that appealing. It was a small flaw in an otherwise excellent meal.
One bite of the key lime pie and strawberry shortcake and all was forgiven. The key lime is killer, so tart and sprinkled with coconut and the strawberry shortcake, made with fresh strawberries and real whipped cream was perfect, there is just is not another word for it.
It was a very fine meal with great service in a restaurant that knows how to provide a good time. Latitude 43 would be a perfect restaurant for a first date or a special occasion. There was soft music playing, the tables are far enough apart for quiet conversation and there are plenty of drinks and food choices.
The patrons run the gamut from families with children to seniors, young adults, and girlfriends. Some people were dressed to the nines and others were in short and tanks, the important thing was, no one felt out of place. It is all good here. Casual yet sophisticated, comfortable but with that special something. It is a place you will want to return to again and again.
