I blame The Lobster Shack.

The presence of The Cupcake Truck made the Lobster Shack pretty crowded last weekend, and Jim had to go park the car way out in back, by the marina. When he got back from parking, he mentioned that Nellie Green’s was back there. I think I knew this somewhere in the back of my mind, but it’s such an off-the-beaten-path location that I never really gave it much thought. And unless you’re on a boat, the place is completely hidden from view, so out of sight, out of mind, I guess.

A little background: Nellie Green was a rum-runner of some repute during the days of Prohibition. The original Nellie Green’s was an historic tavern right on the Branford/East Haven town line, right on the river (and apparently the bootleggers used to load up their boats right underneath the building). The building was pretty dilapidated and has since (unfortunately) been turned into condos. This incarnation of Nellie Green’s is apparently unrelated save for the name.

Anyway, we decided to give it a try in the interest of a) adding to our list of places, and b) supporting local businesses. Saturday was absurdly hot and humid, but by the time we headed out for dinner at 8:00, the darkness was imparting a bit of coolness to the evening, so we opted, when given the choice, to eat out on their beautiful deck, which sits right on the Branford River. It turned out to be the right choice. Our dinner was accompanied by a jazz duo (guitar and saxophone) and the stars came out, so the atmosphere was just about perfect.

We started out by sharing a bowl of clam chowder (quite tasty) and a dozen very fresh clams on the half-shell (accompanied by three different sauces). They also brought us a basket of warm bread and a dish of deliciously flavored olive oil (and offered to bring butter if we preferred; we did not). Jim ordered grilled swordfish for his entree and I opted for the plank-roasted salmon. Both entrees were fantastic. The swordfish was topped with a delicious salsa. The salmon was accompanied by a risotto with roasted corn and peas, and both came with a side of fresh green beans.

For dessert, Jim ordered the ice cream “sandwich” (which wasn’t really a sandwich at all, but was topped with chocolate cookie crumbs) and I got the amaretto creme brulee.

While dinner wasn’t cheap (our total bill came to $110), neither was it exorbitant given the quality of the food. That’s with two appetizers, two entrees, two desserts, three beers, and a coffee. Nope, not bad by shoreline standards, and the food was very good. The service is friendly. The ambience is unbeatable. We will very likely go back soon.