by Dennis Teehan

Most neighborhoods of Dedham are filled with painted houses and tree lined streets.  Driving around town it often seems that this is the sort of place where one would be unlikely to find much excitement or intrigue.

Yet in the midst of this classical suburban grid there is one place that dismisses this idea.   This institution is a place of wonder amid the sleepy pattern of a modern suburb. The place I am referring to is none other than the Fisherman’s Restaurant on East Street in Endicott Circle.

Many of us undoubtedly have whizzed past the faded yellow sign and caught the pungent aroma of fried seafood as it fills the neighborhood time and time again.  Yet for the thousands of times we see it in passing who among us has actually had the impetus to venture into this curious local establishment?  From my own experience and my conversations with fellow locals it seemed difficult to find many who consider themselves among the Fisherman’s regular clientele. 

As a lifelong Dedham resident I too have blasted by the Fisherman’s faded yellow sign in my car thousands of times.  I even know the owner mostly because he is friends with my father, former Chief of Police and Selectman Dennis Teehan.   Yet the sad truth is that despite the tempting aroma of fried seafood in the neighborhood that chronically beckons me my adventures over the years to this curious place have been too few.  I therefore resolved to find out what this hall of maritime cuisine resting inconspicuously in my neighborhood was all about.

I realized there was but one way to answer my questions and solve this dilemma.  I had to take the bull by the horns, dine in the Fisherman’s and see what he his fryulator had to offer my taste buds.    The danger is that dining out for seafood is always a roll of the dice.  A good seafood meal is unmatched in the culinary bliss it provides the eater, but a bad seafood meal usually ends in the same place most 21^st birthday parties do.  I was preparing to take this chance and give a sacred trust to the Fisherman: I was going to let him serve me fish.  

Why take this risk?  It may have been a gamble, but if a hidden gem of an eatery resides in my neighborhood I needed to find out.  I was tired of driving by the Fisherman’s and wondering “Who eats at that place?”  I decided that to get to the bottom of this and one meal alone would not do.  I would have to embrace the vegetable oil soaked love and become part of the regular clientele of the Fisherman’s.  I would eat seven meals at the Fisherman’s Restaurant and report on my findings.

My adventure began on a Monday afternoon.  I drove to the Endicott rotary amidst a light drizzle unsure of what to expect and scared I was about to eat something that had been swimming at the bottom of the Ruscraft road pond yesterday.  I quickly got over my fears, entered the restaurant for the first time in years and approached the lunch counter ready to eat.  As I considered my dining options I wondered if the Sunoco gas station across the street sold syrup of Ipecac.   

Before I could grab the laminated plastic menu at the counter I was greeted warmly by the

Fisherman himself.  He recognized me from the times I used to come in with my father when I was young.  Not only was this a tremendous honor it was also a great sign.  Where does the owner of a restaurant warmly greet a customer as they walk in the door?  The answer is a place where that owner is proud of what he serves. I began to feel good about the Fisherman’s. 

That day I wanted to eat healthy so I went with the Greek salad with grilled chicken.  As I dug in I noticed that the place may have looked the same as it did in the Ford Presidency but the salad was fresh.  The more I ate the more I realized that it was a great salad.  My anxiety decreased and I enjoyed the meal. 

For the second meal I kept it healthy again this time going with a veggie sub and again I had a quality meal. I quickly realized this was not a coincidence.  In fact for all the first 6 meals the theme was the same.  The pasta and chicken fingers were delectable.  The breakfast was superb.  The pizza was of the highest quality.

Yet before I could give my stamp of approval my adventure would have to end with sampling the seafood and this was no small test.  The measure of any fisherman who tries his luck in the restaurant industry will be in how he serves up those elusive catches of the day.  I went with the baked scallops and again I was impressed.

Seven meals later I was ready to become a regular patron of the Fisherman.  Like a man who travels the world looking for love only to return home and become enamored with the girl next door, I realized what I had been missing all these years.  For the thousands of times I had driven by the Fisherman’s I knew I had deprived myself of some quality, affordably priced, takeout seafood. 

I wouldn’t go to the Fisherman’s expecting a luxurious atmosphere.  I’ll put it this way: if you are into pictures of fish or plastic lobsters than the place is for you.  To put a positive slant on things you could say that not only is there a certain rustic, marine charm about the place but you can bring your dry cleaning next door which is a bonus. 

 The most important thing about the Fisherman’s is the excellent food at good prices.  It is indeed a great restaurant that often is unnoticed by many of us blending into the heart of our town and I highly recommend everyone take an adventure inside and discover one of Dedham’s hidden gems.